Disappointing, I know. But I have never successfully lost weight without feeling hungry all the time. It just goes with the territory. Losing weight requires you to be in a calorie deficit. When your body is in a calorie deficit, you feel hungry. You just can't get around that fact. You can take unhealthy drugs which are likely to cause you long-term harm. But the goal of this blog is to be healthy so I do not condone the use of potentially harmful weight loss drugs. Assuming you are a normal healthy adult, you can’t have weight loss without experiencing some hunger.
The good news, is that there are ways to make the hunger more manageable. One thing I’ve discovered is that when I exercise, I feel less hungry. So sometimes when I’m hungry I just play some game on the Kinect and the more I play it, the less hungry I feel. And as a bonus, I’m burning calories instead of consuming them. You have to be careful that you don’t overdo it though, or your body will start burning muscle. It’s good to have a few carbs before exercising and a little bit of protein and carbs after exercising.
Another way to deal with hunger is by drinking lots of water. Water can make you feel full even though it has zero calories. Also, sometimes when we think we feel hungry we are actually experiencing moderate dehydration. So drinking water can give us what we need to feel better. I don’t recommend zero calorie soda because I don’t trust all the chemicals they contain. Occasionally I drink green tea when I’m hungry, but green tea on an empty stomach sometimes makes me nauseous.
Something else to keep in mind is that you will occasionally fail and succumb to your hunger. Everyone has limits to their willpower. You may see a box of doughnuts at work and you just can’t resist having one. Or you may be at a restaurant and you get a whiff of some really fattening unhealthy meal and you order it for yourself. It’s important to remember that one failure does not mean you blew your whole weight loss plan. When you have a moment of weakness, don’t just give up! And there’s no need to beat yourself up about it. It’s more like a small step backwards than a big disaster. As long as it’s not a frequent occurrence, small failures will not prevent you from reaching your weight loss goals. In fact, occasional “cheat meals” can sometimes give your metabolism a boost that can help you overcome weight loss plateaus.
Hunger is an inevitable part of weight loss. There are times I wonder why I’m putting myself through the unpleasant experience of being hungry. At times like these, it’s helpful to be reminded of your goals. If you used to be overweight like I was, you should keep a picture of what you used to look like. When I see a picture of myself from five years ago, it gives me motivation to be strong and resist my desire to eat.
Hunger is an inevitable part of weight loss. There are times I wonder why I’m putting myself through the unpleasant experience of being hungry. At times like these, it’s helpful to be reminded of your goals. If you used to be overweight like I was, you should keep a picture of what you used to look like. When I see a picture of myself from five years ago, it gives me motivation to be strong and resist my desire to eat.
I see you haven't updated your blog in a while. I hope you're doing well. I just came across this post & couldn't agree more! Thank you for your tips & encouragement.
ReplyDeleteI used to weigh 196 lbs over a year ago, now I'm 135lbs & have been maintaining since May.
It's still one day at a time & Im always on alert to make sure my old habits don't resurface.