3Kviews
Hey Pandas, What Are Some Tips To Cut Extra Calories Without Being Hungry? (Closed)
If you have been on this journey, share your tips!
This post may include affiliate links.
Do not even starve yourself.
I eat with a teaspoon and a smaller plate so it tricks your mind into not over-eating. I also eat at a slower pace so I know when I'm full. I also do cardio, but remember food is fuel!!!
No food should be off limits. Just eat smaller portions of those foods that might not give you the best "bang" for your nutritional "buck".
CHICKPEAS a salad (cucumber, celery, tomatoes, peppers) with feta cheese, roasted chickpeas and a balsamic/honey glaze is an amazing meal
Work through issues of food obligation. If you go to a restaurant, it's okay to take leftovers. If you buy food anywhere, the money is already gone; if you don't like it, don't eat it. If you're no longer enjoying it, stop eating. Even if there are only a few bites left. You are not obligated to eat all of something just because you paid for it. (Or if someone else did for that matter)
For some this may seem super obvious, but for those of us raised in "you're not leaving this table until you clear your plate" households, or who experienced food scarcity, sometimes it can actually be anxiety/panic inducing to stop eating before the food is gone.
Vegetables. Lots and lots of vegiblez. Delishus vegibles. (And fruits too, but vegetables are the real MVP here.) Preferably raw. Just stuff yourself with them. Hunger vanquished in the immediacy, and because it takes a long time to digest them, you'll stay feeling full for a while. (And I mean - eat vegetables like bell peppers, broccol, cauli, Brussels sproots, not like... lettuce XD )
You can also drink water when you're feeling *improperly* hungry (I mean like, feeling hungry at 2am when you really shouldn't be eating). Liquids are NOT a meal replacement, but they can help you "stop" feeling hungry until your willpower can take over (or to tide you over to a proper meal). Only do this (with the intent to stop hunger) at times when you shouldn't be eating. I mean, yes, hydrate hydrate hydrate, but not to quell hunger XD
The above can also be achieved temporarily by chewing gum. Chewing gum can "trick" your brain into thinking you're eating, so you'll stop feeling hungry for brief periods. Again, this is JUST to hold you over between normal meals etc.
Otherwise, nothing can beat vegetables for actually being GOOD for you and helping you defeat hunger while keeping calories very low! :D
Eats slower. Once you start eating, you'll get full after 15 minutes (ish) regardless of how much you eat. Set your eating pace for the amount you actually need to eat and the time on average takes you to get full.
One thing that can help with this is eating with others. Shared meals often means conversation which slows food intake.
- Cheese. Nuff said.
- Learning to season your food. If your healthy food tastes better, it will be easier to make diet changes.
- Soup. If you love soup, it makes it so much easier because it literally is just meat and vegetables.
What cheese is low-calorie? You have to eat a relatively large amount of cheese to quell hunger (a slice or two is not going to keep hunger at bay for long) and cheeses are notoriously NOT low-calorie. A 1oz slice of basic cheddar is like 115 calories.
• Grilled chicken salad with mixed greens, cucumbers, bell peppers, and a light vinaigrette
• Carrot and celery sticks with hummus
• Whole grain pancakes topped with Greek yogurt and mixed berries
• overnight oats
• Lentil and vegetable wrap with whole wheat tortilla
•Quinoa salad with black beans, corn, tomatoes, red onion, and a lime vinaigrette.
• Greek yogurt with mixed berries and a sprinkle of granola
Let me know if you want/need more suggestions! :)
Drink water. If your don't usually drink water, this is a huge cutback on calories. Sodas etc often have calories or else sweeteners that contribute to weight gain. Sugars (particularly "sugar free" sweeteners) are the biggest culprit of weight gain and a lot of health issues. Things that say zero calories or sugar free are usually misleading, they're full of stuff that's pretty terrible for your system, worse than just having regular sugar and calories. Once you get used to it, water will actually taste and feel better. I like soda, juice, beer, etc, in my teens I went through a phase where I only drank Pepsi, but once i broke the habit, nothing hits the spot like a cool glass of water, so 99% of the time i find i prefer it.
If you drink water before, during, and after your meals you'll not only be well hydrated, but you won't feel the need to eat as much if you're trying to cut back.also, when your craving a snack, try drinking a glass of water and waiting five minutes. If you're still hungry you probably actually need food, but often you'll find your cravings will be cured by this.
The most powerful diet tip nobody wants to talk about because it's basically free and nobody is going to make millions of it.
Try hot water if you’re someone who often feels cold and struggles to drink cold water.
Stay active. Work out, walk, swim, jog, lift weights, split firewood .. find a few activities you can dive into and then you’ll be able to eat what you want and stay healthy. Cutting calories doesn’t work as well as increasing metabolic rate. 30 years experience as a nutritionist.
I agree. A cardio workout at least 5x a week will go farther than starving yourself.
If you like regular sugared soda, juice, or other drinks, you can save around HALF the calories by diluting the drink with a combination of WATER (or sparkling water) and A SPRINKLE of CITRIC ACID. The water increases the bulk of the drink (thus reducing the calories per fluid oz,) while also diluting the flavor and Sweetness. BUT: the little bit of citric acid fools your taste buds into thinking it's just as flavorful and sweet as the regular (non-diluted) version.
I do this with juice all the time. But be careful: I got in the habit of sipping juice while I worked and it was TERRIBLE for my teeth. As far as the plaque is concerned, you might as well be eating candy all day long, says my dentist.
Strawberries are extremely filling and are a good source of fiber. I always have some in that time between breakfast and lunch. They are sweet too, so it kind of gives you a sweet tooth fix. Cantaloupe and Watermelon are also good for this. My wife always cuts them up and our fridge is stocked with options like this, helps a TON.
Also, meal prep on the weekends is always a great thing. Nothing better than not having to think about what you're going to have for lunch. It alleviates the risk of making a bad choice. I like to make chicken curry (chick peas are filling) and vegetable heavy meatloaf with sides like rice, green beans, etc. This is great for portion control, we use the chinese food style containers you can easily purchase.
Eat things with lots of water in it, eliminate food with no water in it (that means you, so-called 'healthy' snack bars)
Believe it or not, your brain will retrain itself to crave those veggies
Also, drinking some water before meals fills you up so you're less likely to overeat.
Increase protein and veggies, decrease sugar and carbs. Less snacks, more water. Use smaller plates when you eat, you are more likely to stop eating when you are no longer hungry if there isn't a bunch of food still on your plate. Portion control makes a huge difference, especially if you grew up with "clean your plate" parents.
Steam your rice and your vegetables and use herbs and a little oil (olive, sesame) for flavor. Keep fruit around for pick-up snacks -- things like cherries, strawberries, blueberries, apricots, that require little or no prep. You could also nosh on any vegetables that you like eating raw, or cook them and keep them in the fridge where you can just grab them. When you "want something to eat" drink water first (or tea or coffee) -- you may forget that you thought you were hungry. Make sure you get enough lean protein, because it helps your body get rid of excess fluid.
One thing that made me lose a little fat without even trying is changing, reducing or eliminating condiments, sauces and dressings. I switched from regular to low-fat mayonnaise and ate my salads with no dressing (though a spoonful of lemon or vinegar will add flavor if you don't prefer plain salad). I could see results within a couple weeks and didn't suffer or go hungry. I also used greek yogurt when possible, which is thicker than normal yogurt and contains more protein. Worked out well for some kinds of chicken and even burgers instead of loads of ketchup and mayonnaise.
Water. Drink more water. The same part of your brain in responsible for thirst and hunger signals, and sometimes the signals get confused. If you ate 20 min ago, and are still hungry, it is probably THIRST. Also, sounds crazy but it works: Brush your teeth if you can't seem to stop snacking.
Decrease the amount of sugary foods you are eating overall. Simple carbohydrates like sucrose actually increase hunger cravings because the sugar burns up so quickly in our body. So the real key is to replace simple carbs with either complex carbs, or with protein. And as someone said above, hydration is crucial. Especially when making dietary changes.
I lost 10lb in 5.5 weeks by cutting out sugar & taking walks on otherwise mellow days. Cutting out sugar is HUGE! My husband lost 22 lbs in 8 weeks from cutting out sugar. Not even kidding. We aren't heavy ppl to begin with but we were both gaining a little more weight than normal. So we cut out sugar expecting we'd still have to like.. work out & change everything else. But it was surprising how much weight we lost barley changing anything just by cutting out sugar. It's also helped me eat healthier naturally.
Don't follow any of the "fad diets". Most of them weren't created for sustainable, lifelong living. The tried-and-true calories in vs calories out is still the best advice. Burn more calories than you consume. If you aren't a marathon runner or weightlifter, then go for a really nice, long, intense walk outside and get some hills in there.
A diet doesn’t usually have enough food for me, so I follow two at the same time. That way I eat twice as much and lose twice the weight too.
Meal Prep. My family started doing weekly meal prep (3 adults x 3 meals x 6 days = 54 meals) We are able to control how many calories we get (along with protein, carbs and fats) without overeating or feeling too hungry. I thought I would get bored of eating the same food every day, but I'm a great cook so they always taste delicious.
Breakfast = 100 grams of rice, 10 servings of egg whites, 3 chicken sausage links, 1 ounce of cheese.
Lunch = 100 grams of rice, 10 ounces of ground turkey (taco flavor this week, stir fry last week) 1/2 cup of black beans, diced tomatoes, 1 ounce of cheese.
Dinner = 8 ounces of chicken breast, 150 grams of potatoes, frozen veggie mix.
We can mix and match the meals for variety, It's easy to take these servings to work (I bike to work), and we are spending less than a third of our previous food costs. (We spend roughly $600-800 on groceries per month for 3 adults!) Breakfast costs $1.10 per meal and lunch and dinner are about $2.50. We no longer have to cook every evening, which means more free time and fewer dishes.
Quark, basically. Very filling with good amounts of protein at comparatively little calories. For your sweet tooth, get flavor shots. Keep a calorie counting app (I use LoseIt) and USE it. But don't do this religiously - cutting down to a healthy weight is very good, getting yourself an eating disorder is not.
Build meals and snacks around vegtables as the main component. The Plate Method has fruit/veg as 1/2 the plate (1/4 protein and 1/4 starch) so think of that as a basic formula for meals and also your grocery cart.
The hole in your face is bigger than the one in your bum. Always bear that in mind (easier to put weight on than take it off). For more serious advice, the usual eat slowly so you fill up before you've done, try and have more veg than sweet stuff, also the "breakfast like a King, lunch like a Lord, dine like a pauper" timing rule helps tremendously, even if you go to bed in the early hours of the morning. Lastly, if you're lazy like me, look up how much exercise you have to do to burn x calories, and decide if the nibble is worth that much running.
switch breakfast to yoghurt, oats, nuts and fruit.
google food that's good for your brain.
Related to some of the other comments:
Use less sweetener, i e. If you put sugar/honey in your tea/coffee just reduce it. If you use maple syrup or whatever to your breakfast, just use a little less. Your body/taste buds adjust.
I put milk in my tea and milk is plenty sweet. Fruit teas have natural sweetness. ...And bitter tea complements my natural sweetness (or pairs with my bitterness, depends on the moment 😉)
Tea isn't actually very bitter if you brew it properly. (I feel like I should add)
Eat healthy and excessive a bit before bed.
I personally make myself some toast with an egg for breakfast, salad for lunch, and a small portion of whatever mom’s cooking tonight for dinner (don’t judge lol)
exercising before bed means you can work a bit of the calories you ate out and still go to bed feeling full
Also water. Drink some water before you eat or drink it as you eat
Ultra processed food is very bad for you. If you switch to real food, you’ll eat fewer calories without feeling hungry. Real veggies, real meat, real eggs, real fruit, real milk, that sort of thing. Not processed garbage in packages.
This year I’ve lost 1 stone 8lbs.
Gym 2/3 times a week : row for 3 mins, cycle for 10km or 30mins, 50 sit ups or crunches, squats with kettle bells, dumbbell lifts.
Pre-workout protein drink- energises too.
post workout fibre bites(1)
Breakfast: raisin bagel
Lunch: cuppa soup and tomatoes
Or
Satay chicken and tomatoes
Slight diet change for dinner: fish, half a bell pepper, tomatoes, olives and broccoli.
Fruit and sorbet for desert if needed.
Cut out dairy - 24 yrs of lactose intolerance, finally listening to my body.
No unnecessary bread.
When I have a hamburger I eat it on a plate with a fork.
Here are a few. Eat high protein with low calories like fish. There is 40 calorie bread. Herbalife shakes, make a lot of vegetables with your meal. Yes, eat meat. Use olive oil for fat. Olive and vinegar makes great dressing.
I'm not out for weight loss, but I'm trying to quit smoking. One of the common problems is weight gain (I'm already overweight a bit), so I bought a ton of unsalted nuts and raw fruits and veggies (ones that I like so I know I'll eat them). I was surprised at how full I feel after a few baby carrots or a handful of nuts.
I'm just starting my weight loss (mostly cause I want to fit into a cosplay outfit I have for next month), and I'd say changing your snacks/what you eat helps a lot. Rather than sandwiches dressed with a lot of things, I have a salad for lunch. Rather than potato chips, I'm eating granola bars, chickpeas, nuts (though not recommended if you are allergic), fruit, or even plantain chips. And for work lunch, I'm having 1 sandwich rather than 2. And lastly, since I'm starting to exercise, mixed in with Karate, having the right pre/post workout snack, and supplements, go a long while. My goal is to drop a minimum of 10-15 pounds before September 10th, and 50 pounds minimum overall.
I'm not out for weight loss, but I'm trying to quit smoking. One of the common problems is weight gain (I'm already overweight a bit), so I bought a ton of unsalted nuts and raw fruits and veggies (ones that I like so I know I'll eat them). I was surprised at how full I feel after a few baby carrots or a handful of nuts.
I'm just starting my weight loss (mostly cause I want to fit into a cosplay outfit I have for next month), and I'd say changing your snacks/what you eat helps a lot. Rather than sandwiches dressed with a lot of things, I have a salad for lunch. Rather than potato chips, I'm eating granola bars, chickpeas, nuts (though not recommended if you are allergic), fruit, or even plantain chips. And for work lunch, I'm having 1 sandwich rather than 2. And lastly, since I'm starting to exercise, mixed in with Karate, having the right pre/post workout snack, and supplements, go a long while. My goal is to drop a minimum of 10-15 pounds before September 10th, and 50 pounds minimum overall.
