I’m a simple man.
I like easy and fast solutions.
That’s exactly how I went about dieting.
I discovered how to lose weight quickly and easily without starving myself.
During that time, I found 7 reasons why people on diets are ALWAYS hungry.
The good news is that I learned how to prevent each one.
Let’s discuss them.
1) Lack of fat
Fat is a MANDATORY micronutrient, especially when dieting.
It helps you achieve one very important thing…
Satiety.
Satiety is the feeling of fullness and satisfaction after eating a BIG meal.
It’s not the size of the meal that makes you full, it’s the grams of fat it contains.
Want proof?
Eat a HUGE plate of plain pasta. (No sauce or oil added)
I guarantee you’ll be hungry again very soon.
Why?
Because it doesn’t contain fat.
Here’s the problem, people do these silly LOW-FAT diets that don’t trigger satiety.
You must eat fat or you’ll constantly be hungry.
Period.
The best fat choices are:
1) Extra virgin olive oil
2) Coconut oil
3) Almonds
4) Salmon
5) Organic butter
6) Avocado
I wrote an article about my experience with the Steak & Eggs diet.
You eat pure fat on that diet, and I still managed to lose a TON of weight.
…Go figure!
Many people commented on that article and emailed me raving about how fast they were losing weight.
What’s the moral of the story?
Eating fat doesn’t make you fat.
Excess calories make you fat.
2) Calories are too low
Yes, a caloric deficit is required to lose weight.
Obviously.
However, people take this to an EXTREME and do what I call a caloric torture.
They restrict their calories so much that their body is STARVED for nutrients.
Does a starved body sound like it should feel full?
Of course not.
You need to eat your desired weight multiplied by 10.
For example, if I want to weigh 170 lbs, I’ll multiply 170 x 10.
This means that the minimum number of calories I should eat daily are 1700.
Don’t starve yourself, it’s unnecessary and doesn’t work.
Trust me.
3) Not enough water
Most people don’t drink enough water.
In fact, most people walk around dehydrated, and don’t even know it.
Dehydration symptoms are sneaky and appear in different ways.
One common way is by triggering your appetite.
If you’re on a diet, the LAST thing you want is to trigger your appetite.
Right?
Dehydration is constantly mistaken for hunger.
It’s not always food that your body wants, it’s water.
Avoid this by sipping on water throughout the day.
I drink a gallon daily.
4) Too many carbs
It’s OK to eat carbs when dieting.
What’s not OK is eating a lot of them.
Carbs trigger insulin release in your body.
While this isn’t going to severely hurt your weight-loss, unless you do it for 24 hours per day, it’ll do something else that’s bad…
Make your body crave MORE carbs and trigger your appetite.
This is another reason why you’d feel hungry after eating that big plate of pasta I mentioned in #1.
Don’t be scared to have carbs, but keep them as low as possible to avoid hunger.
One of the WORSE things to do is eat those 100 calorie snacks they sell at grocery stores.
Those things are filled with a TON of artificial ingredients and carbs.
If you’ve tried them, you know how hungry you get shortly after eating them.
Instead, reach for a boiled egg, almonds, or half an avocado.
These options contain fat and will keep you satiated much longer.
Another problem with carbs is that they’re very easy to miscalculate.
Many people eat more than the serving size.
Before you know it, a 400 calorie bowl of pasta turns into 950 calories.
Be very careful.
I strongly recommend preparing your own food when dieting so you can measure and eat the correct serving size.
5) Constant snacking and small meals
This is the worst piece of dieting advice.
People DO NOT have to eat every two hours to lose weight, feel full, or any other non-sense you’ve heard.
It’s been scientifically proven that a caloric deficit is all that’s necessary to lose weight.
Whether you eat all your calories in ONE meal, or spread them into 8 small meals throughout the day…
You’re going to lose weight.
However…
Here’s why eating every 2 hours makes you hungry.
First of all, you develop the habit of eating constantly.
Think about it for a moment…
Let’s say you go on a diet where you eat small meals every two hours and end up losing weight.
Great.
But, along with that weight loss, you’ve now trained your mind and body to want food every two hours!
That’s insane!
Maintaining your weight will be close to impossible since you’ll think constantly think about food.
Makes sense?
Maintaining your weight isn’t just about eating less, it’s also about eating less often.
Small meals also fail to help you reach satiety since they are so calorie densed.
This makes it difficult to achieve that feeling of fullness.
6) Lack of sleep
Getting less than 7-8 hours of sleep per night increases your appetite.
Lack of sleep interferes with the regulation of leptin.
Leptin is a hormone that signals satiety to your brain.
Without this signal, your appetite won’t be suppressed.
How likely are you to succeed with a diet if that happens?
Make sleep is priority in your life, especially when dieting.
Turn off the TV, put your phone on silent, use ear plugs, get blackout curtains to eliminate outdoor light and noise in your room.
Do whatever necessary because sleep is crucial to your dieting success.
7) Mental (It’s all in your head)
Last but not least is mental.
Most of the time, you think you’re hungry when you’re actually not.
I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s true.
Since you’re restricted on a diet, your mind tricks you into thinking you’re hungry.
You’ve heard the famous saying “You want what you can’t have“.
Since you’re favorite foods are off limits, it makes you crave them more.
Don’t give in.
Power through!
Dieting is temporary.
Remember that your favorite foods aren’t off limits for life, just until you lose weight.
Burn all the fat off first, and then reward yourself with a cheat meal.
Start now!
Talk soon,
Alexander writer
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