How to Stay Full While Losing Weight
One of the ugly truths about losing body fat is that it's gonna require some sacrifice whether you like it or not.
Whether it’s no longer eating out every night or greatly limiting how much alcohol you have throughout the week, you’re going to have to make some sacrifices if you really want to see progress.
You literally cannot have your cake and eat it too.
> What got you in the position of desiring change in the first place isn’t what’s going to get you out.
Losing weight is uncomfortable, no doubt about it. Going from eating out every night, drinking on the weekends, habitually sneaking into the workplace pantry, and not moving around much outside of work - to not eating out every night, treating alcohol as an occasional treat, preparing meals/snacks ahead of time, and purposefully moving as much as you can, can feel inconvenient, as these are habits you’re not used to yet.
I’m not going to get too far ahead of myself here with all the lifestyle changes that’ll help support fat loss. But I will be covering what is probably the biggest roadblock in a fat loss phase which is hunger. How do you lose weight when you are so damn hungry?
In this article, I’ll be going in-depth on how to manage hunger and how to make staying in a deficit easier.
Hunger During Fatloss
Who knew that by eating less, you’d feel even more hungry? Shits crazy man
Hunger by itself is your body’s way of signaling that it needs sustenance in the form of energy (calories). When we purposefully take in less energy to lose weight, the internal cry for calories becomes louder.
The hunger signal can vary greatly from person to person as some will feel no difference being in a deficit compared to being at maintenance while others will feel like their whole world’s falling apart and that they’re suffering a great deal.
To be fair, any large deficit (>500 calories/day) is going to cause noticeable changes in hunger cues. Where most trendy diets seen in magazines, TV ads, and online fail is that they typically prescribe a calorie goal that’s pretty unrealistic for anyone to actually sustain.
Of course someone who’s 350lbs (158kg) is going to lose weight eating 1200 calories per day. They probably need north of 3,000 or more just to maintain their weight.
> Hunger during a fatloss phase is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be torture.
You don’t need to eat the portions of an infant in order to make progress.
> As long as you’re taking in less energy than your body burns, you will lose bodyfat.
Period, end of story.
Even if that is just a 100 calorie deficit (2 oreo cookies), you will end up losing weight, it’ll just take a little longer than if you did the typical 500 calorie deficit.
Usually, a recommended fat loss target is a 500 calorie deficit per day. If my maintenance is 2500 calories, then I’ll eat at 2,000 calories.
500 calories is a common number due to their being around 3500 calories worth of energy within a single pound of bodyfat. 500x7=3500 (roughly 1 lb lost per week).
Even though 500 is a common prescription, it’s not the end all be all. You could do a 250 calorie deficit and lose ½ lb per week or you could do a 100 calorie deficit. Just know that the smaller the deficit, the longer it will take to lose weight.
The most important thing to consider is what’s sustainable for you. I’d say 250-500 calories per day is a pretty realistic goal cause all you gotta do is simply cut down/out caloric beverages and maybe some snacks. If you routinely eat 6 oreo cookies every day, cutting those out alone would save you 306 calories.
Pair that with cutting out a single can of soda (1 12oz Coke = 140cal), now you’ve saved yourself 446 calories.
> Simple changes can make a big impact.
But with calories aside, I want to share with you some practices you can include to make this process even easier.
Eat More for Less!
What if I told you that you could actually consume more food while simultaneously saving calories? Sounds nuts, but it’s true!
A lot of what makes up the Standard American Diet is high calorie, hyper-palatable foods. Foods that taste really fucking good, are energy dense but contain very little, if not any nutritional value.
1 Big Mac contains 550 calories per burger. Of which I can eat in 4-5 bites.
1 slice of Red Velvet Cheesecake @ the Cheesecake factory is 1,580 calories
2 slices of Domino’s cheese pizza is 542 calories.
That’s a lot of calories for not that much volume. Like I said, I could easily down a big mac in just a couple bites. If I’m trying to lose weight and I’m also regularly consuming single food items that take up a large percentage of my daily calories without giving me any kind of meaningful sustenance, then I’m really kind of just shooting myself in the foot here.
You can technically lose weight eating big macs and cheesecake, but it’s just gonna be really, really hard.
As in the “you feel like shit and are also starving” kind of hard.
I’m not saying there aren't other reasons we eat that’s beyond just sustaining our bodily needs. That’d be short-sighted of me.
But what I am saying is that if you are in the position where you are trying to make change, some sacrifice is going to have to be made. You don’t have to completely eliminate these foods, but you’ll need to be okay with the idea that you are gonna have to at least reduce the frequency at which you consume them.
Now going back to my original point, eating more for less. Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat dairy can provide a much larger serving size for less calories. This is because something like a potato doesn’t come out of the ground with added oils, added sugar, or all the flavorings to make it as tasty and addictive as possible. Same with fruit too. I dare you to eat 500 calories worth of blueberries (32oz). It’s not going to happen.
I’d wager that if most people just stuck to just eating whole foods, then not only would losing weight be easier, but maintaining said weight loss would essentially become second-nature!
But let’s be realistic, most of us aren’t only eating whole foods. We like to socialize, go out with friends, you know, live?
I enjoy some processed treats here and there. Sometimes, my mother will bring home some pie or bake some banana bread. You oughta be nuts if you think I’m quitting banana bread.
I enjoy those foods, but I don’t have them all the time. It’s all about creating balance. Of which, can be a tricky avenue as each path someone takes towards “balance” will differ from another.
Some people do well with restriction while others don’t. This is where the 80/20 rule comes into play. A way to allow you to fuel your body while also still enjoying your favorite foods!
80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule is simply a way to ratio your calories.
80% of your food comes from single ingredient, whole foods
20% comes from anything you want!
Note that you don’t need to be pinpoint accurate with meeting the exact ratios. If most of what you’re eating is whole foods while a small amount are more fun foods, then you’re doing pretty great!
Allowing a percentage of your calories to come from more processed foods can be a helpful tip to both stave off hunger and curve cravings. You’re getting protein, fiber, and other nutrients, while still enjoying a glass of wine or having some ice cream.
And I know that some influencers online will say you have to completely eliminate processed foods if you even want to hope to lose weight. Which is simply not true.
I do agree that a steak is healthier than a big mac, that you’d get more bang for your buck eating whole fruit compared to having fruit gummies. My personal ideal world would feature no processed foods, everyone getting plenty of sunshine, tons of movement, a personal focus on stress management, minimal alcohol consumption, and everyone getting enough water.
But here’s the thing, that “perfect world of mine” exists only inside my head. Your own “perfect world” doesn’t reflect reality. Sure it’s a nice dream, but unfortunately, it’s just not realistic to expect everyone to adhere to strict health standards. That was more of a message to those fitness health nuts on social media.
You gotta meet yourself with where you’re at. If your current diet consists mainly of fast food, soda, ice cream, microwavable meals, and random snacks, then something like the 80/20 rule or even the 70/30 rule can be a great strategy
The 70/30 rule is the same thing as the 80/20 rule, but just with even less restriction!
Protein and Fiber
Making protein and fiber the center point of each meal is only going to do more good than harm. Having a robust amount of protein at each meal, especially earlier in the day, is going to make it easier to stick with your diet and eventually, make it easier to maintain your weight loss.
I personally always recommend trying to start the day with a high protein breakfast solely because protein by itself is the most commonly neglected nutrient as it 1) it doesn’t add anything to taste or texture and 2) it satiates the hell outta you making it really hard to get sufficient amounts.
For protein, we want to get anywhere between 0.7-1g/lb of bodyweight or 1.5- 2.2g/kg of bodyweight.
For fiber, minimum, we want to be anywhere between 14-16g per every 1,000 calories consumed.
Seems like a lot, which honestly it may be depending on where you’re starting from. But there are ways to make reaching these goals easier which is why I personally love the idea of setting a goal of hitting at least 30 grams of protein at breakfast.
If you can leave your house with 30 grams down, it’s going to make hitting the rest of your daily targets those 30 grams easier. And it doesn’t even have to be 30 grams, it can be 40 or 50 or even 60!
And yes, your body can absorb more than 25 grams of protein within a single sitting.
Eggs, egg whites, lean meats, dairy, lactose-free dairy, tofu, beans, and protein powders are all awesome foods you can have for breakfast.
And I know there’s a lot of folk who’ll be put off with the idea of having a protein/vegetable-rich breakfast because meat and veggies aren’t exactly “breakfast foods”, to which I wanna point out something. Something important.
You’re an adult
You’re not a child
I’m not asking you to slice off your pinky toe
And I’m not telling you that you need to permanently eliminate all the foods you love
What I am asking is for you to at least try switching your behaviors just a little bit that’ll put you in better trajectory towards your goals
Cause you know, you’re an adult, and I care about you, plus I want to see you succeed.
And to prove that
I’m gonna give you a couple breakfast ideas that can make this whole thing easier!
Example 1
4 large eggs with 1 cup of mixed vegetables of choice
½ cup of berries of choice mixed into ½ cup oatmeal
Estimated Macros (I used blueberries & market basket brand frozen mix veggies)
576 Calories
35g Protein
10g Fiber
Example 2
1 cup oatmeal
1 scoop protein powder of choice (I used Quest Vanilla Milkshake)
Estimated Macros
410 Calories
34g Protein
8g Fiber
Getting a good amount of protein and/or fiber into your morning doesn’t have to be complicated. It does take a little getting used to as most of us prefer a high-carb start to the day. But after a few weeks of consistently getting 30g or more every morning, things will start to feel more intuitive and you will get to the point where not having 30g of protein becomes the rare occurrence.
Drink Freakin Water
I’ll admit it, cause I myself struggle BIG time with getting enough water.
But being routinely dehydrated has got to be one of the biggest reasons why we have cravings, have too little energy to get outside, lift, exercise in general, and why we feel groggy and lethargic throughout the day.
If you can consistently get enough liquids throughout the day, all areas will improve. And not just by a small amount like “oh, I kinda feel better”, more like a night and day difference. All of a sudden, you’ll have more energy, more strength, have sharper focus, and you’ll actually weigh less as your body won’t be retaining water to offset your hydration negligence!
I’m selling water as if it's some sorta super supplement, but the truth is, it kinda is.
Water is a single item that does so much for us. From muscle contraction, energy production, brain function, organ/heart function, tissue repair, blood flow, and more, it makes absolutely no sense that we intentionally forgo water on a routine basis.
But the truth is, almost all of us in the western world do, which is unbelievable if you think about it. There are countries where water is a much more valued resource. There are millions of people who go long periods without water and it’s not because they don’t want it, it's because they don't have access to it.
The fact that we choose not to consume water because it “doesn’t taste good” really highlights just how lucky we are. To be able to even have that option is a real blessing, never seen before in history.
We truly are blessed to have that choice, and we are even more lucky to have options to help aid in adequate hydration.
Tip #1 Seltzer/Flavored Drinks
I know not everyone likes the distinct taste of seltzer which I respect, but there are tons of awesome brands that do a really good job at hiding that unique aftertaste.
Bubly
Clear & Sparkling
Sparkling Ice
I’m personally hooked on sparkling ice, especially with their starburst collab.
Flavored drinks can be a great addition to your diet if it helps you stay hydrated. Yes I know, artificial sweeteners, but let me ask you this.
What’s worse for your overall health?
Being chronically dehydrated
Having a little bit of artificial sweetener, but you are hydrated
I’m personally gonna rock with A being worse cause the negative effects of dehydration in my opinion far outweigh the possible negatives of artificial sweeteners.
Of course, the best case scenario would be no sweeteners and us getting all our liquids through straight water and maybe fruit, but like I said earlier, the western world has kinda screwed up our palate to the point most people are actually put off by plain water.
If you want to add a little flavoring to your water to make it more enjoyable, go for it man!
It ain’t gonna kill you
But in case it does, then at least you’ll be the most hydrated sob in heaven.
Tip #2 Eat More Fruit
The cool thing about most fruits is that it’s actually a pretty hard thing to overeat, especially fibrous fruits like berries.
I’ve never seen anyone consume enough blueberries to the point they’ve put themselves in a large enough surplus to gain body fat.
No one has ever gotten fat eating too many blueberries.
Even higher calorie fruits like mangoes or bananas can be pretty difficult to overeat due to palate fatigue. Eventually, you’re just not gonna want anymore mango or banana.
But what’s really cool about fruit is their natural water content. Most fruits by volume are mostly made up of water, to the point you can improve your hydration by including them in your diet.
Though fruit alone shouldn’t be your only source of water. Think of it like supplementing extra water alongside your regular intake. Including them will help, but they shouldn't be your only water source.
Here’s a list of fruits/vegetables with some of the highest water content by weight
Iceberg Lettuce - 96%
Cucumber - 96%
Celery - 95%
Radish - 95%
Zucchini - 94%
Tomato - 94%
Watermelon - 92%
Strawberries - 91%
Cantaloupe - 90%
Peaches - 89%
Not only are these foods high in water, but they’re also low in calories, due to the fiber/water content! Like I said earlier, it’s really hard to overeat on fruit, especially berries.
Have at it with your fruit salad!
Tip #3 Carry a Large Bottle Everywhere You Go
This one isn’t necessary, but for me, it’s a game changer!
Having a bottle with me everywhere I go is kinda like having someone with me constantly reminding me to drink more water. This helps because of two reasons.
I don’t want to wait until evening to drink a bunch of water
I have a one gallon thermos, and these things aren’t small and it kinda sucks to lug around an 11 lb bottle everywhere I go, so I wanna reduce its weight as quickly as possible.
If you struggle with staying accountable with your water intake, perhaps getting a large water bottle can be a good motivator.
Worship Sleep
I know, all these tips so far have been extremely basic. I’m speaking the obvious. Consume protein, consume vegetables, drink tons of water, and get plenty of sleep.
But here’s the thing man,
> The “basics” are what’s going to result in over 90% of your progress.
And even though all the tips I give seem cliche, the majority of people reading this are probably struggling with at least one of those areas.
Most people are undernourished with their nutrition. Not underfed, undernourished.
And most people are putting sleep on the backend rather than prioritizing it like their workouts.
And of course, there are unique circumstances such as having kids, but even the people who have the opportunity don't seize it.
Which is who I’m talking to here, the individuals who have the opportunity to get more sleep, but slack on it. And I will try to list off some tips for new parents on how they, too, can improve their sleep schedule.
Tip #1 Create an Evening Routine
Most of us have some sort of morning routine we like to follow, but what about an evening routine? Typically, it’s pretty common to just say “fuck it” and do whatever we want later in the day, and why shouldnt we? We worked hard all day long, at the very least, we should be allowed to unwind a bit for at least a couple hours, right?
There’s nothing wrong with relaxing and watching tv after work or playing video games, or even just reading a book. But it is really, really easy to fall into the trap of what I call “time ignorance”.
We’ve all experienced this.
You come home from work, you hop on instagram, youtube, twitter, tik tok, or reddit, and you spend a few minutes browsing different posts.
Or at least you think it's a few minutes, but in reality, you’ve actually spent 4 hours in a zombie-like state. Now it’s 11:00pm and you gotta get up at 5:00 to get ready for work.
> Good job! :)
How can we balance out our work hours while also making sure we have enough time for ourselves?
Evening routine!
Instead of coming home and freeballing your evening, letting whatever happens, happen which usually leads to time ignorance, let’s actually create a plan. Things for you to do.
Not a chores list per say, but a “you” list. Things you want to do.
Interested in reading a book, let’s schedule x amount of time reading.
Interested in a project, let’s schedule x amount of time working on it.
Want to play video games? Schedule x amount of rounds or aim to finish 1-2 quests.
You’re a parent and you wanna play with your kids? Create/play a game with them and be mindful of the time.
Having a set list of things to do is not only going to make your time more resourceful, but it’s also going to make getting to bed easier because you’ll feel accomplished. And because you’re actively focusing on various tasks, you’re not gonna become oblivious to the current time, meaning you can get to bed on time and be able to fall asleep. Thus, your work day will become more productive and due to more energy, you can even find slots during the day for “you time”.
Tip #2 Master Your Sleep Environment
This isn’t true for everybody, but most people will have their best sleep if environmental conditions are optimized. I’m talking about ambient temperature and light exposure.
If you struggle to fall asleep but you have those trendy LED lights strung up on your ceiling, blasting neon blue light into your eyes, do you really have the right to be upset? Bright artificial light exposure has got to be one of the worst things you can do for your sleep health. Not only does the overhead light exposure stimulate receptors within the eyes that contribute to cortisol production, but they’re just a plain strain on the eyes altogether.
You can have LED lights if you want, just make sure to turn them off a few hours before you plan on sleeping.
Yes I know, the whole point of having LED’s in your room is to make it look cool at night. But if you’re serious about bettering your sleep quality, than you won’t put trendy LED lights on a pedestal.
Having a dark room at night allows our brains to realize it’s nighttime. And as a result, proper melatonin production occurs which aids in you relaxing. Our circadian rhythm is working as intended.
Temperature also plays a huge role in our sleep quality. Seems kinda obvious, I mean, we’ve all felt what it’s like to try and sleep during a heatwave where we’re flooding in a sweat pool within our beds.
Most people will sleep better with a cooler temperature, whether that means lighter blankets, no blankets, having a fan, or using an air conditioner, making sure our rooms are dark and cool typically is the magic combo for terrific sleep.
Tip #3 Create a Routine for You and Your Kids
I’ll do the best I can here, but just remember that as of right now, I don’t actually have any kids, therefore, everything I’m about to say is highly speculative.
Similar to tip #1, having an evening routine for your entire family to complete may make it easier for both you and your kids to hit the thay sooner.
If you can squeeze out a window of time to play tag, help with homework, do arts & crafts, work on a project together, or play a couple games, not only would it mean the world to them, but they’d probably fall asleep faster due to the mental/physical exertion. This is easier said than done due to varying circumstances, but if possible, even just helping a little with their homework will go a long way.
Additional Tips
Mastering your sleep, base nutrition, and hydration are going to move the needle faster than any supplement or trendy gimmick ever can. And pair those three with consistent strength training and a focus on progressive overload, you’re looking at about 80-90% of your potential gains from just mastering the basics.
Do I think smoothie/tea detoxes are good for fat loss? Not really. Smoothies and hot teas by themselves hold no magical fat burning properties. However, depending on what's in the smoothie and the type of tea used, they may result in higher satiety, leading to less overall calories consumed.
Trendy diets also don’t hold any magic secret to fat loss as all diets work the same way. They all promote caloric restriction in some format.
Vegan/Vegetarian gets you to consume more vegetables. More low calorie veggies means more total food sitting inside your stomach + the extra fiber also keeps you full longer.
Keto satiates the hell outta you by promoting a high fat/protein intake. Both fat and protein take longer for the body to break down compared to carbs, leading to further fullness.
Whole30/Mediterranean has you consuming only whole foods. Going from a mostly processed diet to a more whole food diet will cause increased satiety all around, leading to less calories consumed.
Carnivore only has you consuming meat. No carbs = minimal water retention, meaning you may drop several pounds pretty quickly, though most of it is water. You’re also holding less food overall in your stomach which contributes to the lack of bloat following this diet. And finally, you’re also just consuming far less calories, leading to fat loss.
If you want to follow a trendy diet such as keto or vegetarianism, you do you. You can follow these diets (except carnivore) while still remaining healthy. And I am excluding carnivore here because recommending the consumption of only meat and/or raw meat is just downright dangerous and may become potentially life threatening.
I also do want to list down a few more tips that aren’t necessary, but can help with keeping hunger down to a minimum during a fat loss phase.
Tip #1 Consume Hot Beverages
Even though I just said that tea detoxes don’t do anything special for losing fat, drinking hot beverages all around may help with satiety. This is due to a few reasons.
1) Water consumption reduces the false sensation of hunger. Sometimes that short lived hunger pain we get can often just be a sign of mild dehydration.
2) Increasing total fluid intake will fill your stomach contents, leading to further fullness.
3) Slower consumption. Usually, we’re slowly sipping on hot liquids rather than just gulping them down like cold beverages. This longer period of consumption can lead to less overall calories consumed.
4) Thermogenic effect. Filling up on warm liquids will increase the body’s internal temperature, allowing it to burn a few extra calories.
Tip #2 Drink Coffee
Coffee is awesome! I know it’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but coffee does provide various health benefits while also naturally acting as an appetite suppressant.
Caffeine itself stimulates our central nervous system by blocking adenosine (hormone that relaxes you), and indirectly releasing Dopamine (pleasure & attention hormone) and Norepinephrine (involved with alertness). The heightened alertness and energetic feelings can easily ward off potential hunger cravings.
Caffeine can also reduce the release of Ghrelin, the hunger hormone, leading to less overall hunger.
Like I stated previously, hot liquids, including coffee, can increase your body’s internal temperature, allowing it to burn a few additional calories, while also promoting a sense of fullness.
Coffee contains polyphenols, plant-based compounds that contain high levels of antioxidants. Polyphenols can influence the release of hunger hormones such as leptin and ghrelin while also aiding in managing blood sugar levels. Stable blood sugar means less sudden sugar spikes that cause cravings.
As stated by Jordan Syatt, coffee by itself is literally just “filtered bean water”, especially decaf coffee. If you’re consuming decaf coffee, you’re just adding to your total daily fluid intake, leading to less cravings and less overall hunger.
Finally, coffee, for some people, can help reduce stress, leading to less potential emotional eating.
Tip #3 Eliminate Screen Use While Eating
Pretty self-explanatory, but eating while distracted is a massive reason why so many people struggle with losing weight. Your focus is shifted away from the food you’re eating and onto whatever you’re watching, thus by the time you’ve finished your plate, you may still feel hungry regardless.
Short form content in my opinion, has to be the worst offender when it comes to distracted eating. 10 second clip after 10 second clip, you become so infatuated with the bright thumbnails and catchy hooks that you don't even remember there's a plate of food sitting right in front of you.
It’s the same reason why when at the movies, you scarf down your popcorn before the ads finish and you barely remember even enjoying it. You only slip back to reality when your hands scrape the bottom of the container.
Eliminating or at least limiting electronic use while eating can be a viable strategy for those who struggle with overeating. Even if you change nothing about the food’s composition, just being aware of each bite and chewing with intent can be enough to allow you to finish the plate feeling far more satisfied and potentially less hungry later on.
Tip #4 Eat with your Non-Dominant Hand
Similar to tip #3, it’s all about just becoming more aware of the food you’re eating. Perhaps a little unconventional, but switching to your non-dominant hand while eating can positively impact your satiety because it’s going to 1) force you to focus on your food as controlling the fork/spoon with your non-dominant side will feel unstable and 2) force you to eat slower. You’re gonna be spending a longer duration actually eating, leading to a more psychological effect of fullness.
Try it out!
If you’re right handed, try eating one meal with your left hand. I can guarantee you’ll feel far more aware of each bite.
Conclusion
Staying full is one of the biggest roadblocks many run into when they’re trying to lose weight. Incorporating + mastering basic principles such as consuming whole foods, mastering sleep, staying on point w/ hydration, avoiding distracted eating, and not being too overly restrictive can all make staying full during a deficit less of a sucky experience and more of something that’s actually sustainable.
Remember, you don’t have to make night & day changes to your diet to lose weight. Simple changes such as forgoing a morning Dunk’s coffee or swapping fatty cuts of meat w/ leaner cuts can create a big enough deficit to where you’re losing 0.5-1lb per week.
And always remember, that if you’re struggling with losing weight, just know that you’re not alone and that it’s normal to see a few weeks without noticeable progress.
Stay the course, and stay consistent.
And always
Keep Chasing Great!
-R
