How to help stay in your calories
January 18, 2021
I'm all about creating a relationship with food that is not about restricting but being able to enjoy the things you love while also reaching your goals.
At the same time I know it's not easy.
I want to state this before I give any of these tools because the one thing I've learned above all else is - if you're genuinely hungry, eat. If you're out of calories for the day and you're starving, have a snack or even another meal. Eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Your body might have moved a lot more than an average day so it may need those extra calories.
How to start being able to tell if you're actually hungry:
Intuitive eat: practice understanding your bodies hunger cues. It might take months to start actually listening to them but awareness is step 1.
Wait until later in the day to eat. If you enjoy having larger quantities of food and big meals, either start eating later in the day or stop snacking earlier in the evenings.
Go for a walk:
Either pre or post meal (or both!). Listen to an audio book, take your mind off food, help with your digestion, and if you're still hungry afterward have another snack!
Eat mindfully:
Do not scarf down your meal like it's the last one you'll ever have. Take smaller bites.
Avoid screens while eating: We can absentmindedly not notice our 'full cues' while being sucked into our electronics.
After eating and feeling like you want more - Wait for 15 minutes before obtaining more food.
Keep Hydrated:
Tea's, Seltzer waters, regular water. Sometimes hunger can be confused with thirst so drink an entire glass or two of water and wait 10 minutes to see if you're genuinely hungry.
Snack on raw vegetables! I know a lot of people who don't track vegetables at all (I'm definitely one of them). Raw veggies are so low in calories that I can't recommend them enough. Even in front of the tv just snack away!
Try food that give you more quantity for your calorie: Ex: Some popcorn!? (make sure to check your ingredients). Popcorn tends to be an extremely filling low calorie food that does wonders for filling you up!
Keep yourself busy:
Get out of the house, get a hobby, read a book, and don't focus all your energy on food!
Freeze your leftovers/baked goods: Having 17 banana muffins on the counter is a test of will power for anyone. After cooking a huge batch freeze them and take them out one or two at a time each day!
Don't work or spend all your time in the kitchen: It's easy access to mindless snacking or convincing yourself you're hungry when you might not be.
Try to create a habit of no late-night snacking (except on special occasions). Snacking late at night can be detrimental to your weight loss.
These are a few tips that have helped me reach some of my goals!
