Hungry - what to eat to lose weight?

Did you eat a lot of sweets, rich food and fatty dishes over the festive season? Because of Corona, are you also spending more time at home right now and moving less? Sure, a kilo or two can add up fast. You want to do something about that winter weight and put sweet chocolate, fatty cheese and rich meat aside for now? Are you wondering, when you're hungry, what to eat to actually see physical changes?

To lose weight, you don't need to starve yourself! A zero-calorie diet can shed weight radically, but that path carries a huge risk: the kilos come right back after a short time. On top of that, a crash diet weakens your immune system, because you can't take in all the nutrients you need.

If you want to lose weight, what matters far more is what and how much you eat. In this post I'll show you which foods help you lose weight more easily and faster, without falling into the yo-yo trap.

Calorie deficit – this is the key to losing weight

To reduce your body fat percentage and lose weight successfully, you don't have to skip meals. All you need to know is this: your food gives you energy. Eating gives you strength. But if you take in more energy than you burn, your body stores that energy and you gain weight.

If you want to shed excess kilos, the key is to take in fewer calories than you burn, or to burn more energy than you take in through food. The keyword here is "calorie deficit," in other words a negative energy balance. Once your body is in a calorie deficit, it's forced to draw on your fat reserves.

Hungry: what to eat to get into a calorie deficit?

You can reach a calorie deficit quite easily by eating healthily, moving regularly and exercising. It doesn't matter whether you eat vegetarian, paleo, vegan, low carb or keto. Basically, you can achieve a negative energy balance with any way of eating.

You also don't need to slash your calorie intake drastically. It's not sustainable for long anyway, since you'll constantly feel hungry and drained and get hit with cravings. It's better to aim for a moderate calorie deficit that gets you to your goal in smaller, but reliable, steps. With a mild calorie deficit of about 300 to 500 calories a day, you can lose weight consistently without major hunger.

How big your personal, ideal calorie deficit should be depends on your total energy expenditure, which is determined by your age, height, weight, muscle mass and physical activity level. I'm happy to work out your ideal calorie deficit as part of personal training.

Losing weight efficiently with nutrient-rich, protein-rich and fibre-rich foods

Hungry, what to eat? You can easily achieve a negative energy balance with foods that are nutrient-rich, protein-rich and fibre-rich:

• Leafy greens like spinach and rocket contain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but few calories and carbohydrates, while offering plenty of fibre, which is good for your digestion and keeps you full for longer.
• Vegetables like broccoli, kale and cauliflower contain higher amounts of protein compared to other vegetables, which is important for maintaining or building muscle
• Fruit like berries, grapefruit, oranges and apples are low in calories and rich in fibre and vitamins, plus natural sugar (fructose) that, unlike industrial sugar, doesn't cause blood sugar spikes
• Legumes like lentils, chickpeas, beans and lupins contain plenty of fibre and protein
• Soy products like tofu and tempeh can be marinated deliciously (e.g. with soy sauce and a bit of peanut butter) and are great sources of protein
• Whole grain products like whole grain rice, bread and pasta, quinoa and oats are protein-rich energy sources that keep you full for a long time. Be sure to avoid refined flour products. They contain nothing but empty calories and leave you hungry again shortly after, which makes it hard to reach a calorie deficit
• Fish like salmon and herring are low in calories and contain high-quality protein as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which support you in losing weight
• Healthy fats like those from avocados. Avocados contain plenty of healthy, unsaturated fatty acids, nutrients and fibre

Of course, a little treat is not forbidden ;-) If you're craving something sweet, dates are a tasty choice, for example. Dates contain a high proportion of fibre, trace elements and antioxidants. Did you know that cocoa, especially raw cocoa and dark chocolate at 70% or higher, is rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants? Raw cocoa, for example in the form of cacao nibs, tastes great in muesli or simply on its own.

Eating right and losing weight with these 5 tips:

• 1. Chew thoroughly: Take your time while eating and enjoy it mindfully. In our hectic, fast-paced everyday life, calm and attention are often missing. When you eat slowly, it's easier to listen to your body's signals and you won't overeat. Your brain only signals that you're full about 15 to 20 minutes after you start eating.
• 2. Drink plenty of water: By drinking water instead of juice and soft drinks, you can save calories, boost your metabolism and prevent cravings.
• 3. Tell hunger apart from appetite: Is your stomach growling, or do you just have a craving? These days, food often isn't just about nourishment, it's also used to compensate for uncomfortable emotions or as a reward after a stressful workday, for example. If you want to lose weight, it's important that you can separate hunger from appetite.
• 4. Get enough sleep: If you sleep too little, your body produces too much cortisol (the stress hormone), which can encourage extra kilos. Sleep seven to nine hours a day to give your body enough rest.
• 5. Exercise: Move more to increase your calorie burn. Besides a calorie deficit, exercise is the decisive factor for successfully losing weight. In particular, strength training drives efficient fat loss, since part of your excess energy gets used to build muscle. On top of that, your resting energy expenditure rises when you have more muscle, and reaching a calorie deficit becomes easier.

Learning healthy eating habits in virtual personal training

In virtual personal training, I help you drop unhealthy eating habits and build a nutrition plan for you, so you can lose weight efficiently without deprivation. I'll also show you how to complement a healthy diet with a combination of strength and cardio training, to increase your calorie burn and lose weight.

Besides the right nutrition and exercise, your mindset also affects your results. As a mental coach, I help you build mental strength. With a strong mindset, you reach your target weight faster, and you'll find it easier to keep it too. Book a free 30-minute consultation now.