How to Reduce Calories Without Starving Yourself- 7 Simple Steps
How to Reduce Calories Without Starving Yourself- 7 Simple Steps
There are many ways to reduce calories without starving yourself so you find the process of fat loss a lot more enjoyable! Below we have outlined 7 simple steps for you!
1. Eat More Protein
Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every cell in the human body contains protein.
Key roles include;
- Growth.
- Preserving lean muscle mass.
- Energy source.
- Immune function.
- Tissue repair.
- The production of essential enzymes and hormones.
There are benefits to having protein in every meal. Protein has a very high satiety level which is the degree of satisfaction and resultant control of hunger between feedings. Therefore, having regular feedings of this macronutrient throughout the day can help keep hunger at bay.
While different macronutrients will have different roles, protein will be the most important to get right. Adequate protein intake falls in the range of 1.2-2.3 g/kg with 2g/kg generally being spot on for most individuals.
Protein also has a higher thermic effect of food compared to the other macronutrients with at least 25% of total calories consumed being burnt through this process.
As a result, your body ends up storing less energy from the calories consumed, which will aid with greater fat loss.
2. Choose Lower Calorie Liquids
Eliminating high-calorie liquids from your diet will help reduce your total energy intake for the day which will allow you to replace some of those calories with solid food and keep your hunger under control.
Even swapping out full-calorie soft drinks for zero-calorie soft drinks will be a relatively easy change. Remember when it comes to making changes in our diet, we want to choose the “lowest hanging fruit” and the path of least resistance as this will lead to long-term diet changes and long-term progress.
3. Reduce Calories By Drinking More Water
Research has shown that drinking a glass of water before a meal can help reduce the amount you eat by making you feel more full and you actually end up eating less.
It’s also possible that some of your hunger could be due to dehydration. You see it’s very difficult for your body to tell the difference between hunger and thirst so making sure you are hydrated will help manage your hunger even if you decide to reduce your calorie intake. Read here to find out how much water you need to drink each day in order to stay hydrated.
4. Reduce Your Carb Intake
Of all the macronutrients, carbs, protein, and fat, carbohydrates are the only non-essential ones. We can’t live without protein and fat because both these macronutrients play vital roles in hormone function, immune function, bone health, protection of liver and so many more.
Carbohydrates however are not essential and we can live and function just fine without eating these food sources.
However, carbohydrates do seem to be the most enjoyable foods to eat so cutting them out entirely wouldn’t be wise, because after all, we still want to be able to enjoy the food we eat!
They also help with glucose replenishment and workout performance, so if you reduce your carb intake it may be wise to keep what is left for around the workout window.
5. Reduce Calories by Eating More Regular Meals
In order to manage appetite and keep cravings under control, it’s important to keep blood glucose levels stable. Big spikes and drops in blood sugar can result in you seeking out foods you crave and possibly eating foods you wouldn’t normally eat or shouldn’t eat during a fat loss phase.
We recommend 3-4 meals per day in order to manage blood glucose levels effectively, helping you reduce your calorie intake and preventing you from starving yourself.
6. Reduce Your Intake Of “Healthy” Fats
Fats are essential in the diet and have many benefits such as;
- It helps with satiety and delays the onset of hunger and it is the slowest macronutrient to leave the digestive tract.
- Hydrates the skin.
- It has antioxidant roles.
- Lines many cell membranes.
- It provides a layer of padding and cover supporting our organs.
- Associated with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E & K.
However, they are a collection of high energy molecules and the highest macronutrient energy source at 9 calories per gram. This is more than double the energy source of both protein and carbohydrates, which are only 4 calories per gram.
Now we aren’t telling you to not eat fat, or that fat is bad, far from it. All we are saying is that it’s important to be aware of this information and maybe cutting back, but not entirely, on your current fat intake will help reduce your calories so you can choose foods that are more satiating and also less calorie dense, like fruit and vegetables.
For example, a tablespoon of nut butter can easily be in the range of 300-400 calories which is a whole lot of energy when you’re intake for the day in order to lose weight may only be 1,800!
Plus peanut butter doesn’t generally make you scream “wow I’m so full and satisfied after that one mouthful”. More than likely you will go back for more and finish off the jar!
7. Eat Foods That Are Less Enjoyable
Yes I know as you read this you’re probably thinking boring, but there actually is some sense behind it. The more delicious foods you eat results in wanting to eat more.
How many people do you know who could polish off a whole tub of peanut butter but would struggle sitting down and eating a dozen eggs.
By eating more bland/plain foods your cravings will decrease. Again, this ultimately comes down to willpower and how well you can handle flexibility in your diet.