Diet to lose fat without starving…is it possible?

Anyone who has ever dieted to lose fat is probably familiar with this (unpleasant) feeling.

It's normal. Especially for those coming from a phase of gaining muscle mass, where they eat a lot.

However, although it is normal to feel hungry from time to time, if you are constantly having this problem and thinking about your next meal, then something is wrong.

Unless you're preparing for a competition, in which case, good luck.

What can you do then?

Let's start with the basic and essential concepts, and then present some tricks that you can use in times of difficulty. Because yes, they exist.

First, the diet

The most important thing is obviously the diet.

A good diet, well structured and thought out, will not only give you good results, but also reduce this problem very significantly.

If you are following a 5000 calorie plan, but with summer just around the corner, you want to lose fat quickly, switching to a 2000 calorie diet right away is not a good idea.

The chances of this giving a bad result are enormous.

Don't make radical changes, make gradual changes.

The same applies to those who have just joined the gym.

If you've never followed a diet plan, and if your diet is based on fast food, there's no point jumping into the chicken and broccoli boat.

Make changes, yes, but realistic ones.

Changes that not only lead you to have good results, but also to be consistent with your plan, at least in the medium term.

Take a look at our article what to eat to lose fat, to find out more about the foods you should use.

Don't follow the diet of your friend who has been going to the gym for 5 years, build your own.

Don't be too strict if you've never even paid attention to what you eat.

Good results cannot be achieved in two weeks, so don't try to follow a plan that you know you won't be able to follow for a long time.

Number of meals

You have two options to structure your diet to lose fat without starving.

Or opt for a plan with many meals, but with small quantities.

Or use a plan with fewer, but more filling meals.

There is no big difference in terms of results, but there can be big differences in terms of personal taste.

If you read our article about what to eat to lose fat, you know that the most important thing is the daily total of calories and macronutrients to lose fat.

Use the method you like best and that gives you the most control over your appetite.

Fats?

Yes, you are on a diet to lose fat, but that doesn't mean you should eliminate fat from your diet.

You lipids are essential to achieve good results. They are highly satiating and essential in hormonal terms.

Choose the fats you use carefully, and of course, don't overdo the quantity.

Each gram of fat has 9Kcal.

Gives priority to fats considered healthy, but also includes some saturated ones.

Solid Food vs Smoothies

Solid food is more satiating than liquid shakes, and if you're having trouble controlling your appetite, cut down on the number of shakes.

Will help.

Use more meat, fish and eggs to provide you with protein you need.

They are sources of quality protein, and they fill your stomach more than liquids.

Fruit smoothies?

Eat the fruit, chew it.

Shakes are excellent, but they are generally much less satiating than a good steak, and what may be an advantage in weight gain diets becomes a disadvantage when the objective is to reduce calories.

This does not mean eliminating protein shakes, as they are excellent sources of protein, but using them intelligently.

Vegetables and more vegetables

In addition to focusing on more solid food and fewer shakes, the consumption of vegetables is increasing.

Broccoli, spinach, cabbage, asparagus and more.

What are your favorites?

Use them.

They are rich in fiber, low in calories, and will allow you to fill your stomach and keep your appetite under control.

They are also rich in vitamins and minerals, which in weight loss diets, where you consume less food, is a huge advantage, and avoids possible deficiencies.

Sleeps!

If sleep is essential for those looking to gain muscle mass, it is equally, or perhaps even more, important for those looking to lose fat.

Why?

Getting little sleep increases your appetite. (1)(two)(3)

This happens due to several factors, but the main protagonist is called Leptin.

Leptin is the main hormone responsible for regulating appetite.

When you sleep little, the levels of this hormone decrease, and it becomes much more difficult to control your hunger.

Furthermore, not getting enough sleep affects your cognitive capacity, increases stress levels and leads to mistakes in your plan, and more.

Please note, this does not mean you should hibernate.

Distract yourself

Standing still, bored and doing nothing guarantees real battles with your appetite. After all, you're not doing anything, and eating is an interesting pastime.

Take up your time, have fun. Do something productive, go for a walk, walk the dog.

Anything but thinking about the next meal.

The busier you are, the less likely you are to think about food.

Water, lots of water

Water is one of your greatest allies when you want to keep hunger under control.

Between meals, drink water.

When you are hungry, and there is still some time until your next meal, drink water. In fact, drink a lot of water.

Keep a bottle of water with you at all times, it will help you.

Coffee and tea

Water is not the only liquid that can help you control your appetite. In fact, coffee is more effective in this task.

Try drinking coffee or tea, preferably one with caffeine, to reduce your desire for the next meal.

Black tea and green tea are good options.

Don't use sugar.

Of course, this trick only works during the day and/or afternoon, because at night it's not a very good idea if you want to sleep.

You can also use zero drinks, such as Coca Cola Zero, but it is preferable to use more tea and coffee, rich in antioxidants, than this type of drinks, rich in additives.

Attention, the idea is not to drink 1 liter of coffee a day.

Supplements?

There are some supplements that can help you control your appetite and support your diet.

The best supplement to control appetite directly is 5-HTP, with some studies proving this. (4)(5)(6)

With 5-HTP you feel fuller when you eat, and the desire to eat sweets decreases.

As if that weren't enough, it also improves sleep, which is why it is one of the most interesting supplements when you want to lose weight.

Another interesting supplement is Tyrosine.

A Tyrosine It is another amino acid that can help control hunger, and it synergizes well with coffee and tea due to caffeine.

It is also one of the precursors for thyroid hormones, which can help burn calories.

None of them work miracles, of course, but they help.

Tablet

Starving?

Chew a sugar-free gum.

It's a basic trick, but it works.

Brushing teeth

Ok, we're coming to the end of the list of tricks, but in extreme cases? here's one more tip.

It's thirty minutes until dinner and you're hungry.

After brushing your teeth, your appetite usually goes away.

Unless you've been fasting for 2 days, in that case, it probably won't make a big difference.

Conclusion

This article was written for several hours straight, without eating, and using several of the tips in this article.

Yes, it's true, these little tricks were put to the test before being published online.

Attention, the objective of this article is not to prepare you for a hunger strike, but rather to help you lose fat without making yourself miserable in the process, and to have some tricks for when hunger decides to bother you.

Once again, a well-planned fat loss diet prevents a lot of hunger, and therefore, that should be your biggest concern.

A diet to lose fat presents some difficulties, depending on your objective, but it shouldn't be a daily torture, and if it is for you, it's probably because you're doing something wrong.

Another article that can help you is ours How to make your diet easier to follow.

Do you have any secret tricks that aren't on the list?

Leave it in the comments, don't keep it to yourself!