Hungry

Yesterday I gave you all some advice on what to do if you are feeling “full” all the time on My 1900 Calorie Diet. Well, there is always the opposite side of the coin because not everyone has the same body type and metabolism as the Joe sitting next to them. So today I wanted to cover what to do if you are feeling “hungry” all the time during this phase of your nutrition plan.

First off, you need to expect that if you are feeling hungry on 1900 calories per day, that its going to be this way for a few weeks. Just want to get that out there so you know what to expect. What is happening here is that you are most likely used to very large meals that stretch out the stomach, but now you have changed things up and arent eating the same size meals that usually gave you that “full and satisfied” feeling (nap time feeling, lol). It doesnt take 1000 calories per meal in order to feel full, trust me. If that is what you are used to then you need to stick to the new plan for a few weeks and give your body a chance to adapt to the new intake and eventually your body will realize that it can run 100% on much less than you have been giving it. The evidence that you have been eating way to much is shown in your excess body fat that you are currently trying to lose. So stick to the plan until your body adjusts, and it will…Trust me!

I was in the”hungry” camp. Before P90X I would hit up McDonalds for breakfast, the local Mexican restaurant for lunch and then Carl’s Jr. for dinner; for a grand total of around 3000 plus calories. At both lunch and dinner I would eat so much that I was actually in pain. I am actually quite ashamed of my gluttony during this time in my life. I was eating so much more than I NEEDED and doing so much damage to my body. But now you can imagine why I felt hungry going from a double western bacon cheeseburger combo meal with a malted shake for lunch, to grilled chicken, veggies and an apple. I was taking in 1/3 the calories my body was accustomed to. But eventually, through lots of stomach growling and big glasses of water, my body adjusted and I felt completely satisfied with just 350 calories of quality, nutrient dense foods. My body had gone from panic mode into “I guess I CAN use this fuel”. What it boils down to is teaching your body to function on what in needs rather than giving it anything it wants (or what you think it wants).

So here are a few tips on how to battle the hungry feeling:

#1 Shakeology – Shakeology is the perfect meal to help you battle those hunger cravings since it contains everything your body needs (proteins, complex carbs, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, probiotics, and superfoods from all across the globe) in just 140 calories. It also has a glycemic index rating of (24), which translates to slow released energy that will keep you full longer. This is one of the reasons I had such awesome results with my weight loss. I have been drinking it everyday for breakfast for the past seven months and I feel better than ever! A lot of our team members here on RIPPEDCLUB can attest to the same success.

#2 Eat Often – As you can see in my sample diets, I eat every 2.5-3 hours. So even if you only eat 300 calories per meal and you end up feeling hungry again after an hour or an hour and a half, you have another meal coming up just around the corner. Drink some water and take comfort in knowing that you dont have to wait 4-5 hours for your next meal. I am always prepared with healthy snacks and/or meal just in case the unknown event comes up and tries to ruin my eating schedule. Well, now the unplanned is planned for in my life!

#3 Eat Low GI Foods – Government Issue? No no no…Glycemic Index. Foods that have a high glycemic index will release their energy super fast resulting in a quick spike in blood sugar/energy, but that energy spike is also short lived. Your blood sugar will then tank and so begins the vicious cycle of craving and binge eating. Do some research and find some healthy substitutions for the processed and refined carbs that you are used to (broccoli instead of corn and salad instead of a potato). I have actually written an extensive article on Good Carbs vs. Bad Carbs that should help you understand this better.

So is there hope for you? Absolutely! You just need to retrain your body to be satisfied with what it needs rather than what its used to. Its almost like a drug addict going through withdraws. Your body is going to fight back and give you a really hard time, but once it realizes that you are serious about changing your lifestyle to promote a healthier you, your body will eventually accept that change. Not only will it accept it, but it will feel better and be more satisfied. And you will notice that you will begin to really like your new nutrition plan – not just because you feel better, but because you will see the results, which is what will keep you moving forward for the long run!

How did you deal with being hungry all the time on 1900 calories per day?