“I really need to lose weight but I hate feeling hungry most of the time,” I suppose this has to be one of the most common statements, made by people who follow many of the so called fad diets. If your diet leaves your stomach rumbling every hour on the hour, your body is telling you it’s time to make a change. I used to think that losing weight meant starving yourself. It took me along time to accept the fact that I could actually eat heartily and still drop a few pounds in weight.
The times I spent starving myself in the name of losing weight were miserable. When I did manage to shed a few pounds, I would sadly put it all back on, in a matter of weeks. Sometimes I’d even gain a few extra pounds. Now that's what I call depressing!
What I learned through many years of research (trial and error) is that when you follow a healthy eating plan, you can eat until you’re full, and still see amazing weight loss results.
What Are Healthy Foods?
Healthy foods are not created in factory's where food is processed to death. If the food is dried, dehydrated, canned, frozen or filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce, I suggest that you stay away from it. Examples of healthy foods include fresh fish, naturally raised meats, legumes, seeds, organic poultry, organic whole eggs, raw nuts, and fresh fruit and vegetables.How to Make Healthy Meals More Filling
There’s nothing more miserable than having to deal with hunger pangs all day. If your meals aren’t satisfying your nutritional needs, this is exactly what’s going to happen. Here are some tricks to make your meals more filling:
- Add a source of good quality protein and a source healthy fat (yes, fat) to each of your meals. Doing this should make your meals more appetising and curbs the hunger. Sources of healthy protein include natural meats, organic whole eggs, organic poultry and fish. Sources of healthy fat include avocados, fish, beans, raw nuts, coconut oil and olive oil.
- Fill your plate with veggies. They help to divide your plate into three sections, and fill the larger section with veggies. Leave the other two sections for meat and other foods. Veggies are full of fiber, so they expand in the stomach, digest more slowly so keeping you full longer. Try eating green leafs such as cabbage, spinach, broccoli which are rich in magnesium. (57% of the US population does not meet the US RDA for dietary intake of magnesium)
- Drink a glass of bottled water before each meal and throughout the day. This will help you feel full faster and reduce hunger.
Examples of Healthy, Filling Meals and Snacks
- At Breakfast: 2 scrambled eggs, 1/3 cup of oatmeal with cinnamon and a small pear.
- Snack: 1 medium apple, 1 cup of cucumber slices and 1 oz of raw nuts.
- For Lunch: 4 oz ground turkey, 1/2 cup of cooked brown rice, 8 oz carrot sticks, and a small green salad with vinegar and olive oil dressing.
- Snack: 2 tablespoons of almond butter, 2 slices of rye crisp bread and 8 oz of celery sticks.
- For Dinner: 5 oz boiled halibut steak, 1/2 cup of green beans sautéed in garlic, small baked sweet potato and a small green salad with apple cider vinegar and olive oil dressing.
Enough with the yo-yo dieting!
Why not check out Mike Geary's Fat Burning Kitchen Program for more great advice and recipes.
