Introduction
When you want to lose weight, it’s tempting to think that all you need to do is cut calories. But this approach doesn’t work for many people.
The reason: It causes them to feel deprived and then overeat later on in an effort to “make up for” their lack of sustenance during the day. Instead, if you want to lose weight without feeling hungry all the time, try creating a calorie deficit by eating less (or burning more calories through exercise).
Here are some simple ways you can achieve this goal:
Track your calories.
In addition to tracking calories, you also need to make sure that your diet is healthy. If you’re eating lots of processed foods, sugar and refined carbs, then it’s probably a good idea to cut those things out of your diet. Instead of eating three meals per day, try switching to five-to-six small meals throughout the day. This can help keep your metabolism high so that you burn more calories throughout the day.
If all this sounds like too much work for you, it may be time for an app or food journal that will track everything for you! Apps like MyFitnessPal are free and easy-to-use tools that allow users to input what they’re eating into their logbook by scanning barcodes on packaged foods or entering in recipes manually. Other apps provide support and encouragement through interactive exercises or community forums where users share tips on how they’ve succeeded with their weight loss goals
Cut empty calories first.
Empty calories are foods that provide energy but no other nutrients. They’re often high in fat and sugar, and can include soft drinks, candy, cookies and sugary snacks. These foods are low in fiber and protein, which means they will leave you feeling hungry soon after you eat them. Instead of focusing on cutting down your food intake overall (which is one way to create a calorie deficit), try to cut out empty calorie sources first so that you won’t feel as hungry or deprived.
Reduce the portion sizes of your meals.
There’s a good chance you’re eating more than you need to. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the average adult eats about 2,000 calories per day—but most people don’t need that many calories to maintain their weight. If you are trying to cut down on your calorie intake in order to lose weight, then reducing your portion sizes is a great place to start! It will also help ensure that your meals are balanced with plenty of fruits and vegetables for vitamins and minerals.
Most of us would agree that one of the best ways not only for losing weight but also maintaining a healthy lifestyle is through portion control. It doesn’t take much effort or time at all! In fact, it can save money too because instead of buying an entire bag of chips (which contains far more than just one serving) why not buy smaller bags? That way if someone wants some then they’ll only get what they want without having any leftovers sitting around collecting dust in our cupboards.
Build extra exercise into your day.
You can use exercise as part of your weight loss plan. Exercise helps you burn calories, but it also increases your metabolism, which helps you burn more calories all day long.
The amount of exercise you should do depends on your fitness level and how much weight you want to lose.
To figure out whether you need to be exercising more or less, weigh yourself in the morning before eating or drinking anything then again after going to the bathroom. The difference between the two weights will be how many pounds of water weight (or fat) is stored in your body that day. If there’s no change after several days, great! You’re maintaining a consistent calorie deficit and should continue with this level of activity for now until you hit a plateau (which may take months).
If there is a change in either direction—either gaining weight or losing it faster than planned—that means something has changed with your diet or activity level; adjust accordingly so that any downward trend doesn’t become an avalanche that causes health issues due to extreme dieting or overexertion without proper rest periods between workouts.[4]
Eat less-filling foods.
To lose weight, you need to eat less than your body uses. This can be accomplished in a few ways:
- Less food (quantity)
- Less often (frequency)
- Foods that are high in calories, fat, sugar and salt
Do meal prep on weekends or days off.
If you want to lose weight, meal prep is a must. It doesn’t mean that you need to spend hours in the kitchen every single week of your entire life (I mean, if you’re super into preparing food for yourself and/or others, do it!), but at least doing some meal preparation on the weekends or days off can help ensure that your meals are healthy and varied enough to keep up with your goals.
If done right, meal prep can save time during the week and ensure that all of your meals over the next few days are nutritious and evenly balanced in terms of nutrients such as carbs, protein, fat and fiber.
Drink water instead of juice, soda or sweetened coffee or tea.
You can swap your juice, soda or sweetened coffee or tea for water. Water is calorie free and it’s better for your body than these other drinks because it helps you feel full, which means you may be less likely to eat extra calories later in the day. Drinking water also helps you digest food more easily and may help improve skin and hair health.
Drink water before every meal and snack.
Water has many health benefits. It’s calorie-free and can help you feel full (thus, eat less) when taken with meals. Water also helps your body process food more efficiently, which may help you avoid overeating and make better choices at mealtime. Drinking water before every meal or snack can help you lose weight by making it easier to get the nutrients from the foods that you eat, as well as by keeping your metabolism running at a high rate throughout the day.
Set a limit on treats, such as desserts, candy or fried foods and stick to it.
If you want to lose weight, it’s important that you not overindulge in treats. It’s okay to indulge occasionally, but if they become a habit, they can derail your weight loss efforts. So set a limit on treats and stick to it!
When deciding how many calories to consume each day, start with your typical caloric needs and add an extra 500 per day if you’re very active and/or more than 10 pounds overweight (if you’re underweight or losing weight too fast, reduce the total amount of fluid ounces by one-half).
A calorie deficit doesn’t have to mean feeling deprived all the time.
When you’re trying to lose weight, it can be tempting to eliminate all the foods you love. But if you do that, you might find yourself feeling deprived and giving up on your diet altogether. The key is finding a balance between eating enough food and keeping yourself satisfied while still losing weight.
Here are some tips:
- Make a plan—but also be flexible. When planning out your meals, make sure they have around 500-600 calories each day so that your body has enough energy for daily activities without being too full at the end of the day (which can lead people back into binge-eating habits). But don’t feel like there are any foods off limits! You should keep track of how many calories go into each meal using an app like MyFitnessPal or Lose It!, but don’t get discouraged if one meal goes over this number slightly—it’s okay as long as it doesn’t happen too often!
- Don’t deprive yourself of the things you enjoy in life just because they’re “bad” or “unhealthy”. Instead try finding healthier alternatives that still taste good; for instance instead of going out with friends every weeknight after work let them know they’ll need another option because otherwise they’ll never want anything else again! Then maybe every once in awhile treat yourself with something special like pizza night
Conclusion
I hope this post has given you some great ideas for how to create a calorie deficit and keep it going for weight loss. As you can tell, there are plenty of ways to create a calorie deficit without feeling deprived or hungry all the time. I know from experience that when we start to get into a routine with our diet and exercise plan, it becomes much easier over time! So take it slow at first and try things out one at a time until they feel natural enough for your lifestyle–that way, reaching your goals will always be within reach.
