The Three C’s- Coffee, Caffeine, and low Calorie!!!!
When it comes to diamonds there are the three C’s- color, cut and clarity. BUT, when it comes to dieting these three C’s are a girl’s best friend- coffee, caffeine, and anything low Calorie!!!
In a deficit, there is NO question that you will be hungry if NOT absolutely famished most of the time, INCLUDING during mealtime and post meals (like literally right after you finish eating). It helps to know that this feeling is COMPLETELY normal and you are NOT crazy. #realtalk “in a fat loss there are two options- 1. starving 2. Not starving, BUT always hungry,” words of reassurance from my AMAZING macro coach, Mikey Weiss, who is also a very experienced dieter.
Here’s what I recommend to make losing fat a bit more manageable-
1. Caffeine- I drink a TON of water, but I can only drink so much of it until I want something different to drink (especially when not consuming alcohol!) Diet sodas and zero/low carb energy drinks like BANG and slow drip coffee with Truvia! I Love trying all different roasts and I do enjoy a decaf coffee at night instead of dessert or an espresso. Coffee will def. fill you up for a bit!!
2. Sugar free gum!!! I Carry it in ALL of my bags, in my pockets, in my car, and at my desk. This can really help distract you from being hungry and buy you some time before it is necessary to eat your next meal.
3. Cardio- most likely you are doing a lot of cardio during your diet, if not an insane amount.. or maybe not quite yet.. but, even though you probably won’t feel like doing cardio because you just want to EAT, jump on that elliptical and get to it, because believe it or not- doing cardio will take your mind off of the hunger as well.
4. Water- lots and lots of water does help you stay felling “full” in your stomach.
5. Cucumber sticks and other fibrous veggies like broccoli- these will fill you up and keep u fuller for longer. And they are very LOW in carbs and calories.
6. Fit in something you really, really enjoy at least once a day- it might be a small portion of it, but TRUST me, it will suffice- I really, really, like to start my day off with my favorite cereal- Lucky Charms, (granted it is only 30-45 grams of it, depending on what else I have planned for my macros that day). Currently, due to Easter being this past Sunday, I am spacing out ALL of my Easter goodies like Peeps and Cadbury Creme eggs across my macros. It might take me till June to finish all of it, but oh well. Well worth the wait in my opinion. If breakfast and the morning isn’t your thing, then try ending your day think right before bed with something small that you can look forward to all day! You are going to want more of it, of course, in a fat loss phase, but take what u can get and ENJOY it! I go through my phases of what I have to have- sometimes it’s 1/2 a serving of halo top with a 1/4 cup of fresh fruit, or when my macros and carbs get lower I switch to Arctic Zero with fat free cool whip.
7. Variety of lean proteins- change it up. This will keep you from getting bored with your food and burning out. Try out different simple recipes and rubs, and marinades. I like to keep two different types of protein prepared in the fridge, so that I have a little variety. Plan, plan, plan- sounds awful trite, but fail to plan, plan to fail. Want to be successful at following a diet? Then take the time to meal plan and meal prep ahead of time. There is NOTHING worse than being hangry and having to figure out what you are going to eat and measuring food out and preparing it while you are completely out of your mind starving. So…. to avoid this most def. always have some food on hand that is ready to eat- like cut and peeled and measured raw veggies in ziplocks that u can just grab and eat. Some type of protein like shredded chicken or even deviled eggs are also easy to grab and eat.
8. Keep little protein snacks on hand- Like the Think Thin new protein cakes, Eat Me guilt Free protein brownies, and lil’ buff protein cakes. These just like the packs of gum I keep on hand EVERYWHERE for when hunger strikes. Protein powder is also an easy go to- I keep 3 different flavors on hand to have some choice there as well. Prepared SNACKS everywhere and with you at all times just in case something takes longer than you expected.
Losing fat doesn’t have to be a miserable process. Try and manage your hunger as best as you can. 🙂 and keep your eye on the PRIZE!
Stay #strong,
Laura Nicole Hughes
Owner of #strong, LLC