I hope you are having a great week!

 

With all the recent buzz about intermittent fasting (IF), I have to say I've been tempted to try it. Then I remembered that I have an enormous appetite :) So IF is going on hold for the moment.

 

But, it got me thinking...how many other people feel just like me? Hungry all the time, but trying to control it in order to either lose fat or stay lean. Probably a lot. 

 

So, of course, I wanted to share my top tips for controlling appetite and how I get from one meal to the next without chewing my arm off! Volume is key. If you are eating the right foods, you can eat a lot of it! Good news for us. Here are my go-to strategies:

 

1) Make protein your #1 priority & fill up on it. Protein takes longer to digest in the gut & therefore keeps us fuller for longer (in addition to burning more cals during the digestion & absorption process). Go for eggs (or whites), chicken, turkey, fish, protein powders, lean beef, etc. If you are a vegetarian, try veggie proteins from peas or brown rice. Cottage cheese is a good option too, just opt for the low-fat variety. 

 

2) Choose foods with a high water content. These are mostly fruits & veggies. High volume foods like this fill us up, despite having less cals. The more dense the food (i.e. less water), the more of it we need to eat to feel full. An example would be regular fruit versus dried fruit. I don't know about you, but I could kill a huge bag of dried fruit, but a couple of apples and I am stuffed. Add fruit to protein shakes or veggies to omelets to pack more volume.

 

3) Fill up on fibrous veggies. If you've ever pulled out a roll of oreos, you know how easy it is to eat the entire thing. How about a huge plate of broccoli? A little harder, yes? Fibrous veggies like broccoli, leafy greens, asparagus, onions, peppers, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, etc are higher in fiber relative to total carb, contain lots of water & require more work to digest & absorb (i.e. more cals). A quick way to boost your veggie intake? Commit to a huge salad for lunch every day. That's my trick!

 

I try to eat 80-90% of my diet using the above 3 rules. They keep me leaner, fuller and satisfied. This takes practice though, so don't get discouraged. Just start with one of the above, and practice until it becomes easy, then move on to the next.

 

Let me know what you think and how you're doing! :)

 

Jill