Still Hungry? Satiate Yourself with These Tips!

Still Hungry? Satiate Yourself with These Tips
Written by Intern Alison Jones

Having done a few strict paleo/clean eating challenges in my most recent years, I have definitely learned a few things about how to succeed. Most people do challenges for several reasons, with losing weight being at the top of the list. So what do you do when you find you’re a week or two in and you are hungry….a lot?

First off, I would want to know whether you are eating your meals until you are satiated. Satiated doesn’t mean full; it means that you know you won’t be hungry for at least a couple hours. It is crucial to eat protein and fat at every eating or you will be hungry – constantly. So, before you add anymore food/snacks between meals, make sure you are getting plenty of fat and protein with your breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

For me personally, I have kids that are busy in the evenings and I often find myself not eating dinner until 7:00 pm. This means I need something else between my lunch and dinner. Here are some good options that will help you continue on your clean eating path and prevent you from getting so hungry that you will be tempted to cheat.

Smoothies – These are my go-to snacks because they are filling and you can make them fairly low calorie. Usually made with frozen berries (be mindful not to put too much fruit in your smoothie), 1 or 2 handfuls of spinach or kale depending on how big the blender is, a tablespoon of almond butter, and some coconut water. If I’m in the mood for a thicker smoothie (sometimes texture makes a difference) I will add ice cubes. Avocado can also be subbed out for the almond butter (I just like the taste of the almond butter better in a smoothie).

Carrots with Almond Butter – I use baby carrots (because my kids will eat them) but large organic carrots are easily cut into sticks. I put 1-2 Tablespoons of the almond butter into a bowl to make sure I don’t go too crazy.

Homemade Guacamole and Veggies – I use chopped up bell peppers, carrots and cucumber. For the guacamole I keep it simple with avocado, onions, lime juice and cilantro.

Lettuce Meat Wraps – If I have leftover chicken, beef or pork cut up, I will wrap them in large lettuce leaves, sometimes with some cooked broccoli as well. I also use low sodium lunch meats (turkey, chicken) to wrap up; super easy and portable.

Hard Boiled Eggs – Pretty straight forward here. We cook a bunch each week and use them for snacks and in our kid’s lunches.

I try to stay away from nuts as a snack because they are high in Omega-6 and calories, and not very filling. I do eat some before I work out, but we are talking about less than a handful.  Nuts are great, just eat them in moderation if your goal is fat loss.

Since you are most likely trying to lose weight, we want to limit fruits. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have any fruit, but the bulk of your calories should come from vegetables. Make sure you are drinking enough water. Sometimes drinking a glass or two of water can hold you over until your next meal. Be vigilant if you really are hungry, even with drinking plenty of water, and fuel your body to satiation in order to keep your metabolism running efficiently.

Hopefully this gives you a good start on how to keep fueling your body during the challenge. If you have any questions or concerns regarding how to keep from getting too hungry, any of the Invictus coaches, including myself, would be more than willing to help you out. Keep up the good work!