It’s important to know how to make your meals more satisfying. You don’t want to be hungry and unsatisfied when you are trying to lose weight. Besides being unpleasant, it will trigger your body’s famine survival mechanism and this will usually defeat your plans to lose weight. A good diet puts your body into fat-burning mode and let’s you eat all the food you want.
Eliminating foods that do not satisfy your hunger is how to make your meals more satisfying. The easiest and most effective way to food satisfaction and weight loss is to cut out sugar and reduce high glycemic load carbohydrates from your diet. High glycemic load carbs convert to sugar very quickly and cause massive insulin spikes.
These foods stimulate insulin production and will also boost fat storage in your body. When you eat foods that reduce insulin production, the opposite happens and your body will start burning fat instead of carbs.
As an added benefit you will feel full and more satisfied from your meals. This will help you reduce your total calorie intake – and we all know that this is really the only way to lose weight long term.
How It Works
We are reducing our intake of high glycemic carbohydrates and replacing them with protein and fat. Proteins are made of amino acids and are the main building blocks of your body.
The best sources of quality protein are meat, fish, eggs and dairy. Proteins helps you lose weight by boosting your metabolic rate and they will also help reduce your appetite. A higher protein intake also helps build and preserve muscle mass which in turn will burn a small amount of extra calories around the clock. According to recent studies, a balanced approach (low-glycemic load) is the best choice for weight loss.[2] This means you should be getting your of calories from equal amounts of carbs, protein and fat. Most of us are consuming too many carbs and not enough protein. On a typical diet of 2000 to 3000 calories per day, you should be eating about 150 – 225 grams of protein every day. If you count calories, you can make the calculation by multiplying your calorie intake by 0.075. Protein Helps You Gain Muscle and Strength Your muscles are mostly made up of protein. As with most tissues, they are constantly being broken down and rebuilt. The best sources of protein are meats, fish, eggs and dairy products. These foods have all the essential amino acids that your body needs. Good plant-based sources are quinoa, legumes and nuts. Unlike carbohydrates, you don’t need to worry about your protein intake. You can simply eat what you want with your meals to bring your intake into an optimal range. How Much is One Gram of Protein People are often concerned that they might be eating too much protein. After all, 150 grams of steak is less than six ounces. That’s not a big steak! But we’re talking about grams of macronutrient, not grams of the food that contains the macronutrient. There’s a big difference! An 8 steak only contains about 60 grams of actual protein. A large egg has about 6 grams of protein even though it weighs about 40 grams. When you consider that a 12 oz steak only provides about 120 grams of protein, you can see that many people are not eating enough protein! Sources of Protein Don’t be afraid to load up your plate with low-glycemic vegetables. You can eat massive amounts of them without ever consuming too many carbohydrates. I always prepare two or three different types of vegetables with my main meal. Try cooking them different ways to add a little spice and color to the plate. It’s important that you not let yourself get hungry when you want to lose weight. If you are constantly craving more food, you will have a hard time sticking with your diet. And that’s the main reason most diets fail; the average person has a hard time sticking with a diet for even one whole year! Try choosing vegetables of different colors and occasionally add toppings, like a good cheese, to provide variety. It’s tasty and it will add more fat and protein to your diet. Recap: Try to include a bit of protein, fat and low-glycemic vegetables in each meal. It’s best if you buy grass-fed or pastured meats. They contain more omega 3 fats which are better for you. You don’t need to worry about calories or portion sizes as long as you are eating the right foods. Eat fresh foods, cut out the sugar and eat low-glycemic carbohydrates. You can expect to lose at least 3-5 pounds of weight in the first week of this diet and you will continue to lose weight until you reach your target weight. If you’re used to eating mostly carbohydrates, you can expect to feel a bit odd at first. However, it will only take a few days for your body to adjust to the diet and you will begin to burn a different fuel – fat. Most people feel much better once they adjust. It can take two to three weeks for your body to make a complete switch to the new fuel. You will automatically feel more energetic and lighter on your feet as you shed pounds. Calorie counting diets that have you reducing portions and eating unwholesome foods are all bound to fail in the long run. Besides, it’s not a lot of fun to have to watch how much you eat. Get Easy, Lean and Healthy by eating good food till you’re full and lose a ton of fat while you’re at it! [1] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18448177 [2] http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1199154
How To Make Your Meals More Satisfying
Counting Calories and Portion Control
I think a lot of people choose carbs because they cost so much less.
That’s true Patti. Items like bread and rice are very affordable but they raise blood sugar very quickly and you have to limit your intake if you have a weight problem.
I’m glad you posted the explanation about the amount of protein in an 8oz steak… I was always confused about that.
Many people are confused about it Chuck. Far too many people think in terms of the total weight and don’t break it down to the actual protein content.
I’ve upped my protein intake and it’s helped loose a few pounds.
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I’ve also had the best results with a low glycemic diet.
Eating more protein works wonders for most people.
Protein bars are another way to increase your protein intake.
There’s nothing better for you than real food Maureen. Try some homemade jerky for protein that travels well.
Snacks are my downfall – I’ll try this and see if it helps.
Good tips. This should help cut down the snacking habit.
Great blog you have here! Do you think it’s important to eat lean meat or does it matter?
The current understanding is that a bit of fat is good for you Meagan, so you don’t have to buy really lean meats anymore. Some fats are better than others mind you, and with meat, the healthiest fat comes from grass fed or pastured animals.
What do you think about eating more vegetables to make a meal more satisfying?
High fiber vegetables are a good choice as well Staci. I usually have at least 2 different vegetables with my main meal and I often have a third vegetable instead of potatoes or rice.
So you’re saying we should all go on a low carb diet?
I’m not suggesting a really low carb diet Mona, I’m saying we should eat fewer carbs. Most of us have been eating roughly 50% of our calories from carbs and that’s way too much. You’re running on sugar with that type of diet.
Do we have to worry about eating too much protein?
You shouldn’t have to worry about eating too much protein if you’re having balanced meals Chester. Just as you don’t have to worry about calories if you limit high glycemic effect carbs, you don’t have to worry about eating too much protein if you load your plate up with vegetables.
What about foods like pasta and rice? Where do they fit in as far as diet foods?
Pasta and rice are both high glycemic foods Mandy. You should limit how much of these foods you eat, especially when you are trying to lose weight.
Isn’t it normal to be hungry when you’re trying to lose weight? After all, you have to eat less to lose weight, don’t you.
Tha’ts a common misconception Levi. You need to take in fewer calories, but that’s not the same thing as eating less.
In fact, it’s important that you keep eating just as much so you don’t get hungry. If you eat less, your body goes into famine survival mode and this slows your rate of metabolism. This is the last thing you want for long-term weight loss.
I like the idea of not letting yourself get hungry.
Cutting back on portion size or crash dieting is what’s wrong with many diets Kelle. It’s been shown over and over that it ends up in rebound weight gain.
The people who do manage to lose a bit of weight in the beginning tend to gain it all back in less than a year and they will often gain some extra weight because their metabolism has slowed down and they need fewer calories now than they did before going on a diet.
Thanks for explaning the amount of protein that is contained in food. If I understand this correctly, the average person could have two servings of meat, like an 8 ounce steak, per day?
That’s correct Hector, but keep in mind that you’re probably getting protein in many other foods throughout the day. Foods like cheese, eggs and even legumes all contain protein.
Many studies and individual experiences show that fad diets do not work, just what exactly does.
You’re right Deandre, fad diets usually don’t work, especially for long-term weight loss.
The ELH DIET works really well. It’s not a fad diet – it’s a healthy diet that eliminates junk food and the empty calories most people consume way too many of. I recommend you start here.. http://easyleanandhealthy.com
I’m always looking for snacks even after eating a bit meal, usually within 1 hour. What can I do to curb my appetite?
We feel like reaching for snacks for many reasons Caroline. Rather than try to curb your appetite, I would just make sure I’m reaching for a healthy snack.
Most of us grew up having desert after a meal and that might be the reason so many of us are looking for something else to eat, even after a big meal.
I often have a few grapes or cherries for a snack/desert after a meal. A small piece of dark chocolate is also very satisfying. Just remember to keep the treat portions small 🙂
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What’s the best way to kick the deserts habit? I’m always craving fattening sweets after a meal.
That’s a tough one for many people Deloris. The best way to kick a bad habit is to replace it with a good habit or at least one that isn’t so harmful.
Two options come to mind when it comes to sweets:
1. You could try eating smaller portions. This isn’t a solution though because even a smaller portion of something that contains a lot of sugar isn’t good for you and it isn’t going to help you lose weight.
2. Substitute a healthier desert. One of my favorite fixes for a sweet tooth attack is a bowl of rice pudding. I’m talking about homemade pudding, not the sugar filled stuff you get at the supermarket.
You need to refrigerate it after it’s made. You can eat it cold or you can let it warm up to room temperature.
Cold rice is a resistant starch. That means you can’t digest it, so the rice itself doesn’t provide any calories. A good wholesome rice like organic Lundberg rice is already pretty sweet on its own. You just add a tiny bit of pure maple syrup or a bit of raisins for added sweetness and you have a pretty sweet desert that won’t give you a lot of added calories.
I often find myself wanting to snack within an hour of having a big meal. What causes that and is there a way to reduce the urge to snack?
There are a lot of factors that contribute to the urge to snack Lawrence. Here’s what’s important to remember: there’s nothing wrong with snacking as long as you’re not eating the wrong foods. Next, you need to understand the glycemic effect of different foods so you’re not causing insulin spikes. You could be craving sugar without knowing it.
I’m always craving sweets and it’s hard to resist. What do you suggest?
Sugar is very addictive Sherryl and the best way to deal with it is to cut it out of your diet. The physical cravings will subside in 3 to 5 days and it will no longer be hard to resist after that short a time period. In the first phase of the ELH DIET, we cut out sugar and a number of other things that all contribute to weight gain and compulsive eating. Give it a try, you’ll be surprised how easy it is!
Is it fattening to have a bit of gravy with your meal?
It depends on how the gravy is made and how much you use Jenny.
If the gravy is made with a roux (a bit of flour and butter) and you use it sparingly, that’s fine. It makes the meal more appealing and more filling.
You want to avoid gravies that are made with loads of corn starch though, because they’re much more fattening.
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