Curbing Cravings While on a Deficit

Meeting your weight loss goals can be a challenge. Even if you’re exercising regularly, you won’t get anywhere without a proper diet. Unfortunately, it can sometimes feel impossible to maintain the discipline you need to stay at a calorie deficit.

Read on for five tips that will help you curb your food cravings and master your health today.

1. Drink Plenty of Water

One of the easiest ways to curb food cravings is to make sure you’re drinking plenty of water each day. Oftentimes, your body will appear to be hungry when it is really asking to be hydrated, and continuing to snack instead of drinking water will only leave you feeling hungrier. Staying hydrated will keep these false-hunger pains at bay, and can help eliminate cravings for unhealthy junk food.

2. Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods

To keep yourself from craving sweets and other unhealthy foods, it’s important to ensure the meals you eat are fulfilling and rich in nutrients. Fiber, protein, and other nutrients have hunger-sating qualities and can keep you full and energized long after you’ve eaten, effectively curbing any cravings. 

Adding more vegetables to your diet is also a great way to ensure you’re staying full after eating. Vegetables have a high water content and a low energy density, making them great for those who are looking to lose weight. 

3. Keep Your Stress Levels Low

If you find yourself turning to food every time you feel stressed or overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Studies have shown that chronic stress can directly affect food cravings, making you more likely to reach for chips or sweets on a daily basis. 

To eliminate stress-induced food cravings, it’s important to keep your stress levels low when possible. Aside from removing sources of stress in your life, there are plenty of things you can do to manage stress when it arises, including:

• Exercising
• Spending time with loved ones
• Journaling
• Attending therapy

4. Get Enough Sleep

While it can be hard to power down at night, it can do wonders for your health journey. One study from 2019 found that sleep deprivation contributed to increased hunger and food cravings. This is largely due to the effects that a loss of sleep has on certain parts of the brain, including the frontal cortex and amygdala. So, to curb your food cravings before they appear, make sure you’re getting a full eight hours of sleep every night.

5. Recognize When You’re Truly Hungry

Oftentimes, boredom may disguise itself as hunger, causing you to eat more than you need to stay energized. The best way to avoid this false hunger is to learn how to recognize when you’re really hungry, and when you’re simply bored or upset. Being attuned to your emotions ensures you aren’t mistakenly using food as a coping mechanism.

Following these tips can help you avoid cravings during a calorie deficit.

Let Us help You Out

At CONDITIONerd we are here to help you achieve better physical and mental health through exercise. Check out the plans we offer to our customers and see if you could benefit from working with our team. And if you have questions, you can always contact a CONDITIONerd team member. 

Personal trainers, like those found here, can help guide you on your pathway towards reaching your fitness goals, whether that is getting bigger, stronger, faster, more lean, or just generally feeling better.

We can get you setup with a periodized workout plan, supplement information, and advice on nutrition to help you reach your goals.

The only thing you need is some motivation and a willingness to change some old habits.

Get into contact with us to find out what membership is right for you. In a CONDITIONerd program, you’ll be surrounded by others who can help you to get where you want to be.