3 Tips For Cutting Calories Without Starving Yourself

Many people begin their weight-loss journey by cutting calories. This is a tried and true weight-loss tactic that is more effective than relying on exercise alone.

However, if you cut down calories dramatically you will feel hungry all the time. Not only is this unpleasant, but it won’t help you lose fat. Your best bet for weight-loss success is to create a calorie deficit and make smart food choices so you feel satisfied, not starved.

You may think that cutting of calories automatically speeds up fat loss, it can actually work against you over the long-term. Apart from it being hard to maintain a calorie deficit, it’s also going to slow down your metabolism and cause the body to not want to let go of fat stores because it believes it’s in a starvation state. When your body doesn’t get the energy it needs to function, it spikes your hunger hormones, causing you to seek food. Ironically, you could end up gaining weight in the end. 

How many calories should you cut for fat loss?

Each person is different, you do have to find what works best for you. Cutting 500 calories per day is recommended for weight- loss. Get an idea of how many calories you’re currently eating, and how many calories you need. You can experiment on your own using an app that I recommend to my clients called MyFitnessPal.

First, track your food for a week or two with the MyFitnessPal app to see how much you’re really eating. This helps you identify areas where you might be able to cut excess foods and drinks or sources of sneaky calories. Calorie-tracking apps also give you an idea of how many calories you should be eating for fat loss so you can see how your actual intake measures against your target intake.

That means if your maintenance calories (the amount of calories you need per day just to maintain your current weight) are 2,000 calories per day, your deficit would be 400–500 calories.

If you’re not seeing results after four weeks, you can decrease your calories by another 100 calories per day.

While it’s normal to feel a little hungry when you start cutting calories, you shouldn’t feel hungry all the time, much less starving. 

Here are 3 tips for cutting calories the smart way:

1. Cut junk food calories - Start by cutting foods that don’t offer any nutritional benefits. Alcohol, sweets, soft drinks, junk food and processed foods are just a handful of obvious foods to look at cutting. See if you can eliminate or reduce any processed foods from your diet. If this process feels a little overwhelming, cut them down slowly. 
2. Use vegetables to fill gaps - You may be cutting back on certain foods (i.e. pasta, bread), but this doesn’t mean you’re doomed to eat tiny meals. Try using vegetables which are loaded with vitamins, nutrients and fibre to add volume back to your plate.
3. Swap low fibre foods for high fibre - Foods that are high in fibre tend to be more filling, less energy dense (i.e. fewer calories for the same volume of food) and digest more slowly than low-fibre foods. This means you’ll likely eat less and stay full longer, which can help you lose weight over time. 

High fibre foods include: 

• Wholegrain breakfast cereals, whole-wheat pasta, wholegrain bread and oats, barley and rye.
• Fruit such as apples, berries, bananas, mangoes pears, melon and oranges.
• Vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, potatoes with skin, beetroot, carrots and sweetcorn.
• Peas, beans and pulses.
•  Nuts and seeds.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

Take control of your life, rock on!

Until next month, Evie xx

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