How to Eat Fewer Calories Without Feeling Hungry

Don't eat too little

Starving yourself is never a good idea. Not only is it very unhealthy, but it is also something you cannot maintain for long. There is a good chance that the kilos you lost with your crash diet will soon be regained. Often with even some extra kilos (= yo-yo dieting).

You can safely eat less without going hungry. Maintain a slight calorie deficit (300-500 kcal below your needs) and you will lose weight in a healthy way without feeling hungry.

No idea what your calorie needs are? Read here how you can calculate your calorie needs.

Eat regularly

Do not skip meals, such as breakfast, and eat at regular times. Also try to eat at fixed times. This way you teach your body when it is time to eat.

Generally speaking, we have 3 major meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Make room for 2 or 3 snacks in between. This way you eat something every 2-3 hours.

Drink enough

Drink about 2 liters of water per day, spread over the day. Your body uses more energy after drinking water. research showed that our body uses no less than 24% more energy in the hour following drinking half a liter. A good exercise is to drink a glass of water after getting up and before each meal. This way you unconsciously eat less.

Our body is not very good at distinguishing between hunger and thirst. For example, if we don't drink enough, it can send out a signal that it is hungry while it is actually just craving water.

Don't drink calories

Tea and coffee are OK because they are calorie-free (unless you add sugar and milk), but soft drinks are best consumed in moderation. In addition to soft drinks, you should also pay attention to fruit juice. You would think this is healthy (because fruit, right?), but it often contains a lot of added sugars.

Also avoid drinking (much) alcohol. We call these empty calories (because they do not contain any of the 3 macronutrients). Moreover, they make us feel more like eating unhealthy things (such as snacks, chips, fries, etc.).

Note: drinking too much can be harmful, so don't drink 10 liters in the hope of using more energy.

Eat enough proteins and fats

Eating proteins and fats ensures a "fuller" feeling. It takes a lot of effort for your body to break down proteins and fats, keeping your stomach and intestines full longer. This ensures a longer feeling of saturation, so that your body is less likely to give a hunger signal. Proteins, and to a lesser extent also fats, also have a higher thermal effect.

Examples of protein-rich foods: chicken, fish and legumes

Eat lots of fruits and vegetables

Vegetables and fruit contain hardly any calories and are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber. They often also consist of a lot of water, which gives us a fuller feeling.

Eat fiber-rich foods

Fibers absorb water, giving them more volume and ensuring a longer feeling of satiety. Our body also has to make more effort to digest it, which means it also uses more energy.

Fiber can be found in: vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains/carbohydrates and legumes.

Avoid fast sugars and choose complex carbohydrates

Fast sugars, as the name suggests, are quickly absorbed and digested by your body. These first cause a sugar peak, followed by a sugar dip, after which your body signals that you need (even) more sugar...

It is better to choose complex carbohydrates. These are absorbed and digested slowly by your body.

Fast sugars can be found in: added sugars in sweets/cookies, but also white bread or white rice. Complex carbohydrates can be found in whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, vegetables, fruit and legumes.

Take your time to eat

Be aware that you are eating. Pay attention to your food, eat slowly with small bites and chew well. When eating, limit yourself to the food itself. Put your smartphone aside, don't watch TV or read the newspaper while eating,...

Avoid eating out of boredom

Have you ever opened the cookie cupboard and suddenly realized that you are not actually hungry?

Hang a piece of paper on the inside of the cookie cupboard with your reason why you want to lose weight. This way you think twice before reaching for something unhealthy. The refrigerator can also serve this purpose.

Get a smaller plate

In our culture it is normal to completely empty your plate. That's how we all learned it in childhood. Although that is not the case everywhere. In other cultures it is even customary not to completely empty your plate. This is to prevent others from thinking that you have not eaten/received enough.

We can trick our brain by taking a smaller plate, and therefore end up eating less without even realizing it.

End your eating day

Decide when you have eaten enough for the day and end your eating day by brushing your teeth. This way you make it easier to reach for (unhealthy) snacks afterwards.

Get enough sleep

Too little sleep makes us more likely to make unhealthy choices.

In addition, our energy levels will drop when we take in fewer calories than we expend. Extra sleep is desirable in this case. Especially if you want to support your waste process by exercising extra.