How Not to Go Hungry: Eating for Volume

Hunger is one of the main obstacles people face when they first start dieting. Hunger is responsible for the destruction of an insurmountable number of fitness dreams, goals, and aspirations, leaving them for dead in its wake.

What your average gym goer won’t tell you, though, is that you don’t have to be hungry to lose weight. Most people equate the term diet with losing weight, but that’s not necessarily true. When you say “I’m on a diet”, what you’re really saying is that you’re manipulating your current caloric intake in such a way that is conducive to your fitness goals.

Being hungry isn’t conducive to your fitness goals, so don’t go hungry. Before we can defeat hunger, we need to deconstruct hunger. Why do people get hungry? Because they haven’t eaten, or they have eaten but they’ve already digested their food. Some foods are more calorically dense than others but are less filling overall. These low volume/calorically dense foods are responsible for hunger. As an example, a spoonful of olive oil contains 119 calories and 13.5 grams of fat. In comparison, a large bowl of mixed greens with chicken (topped with balsamic vinegar dressing) contains about the same amount of calories. Which one do you think you’d be more satisfied with?

Identify the foods you enjoy eating and manipulate them accordingly. The following foods tend to be volume friendly, so check them out:

• Vegetables

• Fruits

• Lean Meats

• Calorie-Free or Low-Calorie Sauces/Toppings

• High Fiber Carbs

• Alternative Substitutes (if you want noodles, use shirataki or spaghetti squash)

• Soups