Why are we all hungry!

Please note this was an old blog I wrote in Winter.

Due to the conversations I have had this week I think it is important to discuss why we are all so bloody hungry.

So far this week, almost every client has mentioned or been discussing how they seem to be hungry, eating more, overeating or eating crap that they weren’t a month ago. I will openly admit I am part of that discussion. As soon as the weather turned cooler or more the days got shorter, my once very clean diet which I found very easy to stick to suddenly came unstuck. One I am extra hungry, feeling unfulfilled at the end of what was a normally satisfying meal in the past. Two I am craving heavy foods, carbs, sweet foods and three I just want to be eating more often or putting stuff in my mouth constantly!

So it is no surprise as this happens every year for me and I think if you remember back you would notice the same in the past years for you too. It may be psychological but I believe it is more physiological and a left over instinct or gene or whatever you want to call it from the “olden days”. Whatever the reason, what is the solution? Throw caution to the wind, become a bear and eat big, sleep big, hibernate, lay down the lard and I will see you at the end of winter! Sounds like a nice easy option but one that is not going to cut it for all of you. So a more practical solution:

• Eat more protein (I can hear it now, her and her bloody protein) Protein fills us up and keeps us fuller for longer.
• Increase the vegie component of your meals. Beef up the size of your meals and actually eat more by increasing vegies without the added calories.
• Eat what you feel like. No I don’t mean a hot chocolate and a packet of tim tams but I mean eat what you “feel” like. Hot, cold, salty, sweet, crunchy, liquid, chewy. You get the idea. No point having a salad if you feel like a pie! Makeover the food you feel like eating to become a heathy version that will satisfy you but support your fat loss and fitness and health goals.
• Add fats to your meals. Often we, make that you, try to stick to low fat meals and snacks but fat is your friend I tell you when it comes to not overeating. It is your signal that you are done. It makes your meal appealing and tasty and stops you from wanting to go and have sticky date pudding and icecream after your just put your fork down from dinner. Think about stirring some pesto through some steamed vegies or some fetta through some roast vegies. Coconut oil, milk or cream to a curry or laksa. I will say it again, FAT IS NOT THE ENEMY. Sugar and processed foods are, especially processed carbs.
• Find something warming to drink that you enjoy that is low in calories so you can have it often. I am currently onto Tusli tea and I drink a licorice one that has a sweetness to it and is quite flavoursome so it is a nice finish to the night or when I want something between meals. There are some amazing teas out there with flowers and all sorts in them, try a few and see what you can find that you like.

Above all else “do not panic”. Panic makes people make stupid decisions. Panic is what makes people decide to eat nothing but protein for 3 days at a time or only eat liquid meals or eat nothing or train for 4 hours a day. Do not panic. Create a plan, try a few different tactics and see how you go. If you are still concerned then get in touch and we can see if we can think of more ideas together.

One more thing. Cut yourself some slack. Striving for perfection is exhausting. Having a goal of fatloss for 365 days a year for sometimes many years is exhausting. Not everyone I train has that goal I know, some of you are maintaining, some of you train for other reasons but a lot of you do train for the goal of fatloss. Try to think of it like an athlete or any competitor. There is an off season. I am not telling you to let yourself go but I am telling you that it is ok to cut yourself some slack. Maybe a couple of weeks of maintaining is what you need before you achieve your next lot of progress.

As I have said before everything I write is just my opinion but I hope that my opinion can help flick that switch in some of you that helps you with your long term journey of health, fitness and fatloss.

As always I am here and happy to answer any cries for help along with any general fitness related questions so dont hesitate to ask.

So I look forward to seeing you at training, knowing that you can work extra hard as we are now ingesting all these extra calories!