How do you listen to your full signal and yet be in calorie deficit?

[CrimsonMama]

Over my 12+ weeks on Slimpod I adopted more healthy eating and tried listening to my body and full signal.On the one hand it was wonderful to not be counting calories anymore! And not feeling restricted helped me to stop craving snacks between meals.

However I didn't lose any weight. Not a single pound. But I didnt gain either. So I think I was listening to my signals well enough to maintain. Which is great!

However I know, to lose weight, you have to be in a deficit. But is this even possible to do and not feel hungry?

Today I have tried really hard to eat well. Not perfect. But I am eating more fruit and veg than I ever used to. But I felt really hungry and ended up having lunch half an hour early. And then dinner way too early as well. I just did a rough calorie count and if I stop now that would be fine. But its only 3.30pm. I am so going to want something more later to eat! And yes I can make sure its healthy options but it still means my calorie deficit will be gone or very small.

Shall I just keep eating until full (not stuffed but satisfied lol) and hope that I will slowly adjust to eating less over time? I know my body seems very resistant to lose weight so maybe it needs to know I can be stable for a while and not going to throw another food restrictive diet at it yet again!

[hjskev Maintainer 2 stone]

Hi First well done on all your progress.

The way I feel full is by eating a certain amount of high fibre carbs. Most dieters these days are eating a low carb diet so my diet is a bit different. I have a slice of weighty wholemeal bread (homemade by my husband) with my breakfast. For my lunch I have a selection of fruits with greek yogurt and a high fibre mix which I make using bran, bran flakes, all bran and a mix of chopped dried fruits. Then in the evening I have a normal meal. I only eat wholegrain carbs, rice or pasta. I aim for 30g of fibre a day, but I don't usually achieve that, more like 20 plus. I never feel hungry. And a plus for me I'm not constipated. Fibre can be called wasted calories as most of it ends up passing straight through us.

Dieticians are always telling us we need to eat more fibre so its worth thinking about.

[Hidden in reply to hjskev]

"Dieticians are always telling us we need to eat more fibre so its worth thinking about." - hjskev

Do you think i could benefit from seeing one? I want to get it right this time.

[Eryl Visitor]

The calorie balance hypothesis was debunked long ago. As Dr Robert Lustig said "A calorie is not a calorie" (google it if you want an explanation). If you restrict your carbohydrate intake your body will learn to burn fat. Lowering your carbohydrate intake will lower your blood sugar which will lead to normalising your hunger and sateity hormones so that you will naturally not feel the need to snack (except because of habit) and be satieated sooner so that you won't over eat.

[CrimsonMama in reply to Eryl]

Is that like going into Ketosis?

[Eryl Visitor in reply to CrimsonMama]

It is going into ketosis for part of the day. This is why tme restricted eating is such a powerful tool.

[Fiadh79 Maintainer 13kg]

In addition to the fibre, do you have enough protein? In Rangan Chatterjee's Feel Great, Lose Weight he explains prioritising protein is much more filling.

And you will be able to lose weight! It might just take some time to work out what works. You are doing really well so far.