The Hungry Games

One fact about dieting and weight loss that people like to ignore is that sometimes you get hungry.  I think it’s is OK to be hungry.  In fact, I would argue that it’s necessary and good to be hungry, especially if you are a chronic over eater like me.   Let’s examine together the logic of being hungry…

The only way to gain weight (other than a legitimate health problem) is to consume more calories than you burn in a 24 hour period.  Your body converts the extra calories to fat, stores this fat on your butt and thighs for a rainy day, and you gain weight.  That weight stays on your body until you are able to burn it off.  The only way to burn off that fat is to expend more calories than you consume in a 24 hour period - you literally have to eat less calories than your body needs so that it is forced to tap into the fat reserves.  Eating less calories than your body needs in a 24 hour period will make you hungry.  But as we’ve just seen, it’s the only way to go if you want your butt to get smaller.  

 My sister put it to me in a different way that may make more sense:  If you are an over eater, and you usually order a pizza and eat 6 slices in one sitting, your body will get used to that.  Your stomach will stretch, your body and mind will come to expect 6 slices of pizza when you sit down to eat, and you will gain weight.  Now, when you begin to cut back on the pizza, even if you do it very slowly over time, your mind and body will be disappointed when you stop at 3 slices of pizza, and you will feel hungry. 

Therefore, being hungry is an indication that you are burning fat reserves, that your body is relearning what an appropriate amount of food to eat is, and that you are losing weight.

All of that being said, it is also true that if you allow yourself to get too hungry, your metabolism will slow down, making it harder to lose weight.  So don’t go overboard and starve yourself.  But DO accept the feeling of being hungry as a temporary, necessary and good sensation in the process of weight loss.    

As I sit down to write this post, I myself am feeling hungry.  I ate my dinner at 5:30 (veggie and bean wraps again), I snacked on pretzels after that, and I just ate half a large bag of popcorn at the movies.  So did I eat enough for this evening?  I would say so.  Is my body used to eating more?  Obviously, YES.  Thus I am hungry.  But if I can push through the night and not break down and start eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like they are going out of style, then I might feel less hungry tomorrow night.  Maybe after a few weeks, my body will readjust and I won’t feel hungry at all.  But for now, I will sit here, drink my tea, stay strong, and accept being hungry.