After I talked about the best psychological ways to minimize cravings in my last post, today I want to teach you what you can do in your actual meal plan to help you not overeat. 

 

 

 

The first and best tip is to increase your protein intake. Protein does wonders to satiety. By consuming more of your daily calories in protein such as dairy products, eggs lean meats or high protein plant foods like beans and soy, your hunger levels will be reduced quite a bit. 

 

Not only that but protein is also highly important for building and maintaining muscle mass when in a calorie deficit. This is the reason pretty much any fitness diet out there is high in protein. So if you haven’t yet make sure to increase your protein through the foods I outlined here.  

 

 

 

This food category includes everything from veggies, fruits, lean meats, eggs, potatoes, rice and also minimally processed foods like whole grain bread or whole grain pasta. 

 

We already talked about why proteins are great for weight loss so let’s focus on why unprocessed carbs like veggies, fruits and rice are a good choice. First of all, they have tons of fiber and water. This makes them both low in calories and very voluminous. Larger volume means a food takes up more space in your GI tract, signaling your brain that you are full earlier. 

 

Also, eating more veggies and fruits provides you with more vitamins and minerals, which brings with it another series of health benefits while also keeping hunger in check. 

 

 

 

Most people are least hungry in the morning. Therefore, it makes sense to keep your breakfast small or in some cases to even skip it. No, your health will not suffer and breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. 

 

Eating less in the morning will leave you with more calories for your bigger meals for lunch and dinner. Now, this rule doesn’t apply to everyone of course so you want to monitor at what time of day you feel most hungry and adjust the size of the meal closest to that time. 

 

Monitoring at what time of day you eat will also make it easier to watch your daily calories and portion your meals accordingly. 

 

 

 

Lastly, two strategies that aren’t directly related to meal planning but that will also minimize your cravings are reducing stress and getting enough sleep.

 

It has been shown that higher stress levels induce food cravings and influence eating behaviors. When we are stressed we care less about what we eat and also tend to eat more. So try to minimize stress in your environment through intelligent planning and maybe even meditating. 

 

In regards to sleep, not getting enough of it has been shown to lead to poor appetite regulation and stronger cravings. Sleep-deprived people are a lot more likely to become obese, compared to people who get enough sleep. So make sure you get at least 7 hours of sleep every night.