Waiting until you’re hungry to eat maybe the worst diet advice ever, says Yoni Freedhoff, author of the US News and Health Report article, “Worst Diet Advice: Only Eat When Hungry.”

Freedhoff documents that proper fitness programs are derailed primarily by hunger. Hunger can bring out the worse behaviors when trying to remain on a steadfast fitness program. Both grocery shopping and dining out can lead to poor choices if done on an empty stomach.

Freedhoff offers tips for assuaging hunger while working through a fitness program:

  • Eat a breakfast of between 350 to 450 calories within an hour of waking up, ensuring it includes a minimum of 20 grams of protein.
  • Snack every two to three hours between meals; each should include 100 to 150 calories and at least 10 grams of protein.
  • Enjoy a lunch and dinner of at least 350 to 450 calories with 20 grams of protein.
  • For every 45 minutes of exercise, add an additional 150-calorie snack either right before, during, or immediately afterward.
  • Try to craft your day such that you’re never without food for more than six hours.

Is hunger a big factor in your diet?

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3 Comments

  1. Honestly, eating during the day is a hassle. I hate the feeling of hunger, but having to find time to prep food and eat every couple of hours during a busy day is a pain in the *blank*

    • @lena:

      Is it really such a big problem to prepar food in advance, even the night before and store it in the fridge?

      Are you working as a nurse or how is it that eating during the day seems to be such a big problem for you?

      I agree that snacking during worktime is often…first you need to find a space to eat and when you have taken a few bites it seems there is urgent work waiting and you have to abandon the food and feel more hungry than before, so is that the problem for you?

      Or don´t you like ‘cold’ foods like a sandwich and would wish for sometihing warm to eat instead?

  2. It’s hard to train my body to eat less and more frequently. Ieat two big meals and thats been working for me 🙂

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