Anyone who has dieted to lose body fat knows that being hungry sucks! I love the foods I eat, so when dieting for a bodybuilding show, I don’t feel like im ‘missing out’. However when i’ve hit my macros for the day, and those late night hunger pangs kick in… life isn’t fun. There are some ‘magic’ foods though that you get a ton of volume from, with next to no calories in them what so ever. Useful for adding taste, or just feeling full, here are some of my favourite low calorie foods.
Sugar Free Jelly
American’s are so damn lucky! They’re range of sugar free desserts and jelly are crazy compared to ours. Still we get a good pick over here in the UK. Sugar free jelly is a god send to me. It’s seen me through many stomach cramping nights of hunger, and satisfied my sweet tooth at the same time.
Sugar free jelly sachet’s make a huge bowl of fruity goodness that makes you feel full. It takes just a few minutes to prepare. Simply add boiling water to your jelly crystals and then leave it in the fridge for a few hours. Just 1 sachet is enough, but I sometimes go through 2 or 3 throughout the course of a day!
Zero Syrups from THE PROTEIN WORKS
Looking for something to liven up your porridge? Looking to add a kick to your protein pancakes? Then these are for you. The Protein Works Zero Syrups range are literally magic in a bottle. I’ve tried their butterscotch and pancake syrup (and will be trying the rest!). Stirring this into your oats is the best way to turn a boring breakfast into the tastiest meal of the day. Likewise you can add them to ground rice, protein pancakes, and even mix it in with peanut butter, or yoghurts. Loads of possibilities.
Casein Dessert
Chocolate Mint Brownie. That is all. I’ve been using this flavour of Micellar Casein from TPW and I never ever drink it. Why waste such a damn fine meal? Instead I gradually add water and make it a mousse like consistency. Slowly add water and stir. For a cookie dough like consistency you don’t need much liquid at all.
However if you want to feel really full, and are in the mood for a mousse keep adding water until you get the right consistency, continually stirring with your spoon. Put it in the fridge for 20 minutes and get ready to cheat clean. Its hard to believe this is actually healthy. It also is very filling. I tend to save these for a night, when my sugar tooth creeps up on me, and when im usually quite peckish. A scoop of this will give you 24grams of protein, make you feel full, give you a ton of volume, and taste damn good.
Mushrooms
Everyone knows that green veggies are a staple of any bodybuilding diet. Any low carb diet is comprised of tons of broccoli. They’re low in calorie, high volume, and full of fiber. A lesser recommended food however is mushrooms. 100 grams of sliced frozen mushrooms contains 12 calories. Read that again. 12 calories. On low carb days i’ll pile these into my eggs or on the side of my plate with steak or whatever meat im eating. It turns a ‘food’ into a meal.
Water
Drinking protein shakes aren’t as filling as eating a meal. However when you’re preparing your post workout shake, pile a ton of water in it. I always find this fills me for longer. Likewise, when ever you’re eating a meal, drinking a few glasses of water with it will also help fill you up. Its a little trick I like to use to trick my body into feeling full so I’m not instantly hungry after finishing my meal.
Over To You
These little tricks help me through fat loss diets and contest prep. Because I’ve done them for so long, its part of my lifestyle and eating habits now. I hope that these help you out on your fat loss journey. You can read more from me and follow my bodybuilding journal at http://www.shreddybrek.com.
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