Getting to Know my Hunger Cues, Satiation Signals & Exact Calorie Needs

As each day and meal prep unfolds, I mostly pay attention to the average times I’m hungry and how satiated I feel after each meal. Of course, if I am too full after a meal, I either switch up the macros (for that meal) or reduce the quantity for that meal the next day. If this meal combo brings me true joy, I just serve up less for that meal the next day. If this meal didn't make me feel all that great, I figure out how I can restructure it to make it digest flawlessly. The answers always come when I need them. Sometimes they come right away, sometimes they come in a day or two. All I can do is trust myself and trust the process. If I don't trust myself, I’m not believing in what my body is truly capable of. 

If I still feel hungry after a meal (this type of hunger is best described as an urgency to eat calories, like, I know that more food HAS to be eaten or else I won’t stop thinking about food), that is definitely a hunger that must be addressed, and I fulfill that need by eating another 50, 100 or 200+ calories. No matter what I need to tweak, it’s always excellent news because the very next day, I know how many calories my body will typically need around that same time. 

I also pay attention to the clock around eating times (as we all do) and watch for the hours at which I feed. This knowledge is basic, but has made my life so much easier. Once I started practicing with eating specific quantities at the same general times each day, I began gathering all the info I needed to *eat when I’m hungry, *know how much I need at each feeding, *have the proper quantities prepared, *stay light and *feel optimal! Then, as time goes by, I continue making necessary changes to keep the flow going as efficiently (and as seemlessly) as possible.

For some preps, my appetite pretty much stays the same, but during other preps, I start to notice that my dinner portion needs to increase or decrease, or the snack meal needs to increase or decrease, or I need to add or eliminate a menu item. This is my hormones fluctuating and I must listen! The answers to my body's needs reveal themselves naturally and perfectly, just like how my cravings reveal themselves. I don’t have to create meal preps days in advance, I just rewrite the script as I go, spending the time it takes to plan out only the very next menu, then I make it happen. It’s up to me to stay on top of it, find what brings my body joy, be consistent with my designated prepping days, be brave enough to make necessary changes, and stay on track. 

I have also experiemented with tweaking my meal prep and rearranging my designated food items just to find more ways to be creative, stay satisfied and enjoy my food, all while staying right in my calorie maintenance window. This helps me to determine if my diestion can improve even more, if certain food items taste better at different times, and if my quantities can get shifted around without any issues. I get so many answers with this fun, open approach, and it's WORKING!

My body wants perfect harmony, so it will communicate to me what, when and how I need to eat, and it’s up to me to translate the signals, do my best each day and to stay consistent. That’s what this experiment is. It’s getting to know my digestion and fuel needs like never before. It’s really so cool and fun to know my body this well because it’s response to my daily choices is resulting in my ultimate Trophy Body!! For me, this is the answer to honoring my exact fuel needs while eating absolutely everything I want. I have never been more connected to my happiest, healthiest, most aligned self since studying my hunger and satiation signals and before I know it, I’ll be in Trophy Body maintenance mode where I have the option of effortlessly maintaining my results, or switching up my physique goals however I desire. How exciting is that?

Macros & Calories: 64% Carbs (363g), 25% Fat (62.5g), 11% Protein (65g), 2300 Calories, 82 grams Fiber (probably more than I need)

Hot Drink: Dandy Blend Tea, Cocoa Powder, Instant Decaf or Green Tea w/ 1 cup Almond Milk or 1/2 c Oat Milk

Snack #1: 1 Banana & 2 TB PB2 mixed with water

Breakfast: Oatmeal Waffles (oats, pumpkin, baking powder, hemp seeds, water, cinnamon/salt) served with 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Yogurt, 1 cup Fresh Berries & one half ounce of unsweetened Chocolate

Lunch: Trophy Lasagna (Corn Tortillas, Beans, Green Chilis, Tomato, Corn, Salsa, Onions & Bell Peppers) served with 2 TB Plant Based Parmesan Cheese & Iceberg Lettuce

Snack #2: 1 Packet Instant Oatmeal, 1 banana, 2 TB Nut Butter, Hot Water

Dinner: Brown Rice Pasta, Zucchini Noodles, Steamed Broccoli, Veggie Broth Paste & 1/4 cup Homemade Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce

**Meat Dinner on Sunday 2/6: Chicken Tenders, Brown Rice, Teriyaki Sauce & Acorn Squash

**There was one dinner where I had Banana Nice Cream & Peanut Butter because my stomach felt full of volume and needed a smaller portion of food (The Nicecream & Nut Butter came out to 100 calories more, but there was less volume so it worked out perfectly)

Macros & Calories: 66% Carbs (381g), 20% Fat (52g), 14% Protein (75g), 2300-2500 Calories, 67 grams Fiber

Hot Drink: Dandy Blend Tea or Cocoa Powder w/ 1 cup Almond Milk or 1/2 c Oat Milk

Snack #1: 1 Banana & 1 TB Nut Butter OR 1 packet Instant Oats w/ 2 TB PB2

Breakfast: Oatmeal Pancakes (oats, pumpkin, baking powder, chia seeds, water, cinnamon/salt) served with 1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Coconut Yogurt, 1 cup Fresh Berries & 1 TB Maple Syrup or 1 TB Molasses

Lunch: Polenta Quiche (Polenta, Beans, Green Chilis, Tomato, Onions & Bell Peppers) served with 3 TB Plant Based Parmesan Cheese, Salsa & Iceberg Lettuce

Snack #2: Around 300 calories of Homemade Cookie Dough w/ 1 Frozen Banana chopped (optional)

Dinner: Brown Rice, Zucchini Noodles, Carrots, 1/4 cup Homemade Plant Based Nacho Cheese Sauce

**3 out of 4 days this meal prep my calorie needs were around 2500 so I improvised an additional 200 (or so) calories