Feeling Hungry on a 1300-Calorie Diet? How to Manage It

71 Days to Go in My Weight Loss Journey, for Bikini prep 2023

I’ve been asked the same question twice today on social media, so I wanted to answer it here.

The Question

I was wondering if you struggle at all with hunger while being in a deficit? I struggle with that and I was wondering if you have any tips/advice.

My Answer:

First, I realized that whether I’m dieting or not, I rarely eat solely because I’m truly hungry. Aside from the typical morning appetite and post-workout hunger, most of my eating comes from cravings or things that look appealing. Recognizing that true hunger is usually not urgent helped me—I’ve never experienced what I’d call a “critical” hunger emergency.

If I want to eat shortly after a meal, that can be tough. My go-to strategies are distraction and routine: I keep busy with work, YouTube, reading, puzzles, or scrolling social media until the urge passes. I also notice that small calorie adjustments—say between 1,200 and 1,500 calories—often feel the same because the meals are similar; I simply slightly reduce portions (a little less chicken or rice), so the change is hardly noticeable. And I drink a lot of water throughout the day, which helps curb appetite.

For more on this topic, I’ve written about practical tips and common reasons for eating when you’re not actually hungry:

12 Ways of Dealing with Hunger on a Diet
6 Reasons You’re Eating That Don’t Include Being Hungry

Now, here’s what I ate for another day of training and prep.

71 days to go Full Day of Eating Photos on Bikini prep 2023

Daily totals: 1,296 calories • 130 g protein • 112 g carbs • 38 g fat

Breakfast: 1/3 cup oats with mango skinny syrup and mango chunks, plus 1 cup egg whites and 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese.
Lunch: Turkey bacon cranberry salad — 6 ounces turkey, lettuce, dried cranberries, one slice turkey bacon, pumpkin seeds, and 2 tablespoons poppyseed dressing.
Snack: Strawberry protein “ice cream”: 1 scoop strawberry protein powder, 1 cup frozen strawberries, 1 cup skim milk.
Dinner: 6 ounces ground turkey with 1 cup riced cauliflower, 1 cup chopped onions and peppers, mixed with light sour cream and light mayo. This was really good.

More full day of eating posts here: