Food, Energy, and the Missing Pieces

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned during my second BodySlims journey is that hunger isn’t always caused by a lack of calories.

For years I assumed that feeling hungry meant I needed more food. More often than not, I reached for carbohydrates because they were convenient, tasty, and seemed to satisfy the craving.

What I’ve discovered is that there is a difference between food and energy.

Protein and fibre are food. Carbohydrates and fats are primarily energy. Both are important, but they solve different problems.

The Foundation: Protein

The first thing I noticed was how dramatically my satiety improved when I increased my protein intake.

A meal built around:

  • Pollock
  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Salmon
  • Other lean proteins

When calories are restricted, protein becomes even more important. It supports muscle retention, recovery, and satiety while dieting.

I now look at protein as the foundation of every meal.

The Forgotten Nutrient: Fibre

The second piece of the puzzle was fibre. Vegetables don’t just provide vitamins and minerals. They provide volume.

Mushrooms, brocolli, cauliflower, jalapeños, pickles, slaw, scallions, and berries add bulk to meals without adding many calories.

A large bowl of high-protein food combined with fibre-rich vegetables is far more satisfying than a smaller calorie-dense meal. Fibre doesn’t just feed us. It also feeds the gut microbiome.

The biggest surprise was electrolytes… During periods of calorie restriction, daily walking, rucking, swimming, sauna use, and fasting, I found myself feeling tired, hungry, and unsatisfied.

I assumed I needed more food. What I actually needed was better hydration and electrolyte support: Sodium, potassium, and magnesium.

They play a critical role in:

  • Hydration
  • Muscle function
  • Energy levels
  • Recovery
  • Preventing headaches and fatigue

Once I became more consistent with electrolytes, many of the cravings I thought were hunger became far less noticeable.

My Sauna Solution

One habit that has made a noticeable difference is what I call my Sauna Solution.

A 2l bottle of water containing:

  • Electrolytes
  • Creatine
  • Caffeine
  • Additional hydration support

This is particularly useful on pool, sauna, and steam room days when fluid and mineral losses are higher. The goal isn’t to replace food. The goal is to ensure that dehydration and mineral deficiencies aren’t being mistaken for hunger.

The Supplement Stack

Supplements are not magic, they cannot compensate for a poor diet. However, they can help cover gaps while calories are restricted.

My current approach includes:

Sauna Solution Mix:

  • Electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium)
  • Creatine (15g daily)
  • Pre-workout (Caffeine)

Morning Stack:

  • Multivitamin
  • Probiotic

Nightly Stack:

  • ZMA

These supplements support performance, hydration, recovery, and general health while dieting.

The Takeaway

The biggest lesson isn’t that carbohydrates are bad or that supplements are magical. The lesson is that many of us try to solve every problem with calories.

  • Sometimes the answer is protein
  • Sometimes the answer is fibre
  • Sometimes the answer is hydration
  • Sometimes the answer is electrolytes

Before reaching for more food, it may be worth asking a different question:

Am I actually hungry, or is my body asking for something else?