Hunger is a very powerful signal that the body sends us.  If you are feeling hungry, it is quite difficult to stay on track if you are trying to lose weight.  There are some strategies you can adopt to ward off hunger and stick to your resolution to lose weight.

Eat Regularly

Don’t skip meals in an effort to lose weight.  Most people who try to use this tactic will only make up for the calories in the skipped meal by eating more later in the day.  A much better tactic to adopt is to eat smaller meals more frequently. Take what you would normally eat during a meal and eat half at one sitting and save the other half to eat a few hours later.

Another tactic is to carry low-calorie snacks with you in case you feel hungry between meals.  If you have pre-cut fruit or vegetables at hand, you can satisfy your hunger while sticking with your healthy eating plan.  A small container of low-fat yogurt or cheese and whole-wheat crackers are also good choices.

Include Foods that are Slow to Digest

If you find that you can’t increase the number of times per day that eat, make a point of including a variety of foods in your diet.  Keep in mind that carbohydrates are digested quickly.  Carbs are usually digested in about two hours.  Protein and fat take longer to digest.  Protein will be digested in four hours and fat will take up to six hours.

This is the reason why people on low-carb diets tend to experience less hunger than those who choose to follow a low-fat diet.  This does not mean that you need to eliminate carbohydrates from your diet entirely.  The best way to achieve your goal of healthy weight loss is to eat a variety of foods each day.

What Am I Craving?

When trying to decide what to eat, take a few moments to consider exactly what it is that you are having a craving for.  Do you want something sweet or salty?  Would the texture of something crunchy satisfy you?  Once you have decided exactly what type of texture or taste you have a yen for at a particular time, you can choose to eat a snack that will satisfy your craving without a lot of fat or calories.

Drink Water

It is important to stay well hydrated when trying to lose weight.  If you make a point of drinking a glass of water 15 or 20 minutes before each meal, you will feel full sooner.  Some people find it quite difficult to feel their body’s signals properly; they might decide they are hungry when the problem is that they need something to drink.

The next time you are feeling hungry in between meals, drink a glass of water and wait for a short time.  In the event that you are still feeling hungry, then go ahead and have a low-calorie snack. 

In trying to ward off hunger in between meals, it is important to listen to your body’s signals.  If you include a variety of foods in your daily eating plan and stay well hydrated, you will be more likely to avoid feeling hungry in between meals.

1. AlliBeth- Georgia Says:
   June 12th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

   Great Tip! I learned this one a while back. Want chocolate? Cheetos? Chips? My trick to end that before it starts is to simply BRUSH MY TEETH! Works every time.