One of the main reasons people overeat or cheat on their diet is hunger. Hunger is the body's natural response to a reduction in dietary calories. Hunger control is often the hardest adjustment when starting a new diet plan.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do to curb hunger without compromising weight loss.
Step 1
Learn to differentiate between actual hunger and the psychological urge to eat. If you crave comfort food, your body may respond to these needs by increasing your hunger. Admit to yourself that this is false hunger.
Step 2
Drink a full glass of water when you sit down to eat and then again between meals, instead of snacking or ingesting high-calorie foods. Filling your stomach with water will trick it into feeling full and reduce your desire to eat. Drinking plenty of water will also prevent dehydration, the condition in which the body often mistakes it for hunger.
Step 3
Eat regularly throughout the day, but avoid sugar or starchy snacks. These foods can cause a sudden spike in blood sugar levels, which can trigger hunger and other symptoms. Eating more often also reduces the intensity of hunger and raises your metabolism.
Step 4
Make your diet rich in fiber. Fiber requires more chewing than other foods. Foods rich in fiber give the body the opportunity to register fullness before overeating. High-fiber foods also take longer to digest than other foods, so you'll feel full for a longer period of time after eating. Experts recommend eating fiber-rich foods at the beginning of each meal. Apples, flaxseed and oatmeal are three healthy, fiber-rich foods.
Step 5
Increase the amount of protein with each meal. Protein is a natural appetite suppressant and will help you reduce hunger between main meals. Good dietary sources of protein include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, beans and peanut butter.
Step 6
Drink a cup of coffee between meals. According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant that can reduce hunger. However, excessive caffeine consumption can lead to other side effects, so do not overdo it.
Step 7
Chew gum between main meals to suppress your appetite and hunger. According to experts, chewing gum is particularly useful in reducing the desire to snack on sugary foods throughout the day. Be moderate though - chewing gum puts stress on your jaw and can be harmful to tooth enamel.
Step 8
Try natural alternative remedies and appetite control for you. Guarana and St. John's wort may help reduce hunger and appetite.
Step 9
Ask your doctor about a prescription for medications that can control your appetite.
Step 10
Don't skip breakfast. It is not by chance that it carries the glory of the most important meal of the day. Prepare a healthy, filling breakfast to give you energy for the whole day.
Step 11
Don't miss lunch either. It is a good idea to make a bowl of fresh salad with seasonal vegetables, seeds, nuts. It will fill you up and satisfy your hunger completely.
Step 12
Stock up on fruit. You know how once upon a time there was a bowl of fruit on the table at home. Well, it's time to steal your mother's role and prepare one for your table. May there always be fruit before your eyes. If you have the opportunity, take it to your workplace as well.
Step 13
As soon as you feel hungry and you have eaten recently, take a walk. Energy expenditure dulls hunger. You can go for a walk on your lunch break or go for a walk after work. Try to move like this for at least 20 minutes every day.
Step 14
Pour your food into small plates. Visualizing a smaller amount of food will make the body get used to it and get full faster with a smaller portion.
Step 15
While eating, distract yourself for 10 minutes in some way - watch a video, make a phone call, run the washing machine or something else. When you go back to your unfinished portion, it will stay that way because the stomach will have realized that it is full.
Step 16
Try aromatherapy. For example, if you're craving something sweet, or more specifically chocolate, smell that kind of scent. There are a number of herbal oils that can also dull the feeling of hunger.
Step 17
Lie to your psyche, by making it tense. Buy a scale - everyone knows that its presence at home is also associated with continuous measurement. Wear tighter clothes - as soon as you feel tight, you will stop eating. Stick a photo, picture or a minus sign with the desired kilos you want to lose on the fridge. May it always be before your eyes. All these approaches are reminders of proper nutrition. It is not based on fasting, but on the contrary - on eating more often. Eat 5-6 times a day, but small amounts.
Step 18
Emphasize on home-cooked food, which is much tastier and healthier than semi-cooked or ready-made food that you buy. Also, you should reduce alcohol because it provokes hunger.
Also read about these satiety tricks.
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