Top 5 Ways to Control Hunger
1. Drink Water. Drinking water throughout the day can help keep you feeling full without adding any extra calories. Water is one of the few substances you can eat or drink that is truly calorie free. Remember, water in itself won’t help you lose weight, but by replacing high calorie drinks (soda, fruit juices, sweet tea) with water, you will be saving calories.
2. Eat Salads. Salads are low in calories and high in nutrients. The vegetables in a salad are also filled with complex carbs and fiber which help to slow the digestion and absorption process down. Whenever you slow digestion, your stomach will stay full for a longer period of time which will help you stay away from eating more. Salads are an even better choice than water since they take longer to digest and even contain nutrients that provide some key health benefits.
3. Foods That Keep You Full. When you do get hungry and eat, pick foods that will keep you full. Foods high in complex carbs, protein and fiber have been shown to provide a feeling of satiety more than foods that are filled with sugars. Avoid foods whose main ingredient is sugar. Sugar goes through your system very quickly and will leave you hungry instead of full. Liquid calories also won’t fill you up. Stay away from sodas, fruit juices and sweet tea as they are filled with calories but don’t take long to digest.
4. Eat Snacks. Obviously you get hungry after you haven’t eaten for a long period of time. If you’re still on a ‘three large meals per day’ schedule, you need to make a few changes. Three large meals per day leaves a lot of time between eating. During that time, your stomach is empty and you get cravings which usually aren’t for healthy foods. The trick is not to allow yourself to get hungry. You can do this by eating a few small snacks between your larger meals. Eat fruits, nuts, yogurt, salads, tuna, sandwiches, chicken breasts and other low calorie foods to hold you over until your next meal. Snacking is essential to keep cravings and hunger away.
5. Eat Breakfast. Breakfast has been called the most important meal of the day and if you’re trying to control your hunger, there is no substitute. It has been shown that those who eat breakfast end up taking in fewer calories throughout the day than those who skip it. If you skip breakfast, you will not be able to control your hunger the rest of the day causing you to binge on all sorts of junk food. Breakfast doesn’t have to be a full coarse meal. If you’re short on time, stay simple: granola/cereal bars, yogurt, fruits. Even a light snack is better than nothing at all.