One of the primary reasons people discontinue or cheat on their diet plans is hunger. Hunger pains are natural responses to decreases in dietary calories. Controlling hunger pains is often the most difficult adjustment to make when beginning a new diet plan. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to quench hunger pains without compromising your weight loss goals.
Step 1
Learn to differentiate between actual hunger and a psychological desire to eat. If you eat for comfort or follow a strict eating schedule, your body may respond to these triggers by increasing hunger pains. Recognizing the triggers for this false hunger by keeping a food journal will help you break unhealthy eating habits.
Step 2
Drink a full glass of water when you sit down to eat, and then again between meals instead of snacking on high-calorie foods. Filling your stomach with water will trick it into feeling full and reduce your urge to eat. Drinking plenty of water will also prevent dehydration, a condition the body often mistakes for hunger.
Step 3
Eat regularly throughout the day, but avoid sugary or starchy snacks. These foods can cause sudden spikes and crashes in your blood sugar levels, which can cause hunger pains and other symptoms. Eating more frequently also reduces the intensity of your hunger pains and boosts your metabolism.
Step 4
Make your diet rich in fiber. High-fiber foods require more chewing than other foods, giving your body an opportunity to register satiety before overeating occurs. High-fiber foods also take longer to fully digest than other foods, so you will feel full for a longer period after eating. The Asian Food Information Centre recommends eating high-fiber foods at the beginning of each meal. Apples, flaxseeds and oatmeal are three healthy, fiber-rich foods.
Step 5
Increase the amount of protein you eat with each meal. Protein naturally suppresses the appetite and will help squelch hunger pains between meals. Good dietary sources of protein include lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, beans and peanut butter.
Step 6
Have a cup of coffee between meals. According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine is a natural appetite suppressant, which can reduce hunger pains. Excessive consumption of caffeine, however, may result in tolerance and a reduction in its appetite-suppressing qualities.
Step 7
Chew gum between meals to suppress your appetite and keep hunger pains away. According to the European Food Information Council, gum is especially helpful for reducing the urge to snack on sweet foods throughout the day.
Step 8
Try natural alternative remedies to control your appetite. Marketing for many homeopathic and herbal remedies state that they suppress appetite, but little scientific evidence exists to support the claims. They may be worth a try, however, when other methods are unsuccessful. Garcinia cambogia, Hoodia, guarana and St. John's Wort may help ease hunger pains in some people.
Step 9
Ask your doctor about prescription medications that can control your appetite. The Mayo Clinic states that medications such as Adipex, Meridia and Tenuate are often effective at controlling hunger when used for a few weeks to jump-start a weight-loss program. Long-term use of these medications can result in addiction and potentially serious side effects. Because of the potential for abuse and health complications, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders states that prescription appetite suppressants should only be used by those with weight-related health conditions or a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater.
Things You'll Need
- Chewing gum
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