Every year, millions of Americans start a new diet. Starting, though, isn’t what matters. Finishing doesn’t even matter. A successful diet, for most people, is about maintaining a lifestyle. Crash diets or shorter-term diets are fine if you want to work off the extra pounds from the holidays. However, if you want to drop the weight you’ve been carrying around and what to keep it off, something different has to happen. Fortunately, people do succeed in controlling hunger and keeping weight off. We know that the hardest thing about a diet is the first few weeks when we’ve made it through the hardest hunger pangs and adjust our body to the new normal. That’s easier said than done, we know. So, how can you control hunger and see yourself through to the other side where dieting becomes a habit? Follow these five tips to control your hunger and accomplish your goals.
Drink a Lot of Water
Drinking a lot of water every day is one of the best things you can do to combat hunger feelings. Many people feel like they are hungry when they are dehydrated. They grab some cookies or a sandwich when their body is begging for water. Drinking a lot of water will satiate feelings of hunger and can even speed your metabolism, making it easier to process foods and lose weight faster. If you can, try to work your way up to drinking one gallon of water each day. That may sound like a lot right now, especially if you aren’t a big water drinker, but add one glass at a time until you get there. A great tip is to drink a lot of water just before and during meals. You’ll feel full much faster than you would otherwise. Drinking water will also keep your energy levels high and is great for the skin, so you’ll get a lot of other benefits from increased water consumption.
The Right Stash of Emergency Snacks
Everyone who has been on multiple diets knows the pains of bingeing and how it erases all of your hard work. After you’ve dieted for a week or two and have seen good weight loss results, you need to power through the next challenge to keep the weight off. When those hunger pangs come, all of your hard work and sacrifice can be erased in almost an instant if you turn to things like cookies and ice cream. It’s almost incredible how fast you can gain the weight back by eating the wrong foods.
Instead, anticipate the binge and make sure your kitchen or pantry is stocked with healthy snacks that are low calorie. People find success by snacking on things like popcorn, sliced vegetables, chewing gum, and other diet-positive foods. Don’t take any chances and leave the door open to you ripping open a bag of baking chocolate chips. Make sure you have the right foods in place to temper your cravings.
Go to Sleep
People destroy their diets by staying up late and snacking well past their bedtimes. The worst part of snacking late at night is you go to sleep and your food sits in your body. You’re not walking around or moving to work off the excess energy, so it turns into fat that’s stored in your body. If you worry about your level of discipline, move up your bedtime to shrink the window of potential snack time. Your body will reward you for getting some extra hours of sleep too. You’ll have more consistent energy throughout the day, so you won’t’ feel the need to grab a candy bar or a Redbull to give you the boost you’re looking for.
Peptides and Hunger Control
Developed at the University of Arizona in the 1980s, MT 2 is a peptide that has delivered promising results related to hunger control in tests done on rodents. Researchers believe that Melanotan 2 can reduce hunger behavior and fat storage in animal models. It does this by causing significant reductions in how much food the mice ate and changing their preference for less fatty foods. Melanotan 2 shows effects similar to the hormone leptin, which is sometimes referred to as the satiety hormone, which governs feelings of cravings.
Eat Foods Rich in Protein and Fiber
Eating foods high in protein and fiber can keep you fuller for longer. Things like eggs, root vegetables, chicken, and other similar foods will take your body longer to digest and help maintain feelings of satiety for longer. You’ll also have more even levels of energy throughout the day, so you’ll be less inclined to snack and destroy everything you’ve worked for.
Whatever you do, you need to think about a strategy that will help control your hunger and keep you on track. Don’t get down on yourself, this is completely possible! Create a plan and stick to it and eventually, you will get the results you want.
