Ways to Suppress Hunger

Anyone who has ever attempted a diet for any extended period of time is familiar with the daily battle that is fought between the diet and your cravings. Wanting to maintain a steady calorie intake as well as a lean waistline is often not enough to keep the desire for sweets and other diet damaging treats at bay. While those intense hunger signals are your body’s way of telling you that your calorie intake is successfully lower than normal, it can be hard to separate hunger signals from emotional feelings of distress.

In the war on weight, cravings are definitely a diet’s number one enemy. Here are some simple ways to suppress hunger and make cravings a thing of the past. These easy steps will keep health buffs everywhere one-step ahead of the temptation to dig into the sugars and sweets.

Water

It may sound simple, but drinking water is a proven way to suppress hunger. Drinking water not only makes you feel full, but it tends to keep you feeling full longer than liquids with high sugar content. Drinking a glass of ice water before a meal will assist in decreasing appetite and may even burn a few extra calories over time.

Pre-dinner salads

Indulging in a big bowl of leafy greens before a meal will not only trick your appetite into believing you’ve consumed more than normal, but salad is a proven hunger suppressant as it makes you feel full for an extended period of time. Be sure to top these salads with low-calorie dressing to keep in check with a healthy calorie count and maintain health goals.

Keep fruits and vegetable as counter accents

Hunger cravings seem to pull us in the direction of sweets and salts. Far too often, we find ourselves reaching for the chips and chocolates that are resting within reach just inside the cabinet or on the countertop. While these sugary sweets will calm a craving temporarily, fruits and vegetable suppress hunger for a far longer period of time. Make sure to keep fruits and vegetable, particularly apples, within reach. If the first thing you come across is a healthy answer to hunger, you’ll be more likely to stave off those cravings until the next meal.

Wake up with protein

Finding effective ways to suppress hunger isn’t limited to middle or end of the day meals. Starting your day off with foods high in protein can help keep you full from first thing in the morning on. Low-fat yogurt, egg whites and Canadian bacon are all great sources of protein to fill you up through mid-day.

Incorporate a fiber fix

Consuming a sufficient amount of fiber on a daily basis is another great way to suppress hunger. If you don’t want to count fiber content in food you already have in the house, you can purchase fiber tablets over the counter at your local pharmacy. Taking a fiber tablet in combination with a glass of water before a meal can keep calorie intake down and your diet on track.