Many people don’t realize that the most powerful way to control hunger without eating tons of food is by increasing your protein intake. It’s the only common element in nearly ALL diets that women use to get into Bikini or Figure competition shape. Some people eat higher carbs, while others higher fats, but EVERYONE eats higher protein. If I take my protein above 1.5g /lb. of bodyweight, I find that I pretty much lose all interest in food. To figure out your number, just multiply your bodyweight by 1.5 and eat that many grams in protein throughout the course of a day. For example, if you weigh 120-lbs, your number would be; 120 multiplied by 1.5, which equals 180 grams of protein per day. It might sound impossible if you haven’t done it before, but it works like a charm.
2. Sour foods:
Sounds crazy, but who wants something sweet, sugary or chocolaty after something sour like a pickle? Not me. For those of you who have a sweet tooth or want to reach for things you shouldn’t be eating, try eating something sour first. Items like a pickle, olives, sour cherry peppers, pickled vegetables, some red wine or balsamic vinegar on a salad, sauerkraut, Kimchi, even a grapefruit or a little Greek Yogurt will do the trick.
3. Lots of Vegetables (except peas, corn or, carrots):
The one thing I have used my entire life to combat the bulge and keep myself from eating things I shouldn’t eat are VEGETABLES! Veggies for me and for my clients are freebies—meaning, at any sitting, I can eat and should eat as many vegetables as I want. My appetite is already big, and when I increase both weight training and cardio my appetite becomes huge. This is when I really load up on veggies to keep feeling full and pump up my fiber intake all while staying low calorie. Broccoli, spinach, celery, green beans, cauliflower, asparagus, Brussels sprouts and zucchini and all salad greens are just some of the things I’ve used. This works so well I‘ll eat as many veggies as I want in all my meals to prevent hunger spikes before they happen.
4. Garlic and Onions, shallots, leeks and chives
Now this is a stinky one but a good one. I feel strongly about for several reasons. When it comes to staying at a distance from sweet foods, snacks and candy, garlic is one of my favorites. It’s helpful that I love garlic and garlic appears to have many health benefits too! Once you eat garlic or make something to eat with garlic in it, it stays with you for a while. Now who’s going to want to eat sugar after that?
Benefits: Garlic contains diallyl sulfide and Allicin which are sulfur-containing compounds. That‘s a good thing. These compounds have antibacterial effects that inhibit the growth of, and even kill several, kinds of bacteria including salmonella, Staphylococcus, and yeast. It helps reduce unhealthy fats and raise your good cholesterol and lower the bad. It stays in your bloodstream to keep cholesterol from oxidizing and damaging blood vessels or forming plaque (especially if eaten daily). Garlic is also a natural diuretic. Garlic seems to increase metabolism, which can contribute to a reduction in body fat and help process energy more rapidly. Finally, garlic has quite a bit of fiber and is a natural source of vitamin C. What’s not to love?!
5. Hot Teas and Coffee:
I love coffee especially on a cold morning, and generally as the start of my day. I love the taste but I love what I found it does for me even more. When I‘m hungry a big hot coffee (or hot tea) fixes everything wrong in the world. My hunger goes away immediately. Something about the warmth kills that rumbling stomach. When I sip that coffee for 30 minutes it will hold me until my next meal.
6. Exercise:
Sounds ridiculous to say it, but go for a walk when you’re hungry! It helps. I take my dogs for their walk when I am hungry because it means that for 1.5 hours I won’t be near food. Getting away and out of the house may change your mood, mindset and just give you that little bit of time till your next meal and keep you from mindless snacking.
7. Eating enough essential fats/healthy fats throughout the day:
We all know getting into phenomenal shape means making a few sacrifices but don’t let your desire for results cause you to cut too many essential/healthy fats. Many do this because, as you know, each gram of fat consumed contains nine calories versus four for protein and carbohydrate, making fats the likely choice most people turn to reduce caloric intake. I’ve found that by keeping some healthy fats in my diet from foods like walnuts, almonds, cashews, and olives, minimize my cravings and hunger.
8. Gum:
Gum is my guilty pleasure, both chewing and shopping for it since I love finding new sugar-free gum! Gum is something we have all used when hungry and it works! Sometimes we just want flavor and need to taste something yummy. Gum is an easy quick go-to. Go sugar-free, of course!
9. Diet soda, flavored diet drinks, and water!
There’s nothing more to say other than fill up on liquids. Drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day will help you from getting too hungry; it helps fill you up, and it prevents headaches from dehydration. I know that when I get a headache I tend to want to eat to make it go away, but often it’s a dehydration issue, not a food issue.
10. Knox unflavored Gelatin, with MIO or, other flavored drink mix-ins such as Crystal Light blended in for tastier Gelatin flavor choices:
With only 10 calories per serving you can eat quite a bit to fill up until your next meal. Benefits: Gelatin is a mixture of peptides and proteins so you’ll get a bump in those. It’s a good source of dietary collagen, and has been shown to be good for joints and help joint recovery. Gelatin also has been shown to help improve digestion since it binds to water it can help move food more easily through the digestive tract.
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1. Increasing Protein
