Anyone who has ever tried dieting knows how difficult it is to overcome hunger feelings. Your body, over years and years, is accustomed to eating a certain amount of food. Even if you’re eating an unhealthy amount, any change is a shock to your system. That’s because your body isn’t able to properly gauge how much food it should be eating. It has a scarcity mentality that tells it to consume and consume because it isn’t sure where the next meal is coming from.
Now, however, most people in the U.S. have ample access to food. There is an abundance of options when it comes to what and where to eat. In addition, many of us are living more sedentary lives. We work in cubicles or from home. Fewer people are engaged in as much physical activity compared to in generations past.
All of that combines to create higher levels of obesity and people who struggle to maintain healthy lifestyles. When they finally have enough or want to give dieting a try, their bodies practically scream at them to return to their old habits. Feelings of hunger overcome their will to stick to their diets.
How can you deal with hunger pangs to stay dedicated and accomplish your diet goals? Here are some tips that you can use to stay on top of things and see the results you deserve.
Staying Busy Keeps Your Mind Off of Food
So many people sabotage their diets because they confuse boredom with hunger. When you don’t have anything to do, you wander into the kitchen and destroy all of your hard work. On top of that, so many of our social activities are constructed around food. There are the office happy hours, the drinks and snacks with friends and even holidays are all about eating as much food as you can fit in your stomach.
Instead of staying in your normal routine and dealing poorly with dead time, you should find activities that aren’t centered around food. If you choose something active, you can even burn more calories than you would otherwise. Join a gym, take up a class, go on walks, and add more structure to your life to avoid focusing too much on hunger pangs when they strike. You’re less likely to stray from your diet goals when you do.
Drink More Water
Drinking more water is a terrific way to keep your stomach full and fight off hunger pangs until your next meal. In fact, a lot of people confuse dehydration with feelings of hunger. Most of us don’t drink nearly enough water, and instead, we eat too much trying to fill that hole.
If you’re trying to stick to a stricter diet, increase your water intake. Try to get to the point where you can down a gallon of water a day. Drink before and during your meals. You’ll feel full faster and it will enhance your metabolism. Drinking a ton of water is also great for your skin and has other health benefits!
Eating Low-Calorie Snacks
You don’t have to starve, you just have to eat fewer bad calories than you did before. It’s true if you want to lose weight, the only way is to burn more calories than you consume. But that doesn’t mean you must simply stop eating. For most people, successful dieting is about eating the right amount of the right kinds of foods. You can’t expect to eat junk all of the time and see good results.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by hunger pangs, there are plenty of foods that you can eat that don’t destroy your diet. Vegetables, popcorn, a bit of fruit, etc. are just a few examples. It’s not anyone’s favorite food by any means, but it’s enough to get you through until the next meal.
Peptides & Hunger Pangs
One peptide, in particular, Melanotan 2, might reduce fat storage and hunger behavior in animal models. Research is ongoing, labs have found that administration of Melanotan 2 reduced the amount of food mice ate and changed their preference for fatty foods that they otherwise ate. MT-2 does this by delivering similar effects to leptin, the hormone often called the “satiety” hormone because it gives you the feeling of being full or satisfied.
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