The toughest part of dieting is avoiding eating too much when you find yourself feeling extremely hungry. For ideas on how to beat cravings, look no further than bodybuilders. Even if you aren’t interested in taking your physique to the extreme like they do, you can borrow some of their ideas when it comes to controlling your appetite. Most of them have developed effective methods for keeping their appetite in check when preparing for a big event.
Some of the techniques that bodybuilders use are listed below.
Pop In A Piece Of Gum
When you suddenly find yourself feeling hungry, try chewing a piece of gum. The majority of gum that is sold today is sugar-free. It also has very few calories. Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medical School say that the action of chewing and swallowing can trick your body into thinking you aren’t hungry anymore.
Enjoy A Cup Of Coffee
Coffee naturally suppresses hunger. As long as you don’t add sugar or cream, it doesn’t have any calories. As a bonus, the caffeine in the coffee will give your metabolism a bit of a boost.
Drink A Bunch Of Water
It is easy to confuse the feeling associated with being thirsty with the feeling of being hungry. If you start to feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water. In many cases, your hunger will go away. You could also try having a diet soda or drinking some seltzer water since the carbonation does a great job of staving off hunger.
Try Brushing Your Teeth
As strange as it may sound, brushing your teeth could help you feel less hungry. I don’t really know why this trick works, but it is effective. Plus, it helps your teeth look and feel their best.
Snack On Foods That Don’t Contain Sugar And That Are Low In Calories
When I’m helping someone plan out their diet, I usually let them know that it is okay to eat as many green-colored vegetables as they want. The likelihood of eating too much when you are snacking on foods with so few calories is extremely low. Plus, foods like these are nutrient-dense, making them a great addition to your diet. If you are looking for a dessert that doesn’t contain any sugar, try having a cup of sugar-free gelatin. Foods like these have practically no calories, which means that you can snack on them almost as much as you want.
Find A Distraction
The best way to keep your mind off of food is by looking for a way to distract yourself. For instance, I play a lot more video games when I am dieting. You can try losing yourself in a good book, working in your yard, or doing any other activities that you find enjoyable. This will help keep you from obsessing about food.
Fill Up On Protein
One of my best tips is to eat a lot more protein when you are dieting. Foods that are high in protein help stave off hunger for a longer period of time. Protein also makes it easier to lose fat because of the way that it is digested. If you want to learn more, you can find a lot of research on the digestion process online.
These seven simple tips can help keep your appetite in check when you are dieting. If you have other ideas on how to keep from feeling hungry or want to share your success, I’d love to hear from you.