By Christine Luff
Reader Question: How Can I Avoid Feeling Hungry?
If you've started watching your calories and trying to exercise more in the new year, you may be hearing some strange grumbling noises during the day. No, I'm not talking about when you're complaining to yourself about running in the cold or having to wait for a treadmill at the gym. I mean those annoying hunger pains!
It's perfectly normal to feel hungry when you start a new exercise regimen or you increase your exercise frequency or intensity, especially if you're also trying to cut your calorie intake at the same time. You're burning more calories, so your body needs to take more in. Here are tips to avoid feeling hungry, without overindulging, and hopefully lose weight in the process:
Get lots of healthy, high-fiber foods in your diet. Most high-fiber foods require more chewing, which helps to satisfy hunger. High-fiber foods are usually bulky so they fill up your stomach faster and can also delay the time it takes your stomach to empty. Also, many high-fiber foods are low in calories, so you can satisfy your hunger with fewer calories. Whole grains, vegetables, and fruits are great sources of fiber.
Try eating five to six small meals a day instead of three large ones. If you wait too long for a meal, you'll be starving and tempted to overindulge by the time you eat. Eating more frequent, smaller meals helps keep you full, and lets you stay in control.
Slow down when you're eating. It takes our body about 20 minutes to realize that it's full. If you eat quickly, you'll eat extra calories while your body is figuring out whether it's hungry. By the time your body realizes that it's full, you've already eaten more than you needed. If you eat slowly, your brain will start sending signals to stop eating at the right time.
