Taming the Hunger Beast

Re-vamping your way of eating in order to eat more healthy foods and to lose weight can leave you feeling hungry for a while until your apostate, metabolism and digestive system adapt. For the first time in a long time, you are probably down-sizing your portions, choosing lighter, less calorie-laden, less greasy, fatty foods and you may be eating less often. If your body is used to being stuffed all the time on 2500 calories or more, you may feel hungry if you suddenly cut that too 1500 calories per day.

Try these strategies to control your appetite.

Eat regularly. A consistent eating schedule can help tame your appetite. Break that 1500 calories up into 6 eating sessions every day.  You will be surprised how quickly your stomach and your brain will adapt to the idea that there will be "just enough" food coming in about every 3 hours.  Make sure most of your meals and snacks include high-fiber foods such as berries, dark green veggies and whole grains (an easy snack is a little single-portion box of shredded wheat -- with or without milk).

Stay hydrated. Drinking at least six cups of water each day can help keep you satisfied with less food. Remember - sometimes we reach for snacks when we are really thirsty! Add lemon or even cucumber slices to quench your thirst.  Craving a sweet drink? The sugar-free "straws" of Crystal Light are a good option.

Use the 10-minute rule. When hunger strikes between meals and snacks, set a timer for 10 minutes, do something distracting, and then reassess whether you're still hungry. This also gives you time to figure out how to have a healthy snack if you decide yep, you are really are hungry.

Check your emotions. Ask yourself if you're hungry or just bored ....or tired....or lonely. In other words, what really needs to be fed and nourished?

The good news is that in time your body - and mind - will adapt to your new way of eating.