One of the most difficult aspects of dieting can be getting past the moments of overwhelming hunger. When it comes to dieting no one does it better than bodybuilders! It's not a look most people strive for but the results speak for themselves. Being somewhat in touch with this world I can let you in on a few of the not so well known tricks for dealing with extreme hunger while on an aggressive diet.
Let the listing commence!
Chew Gum
Chewing gum is one of the best ways of holding off hunger. It feels like you're eating with out all that swallowing nonsense that comes after the chewing. Plus sugar free gum has little to no calories!
Drink Coffee
Coffee bean is a natural appetite suppressant. It's low calorie and has an added metabolic boost thanks to the caffeine. Just don’t add in a bunch of high calorie creams or sugars.
Slam Water
It's said that the signals for hunger and thrist are very similar and it's easy for your brain to mistake one for the other. When you feel hunger coming on try slamming a glass of water and see if that helps put the hunger at bay. As an alternative you could try drinking some diet soda, the carbonation seems to help me feel full (consider that a free tip!).
Brush Your Teeth
There's something about brushing your teeth that staves off hunger. I'm not sure why this works but it does. And everyone loves clean white teeth so there's that as well!
Sugar Free and Low Calorie Foods
When I put someone on a diet one of the concessions I grant them is "eat as many green veggies as you want." The chances of you over eating on such low calorie foods are not likely, and they tend to have a ton of micro nutrients which is a bonus. I also eat a lot of sugar free gelatin, I consider this my dessert at most meals. They are so low calorie you could probably eat them all day, non stop and still not gain weight (but please don't try lol).
Distract yourself
This seems obvious but it's worth mentioning. My family knows that when I start dieting it means my video gaming will increase. For you it might be reading, yard work or any number of hobbies. The point is to try and find something that you enjoy and keeps your mind on something other than food.
Eat Protein
Saving the best for last. It isn't exactly a secret that eating more protein is ideal. Protein keeps you feeling full longer and is better for fat loss due to the digestion processes required. I won't bore you with science but feel free to look it up if you're interested.
There you go! 7 tricks to suppress your appetite so you can look and feel your best! Let me know how these work for you or if you have other ways to suppress appetite.
_MZ
About the author: Mason Zuleger is a Certified personal trainer, bodybuilding and fitness enthusiast who has spent over 15 years cutting through the junk and sharing the real, most valuable, info with the world. He has spent time as a writer for Lifehack.org.