5 simple ways to trick your hunger mechanism

One of the biggest challenges when you are trying to follow a meal plan is keeping those carbs in check.    The high carb days are much easier to deal with, but its the lower carb and no carb days that are sure to have your energy lower than normal and possibly your mood as well.   Try these Five simple tricks to keep your hunger under control and stick to your meal plan.
 

Lets start by first discussing food volume in the stomach, and the hunger mechanism.   The stomach can only tell that you are full based on volume and not caloric density.   That means that 200 calories of veggies can tell the stomach that you are no longer hungry, in the same way a 1000 calorie burger or pizza can.    This is the reason why we are fat.   High calorie foods take up less space than their low calorie counterparts.
 

Trick #1 is to drink a ton of water.   I know that you have heard this before and i will say it again.   Drink more water.   Drink before meals and drink during meals.   Remember once your stomach is full the hungry feelings go away.    Replacing water with beer will defeat the purpose.
 

Trick #2 is to eat green veggies with every meal.   One cup of green veggies or more should be eaten with every meal.  Yes that means spinach in the eggs at breakfast.   Yes you can eat other veggies instead of the green ones but try to focus on the dark green ones first like Brocolli, Spinach, Green Beans, Asparagus.   Yes one cup of Spinach is a handful or two, we are not talking about a packed cup of Spinach.  Ok enough said.
 

Trick #3 Find a great snack.   Did I just say that you could have a snack?   Yes!    This is so that you have something to eat as an alternative or when you simply need a change.   My favorite snack alternatives are soup, salad, and rice cakes with 1/2 teaspoon of natural PB or almond butter.     Believe me this can go a long way when you are hungry.
 

Trick #4 is go to bed.   Dont laugh, Im serious.   When watching my macros closely I will use this trick as often as any other.   You wont get lean by eating before bed.   So when its crunch time and you want to get some results, just head to bed just a little earlier than normal.   We could all use the extra sleep anyway.
 

Trick #5 is the easiest of all.     Be careful that you dont chew too many pieces with sweetner though.   Yes thats right im talking about chewing gum.   They have these amazing desert flavored gums now like apple pie and orange creamsicle.   After a while though those flavors start to get a little old.

 

So there you have it.  My five simple ways to trick the body into not feeling hungry.   It can be challenging to stick to a clean eating plan, however using some of my tips should have you on the road to a leaner and healthier you.

Yours in Health,

xo Christine