Making the decision to lose weight always seems to start off with an enthusiastic “I’m going to do it this time” attitude. We can visualize ourselves being trim and fit with the confidence of a runway model as we enter the first few weeks of whatever new dietary program we’ve put ourselves on. Cocky, with a bit of a swagger in our step, failure is not an option. After all, we’ve made a commitment and that’s… that.
Everything is going great; we’ve got our little tupperware containers all labeled and ready to go, we’re hitting the treadmill first thing in the morning and so far it’s all smooth sailing. Except for one thing… we’re hungry. It was manageable in the beginning, but now it’s starting to get really annoying. We’re hungry during the day, and we’re hungry when we go to bed. At this stage, at least for me, it never took much to give in because I just wasn’t prepared to deal with the off-and-on hunger pangs, day after day.
In this article, we’re going to look at some tips and tricks to help us avoid those weak moments brought on by hunger. By facing this inevitable pattern that weight loss programs bring out in all of us, we can prepare ahead of time to reduce the cravings and the feelings of hunger that oftentimes stop us from reaching our goals.
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Discipline
Maybe it’s not the magic bullet you were hoping for, but it’s just too important to overlook. Despite all the tips and tricks in the world, feeling hungry and craving sweets is not something that we can sweep completely under the rug. As much as we prepare for it at the physical level, the mental side of this can’t be ignored either. Discipline simply needs to be a big part of your mindset going into it.
The good news is that the mind can be trained. Learning to recognize and deal with your emotional triggers is important for any long-term behavioral change, no matter what it is. As I’ve mentioned in other articles, Oprah would convince herself to embrace hunger as proof that she was losing weight. Alcoholics use the “one day at a time” slogan as a reminder that they just have to get through today.
Whatever it takes to help you stay focused, determined and disciplined is something you should think through. Dig deep… you simply need to identify what works for you.
Choosing The Right Foods To Curb Your Appetite
Eating nothing but skinless chicken breasts and salad with squeezed lemon for your dressing looks great on paper. But can you sustain that kind of eating over time? Not to mention the fact that if you are exercising more (as you should be), your appetite is going to increase as well.
There are lots of foods that can help with reducing your appetite as you work towards your target weight. There are so many that I could devote an entire article just to foods that should be on your list. But to get you started with some good ones, here’s a short list of excellent appetite-suppressing foods.
Oatmeal, apples, grapefruit, raw vegetables, pine nuts, popcorn, green tea, soups, jello, and protein shakes are just some of the foods that should be considered. The common denominator with most foods that are great for reducing cravings is to select foods that are low glycemic, high in fiber, or high in protein.
Timing Is Everything
Who would have thought that you could lose weight by eating more? Well, it’s true… sort of. Weight loss experts may not agree on everything, but one thing they do agree on is the importance of eating multiple small meals throughout the day. Eating a small nutritious snack or meal every few hours helps to keep your blood sugar at more even levels throughout the day, and also works wonders with keeping your appetite at a manageable level.
Eating an apple, or munching on raw vegetables for between-meal snacks is a great way to begin training your body to break out of the 3 primary meals lifestyle. A low-calorie protein shake before bed is an alternative to bingeing on snack foods if you just can’t handle the late night hunger.
A Well-Nourished Body Is The Answer
Over time, our body’s natural cravings will adapt to what we feed it. If you eat sugar-filled pastries every day, when hunger sets in, your body will crave something sweet. However, if your body is well-nourished and hunger approaches, your cravings will be for the nutritious foods your system has become accustomed to.
Just as vegetarians don’t crave meat, and Atkins followers don’t miss the carbs… these changes will happen given enough time. A well-nourished body at your target weight is not beyond yours or anyone’s reach, but to get there, we have to get through the unavoidable short-term era of being hungry. It’s not forever, and by using some of these ideas you can help yourself reach the promised land by keeping hunger and those persistent cravings at arm’s length, until they are gone for good.