Don't Be Extremely Hungry When Dieting

Being hungry can be a pleasant feeling if you are at a restaurant waiting for your favorite meal to arrive, but if you are on a diet, it is a whole different story. Nowadays most of us have plenty of food and getting more is just a matter of going shopping. However, your brain doesn’t know that. Evolutionally we are still living in the times when the people had to struggle for every meal. On a biological level eating is so important to us, that being hungry overrides about everything else. Your brain is demanding , even forcing you to find something to eat, because the energy levels are getting low, which can be dangerous, even deadly.

Whenever your dieting demands a lot of willpower, you are risking your success. Having to fight against your inner survival system is hard work and not pleasant at all, and the longer you continue, the more likely it is that you fall off the wagon. Many diet plans take this into account and suggest “free days”, when you get to eat anything you want to, to make it easier to continue on the diet. In other words, you only have to suffer for six days a week and the seventh is for resting (or whichever the system). This might work for some people, but is not the best long term solution. It can also lead to unnecessary binge eating on the free days.

Another good reason for the “free days” is to avoid the energy saving mode your body will turn itself into, if you keep your calorie intake too low for a longer period. The body doesn’t know you are trying to lose weight, and it starts to protect you from your diet instead. If that happens, your weight stalls and you would have to eat even less to keep losing weight.

Many low-calorie diets are about different ways to eat very little but try to make it seem like you were eating more. Short diets are about will-power: you get fast results if you can handle being hungry for three-four days. In both cases, you will end up being hungry. If you really want to go through a short diet, there are some things to do to make it a bit easier to succeed. Clean up your cupboards and make sure there are no temptations at home. Go shopping before the diet and stay away from groceries and malls while on the diet. Make plans and keep yourself busy for the duration of the diet. Short diets can be a good solution if you want to lose weight fast just before a special event.

Low-calorie diets are often high in carbohydrates and low in fat, which makes sense calorie-wise: fat has nine calories in a gram whereas carbohydrates have only four! But what would you say if I told you that carbohydrates are the only macro-nutrients which can cause weight gain? If you are gaining weight, it’s very likely that your body has problems with processing high amounts of carbohydrates (remember, we are evolutionally still in the past where we didn’t have refined carbohydrates around every corner), and if that is the case, you can gain weight even on a low-calorie diet, if the calories come mostly from carbs.

Carbohydrates make you hungry as well. High carbohydrate loads raise the blood glucose level, and the pancreas will secrete insulin to get it back to normal. Insulin is very effective and fast. It gets the blood sugar level back to normal and usually even below, making us hungry right after eating. Protein and fat keep you satisfied for longer, and the people on a low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet report not being hungry at all even if they have chosen to limit their calorie intake.

Low Calorie Snacks Good For the Body and Health

Everyone is constantly in search for low calorie snacks that will quell your hunger while at the same time being tasty. Sadly, low calorie snacks don't have the best reputation; they are generally viewed as being dull, tasteless and not good value for money. So why is this? It is mainly due to the fact that we have been conditioned to think of low calorie snacks as only being vegetables and fruits minus any added seasonings.

Many of these low calorie type of snacks that are on the supermarket shelves have sadly been mislabelled as being LITE, SUGAR FREE etc, when in fact this was not the case. This has led to them causing less good to the customers and resulted in the FDA taking more action to prevent the same mistakes happening again.

If you have a creative mind then it's easy to create your own low calorie snacks instead of relying on ones bought from supermarkets and health shops. You can use blackberry jam to help sweeten your cup of tea or anything else that happens to take your fancy. Let your favourite tastes guide you and see where the journey takes you.

Low calorie snacks can be as simple as putting sweet fruits on top of fresh cream or making a sandwich with your favourite vegetables on wholemeal bread. The only limit is your imagination. If you've ever wanted a snack but been unable to find it in your local supermarket then now is the time to create the dish that you really want to eat.

You don't have to give up coffee if you are looking to reduce your calorie intake; this is a very common misconception. Decaffeinated might not sound too appealing to most of you, but it's not as bad as you might think. Many people are put off by the idea of decaffeinated but end up enjoying it with a nice light biscuit.

Just because something is a snack it doesn't have to be junk food, always remember this when you are making snacks. They are designed to help you beat hunger between regular meal times. Drink plenty of water and this will also help you with the hunger you might experience day to day. For those on a diabetic diet or those who keep a blood sugar chart, you need to experiment with different things and recipes to see what works for you; this is what all the top class chefs do. Enjoy healthier living with low calorie snacks.

Lloyd Strasellhoff writes about good facts to know if you or a loved one has diabetes. Find out more about gestational diabetes diet and blood sugar chart.

Low Calorie Snacks: Recipe Ideas for Tasty, Healthy Snacking Choices

Low calories snacks can be a great alternative when you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your weight. Of course, they aren’t always the most appetizing options available and often don’t keep you full enough to forgo other non-healthy items later in the day. The good news is there are many tasty and healthy low calories snacks for adults which can not only keep your taste buds happy but also keep you from getting hungry between meals.
Choose Filling Snack Foods: Studies show there are certain types of foods which can make you feel fuller for longer periods of time. If you want to stick to your diet program or plan, it’s important to feel full so you don’t binge between meals. Foods which are high in fiber are the best options, as scientists know fiber works with the body to keep you feeling full for longer periods of time.
Choose Simple and Easy Foods: If you have to take an hour for the preparation of your snack, chances are you won’t force yourself to eat it very often. After all, who has an hour each day to make snack? When thinking of snacks, choose recipes or preparations which require very little time. Easy options include fresh fruit and vegetables with low calorie yogurt dips. Keep these things available in your home or office so you can quickly grab them to satisfy your hunger without wrecking your diet plan.
Choose to Portion Control Healthy Snacks: When eating snack, portions count! So, keep your snacks in small portions to calm your craving but also keep you within your required low-calorie range. The best options to go for if you have trouble with portions are the pre-packaged 100 calorie options at your grocery store. Companies like Quaker and Nabisco make it easy for adults to get low calorie snacks without requiring much thought or effort. With these incredibly delicious and easy options, you have no excuses!
Choose Small Indulgences on Any Eating Plan or Diet: Sure, you can have a sweet or “forbidden” treat every now and again before or after your meal. But again, you must think about eating a small amount of high calorie foods, to turn them into a low calorie snack option. If you don’t think you can control yourself to eat just a small amount, skip it altogether.