For people across the country trying to lose weight and get in shape, controlling hunger is a major issue. It’s no wonder why. For years, many of us fed our bodies as much, and even more, than what was needed. In response, our bodies became accustomed to getting a lot of calories from sugar, carbs, and other short-term fun, but long-term not so smart foods. Now, when we suddenly start to cut back, our bodies scream for more. They wonder what’s happening and start to go through withdrawal. In return, your body aches with hunger.

Getting through the initial phase of a diet when hunger pangs strike is often the most critical to your long-term weight loss success. It’s all about forming healthy habits, and that takes dedication and a lot of willpower. That’s not easy, especially if you’ve had poor eating habits for years.

There are things you can do to suppress hunger and train your body to respond the right way when you’re trying to lose weight and get in shape. Here are some steps to follow to get the results you want without dealing with crippling hunger cravings.

Drink a Ton of Water

When you start to feed your body the right kind of fuel, it gets confusing signals. Remember, you are breaking years of bad habits, so, normally, your body will wonder what’s going on. A lot of times, people starting diets confuse hunger pangs with dehydration. Their body needs more water, not more food.

Drinking a lot of water is one of the best ways to fight off hunger and suppress any hunger pangs. A lot of trainers and dieticians recommend drinking up to a gallon of water a day as a way to fight off the urge to snack. Increased water intake also speeds up your metabolism and is great for your skin! If you want to see better dieting results faster, then start drinking more water. A good way to do this is to buy a gallon water jug at your local grocery store and fill it up at the beginning of each day. Work your way through the jug every day until it’s empty and then start over again!

Eat Dense, Low-Calorie Healthy Foods

Not all foods are created equal. Every piece of food has a certain amount of calories. If you want to feel full without sabotaging your diet, seek out foods that will fill you up without overloading your daily caloric intake. For example, a candy bar has hundreds of calories. On the other hand, you can eat handfuls of carrots before you reach the caloric value of a small candy bar.

Find foods that will make you feel fuller without giving you as many calories. Vegetables, meats, and other similar foods are a great place to start. If you’re snacking, find foods that have low caloric values to get you through hunger pangs. A lot of people find success eating things like popcorn. They can satiate their urge to snack without consuming so many calories. Opt for baked snacks instead of fried, and do your best to stay away from sugar.

Peptides and Hunger Control

Melanotan ii is a synthetic version of the human alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone. It was developed in the 1980s in a lab at the University of Arizona. In clinical tests done on rodents, it was discovered that Melanotan ii reduces hunger and fat storage. Rats that were given MT-2 changed their food preferences away from fatty foods and reduced how much they ate overall.  It was a stark difference for a lot of the test subject rats, even those that preferred unhealthy foods regularly. MT-ii mimics the effects of the leptin hormone, which reduces food intake and provides a feeling of satiety. This peptide is not yet FDA approved for human use. There is more research that needs to be done but has promising future medical possibilities.

Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting has gotten a lot of attention in recent years. Intermittent fasting is a way to train your body with regard to food intake. You restrict the time during which you can eat, shrinking it down to a smaller window. Instead of eating throughout the day, you assign a several-hour window of time when you can eat. It’s a way to naturally cut down the number of calories you eat each day and trains your body away from the habit of constantly snacking.

There are a lot of mobile apps that you can download on your phone to track intermittent fasting. Many people find success by making a game out of intermittent fasting. If you’re new to it, try to make your window starting at lunch and ending just after dinner. You won’t have to worry as much about the foods you eat because you’re eating less of them. Skipping a meal is a good way to move away from the constant feeling of hunger after you eat because you’re sending a clear signal to your body that change is the new normal.

Millicent Grim