When Hunger Strikes

With all the energy we devote to the struggle for weight control, we know remarkably little about the most obvious reason diet fails: We get hungry.

What's going on when our bodies tells us insistently, that we have to eat that double bacon cheeseburger right now - even though we've got plenty of fat stores to oull from? Why can some people go without eating for hours while others freak out if they miss their 4 P.M. cookie?

Hunger-Fighting Tip 1: Adjust Your Timing: If you eat lunch early and you’re starving – and binging – by dinner, try retaining your ghrelin levels.

Eat lunch 15 minutes later for 2 days, then 15 minutes after that for 2 more, until you find a time that doesn’t leave you famished at 4 o’clock. Staggering your lunch will help you, and your ghrelin levels, make a smoother transition.

Hunger-Fighting Tip 2: Fill’er Up: To keep your ghrelin levels in check – and beat back hunger- your best bet is to eat a good mix of whole carbohydrates and lean protein.

Hunger-Fighting Tip 3: Wait A Minute or 20: It takes 15 to 20 minutes for the food you eat to reach the end of your intestine where some satiety hormones are released. Satiety hormones are your friends; if you give them a chance to work they’ll make sure you take a pass of the rest of those French fries. Slowing down the pace at which you eat – and waiting for 20 minutes after dinner before you dig into dessert will help you control how much you eat.

Hunger-Fighting Tip 4: Step Away From the Computer: Acknowledging that deadlines make you grab M&M’s maybe enough to curb your binge. “If you recognize that it’s stress and not hunger, you might be more likely to reach for the carrot instead of the doughnut. If you still want that doughnut, eat away from your computer or your report. Focusing on your food, rather than the source of your stress, will help you mindlessly downing whatever’s in reach.