New Delhi | Jagran Lifestyle Desk: While losing weight, managing your hunger cravings is the toughest task that people usually face. These cravings are extremely hard to ignore. Oftentimes, they result in eating excessive amounts of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor, and highly palatable foods like chocolate, cake, ice cream, and pizza. Such high calory and processed food items can harm your health.
Thus, here’s a look at how you can manage your hunger cravings while trying to lose weight.
Drink water
It is natural for you to get confused between thirst and food cravings. Whenever you feel a sudden urge for a specific food, drink a glass of water and wait for a few minutes. There are chances that you may find that the craving fades away because your body was actually thirsty.
Eat enough calories
It is important to fuel your body properly in order to keep it healthy and functioning at its best. Without enough calories and nutrients, it’s natural that your body signals you to eat, which can cause strong cravings for certain foods. Thus, consistently fueling your body with healthy, filling foods and making sure you’re not overly restricting calories may help decrease food cravings.
Eat more protein
Eating more protein may reduce your appetite and keep you from overeating. It also reduces cravings and helps you feel full and satisfied for longer. As per research, increasing protein intake may reduce cravings by up to 60% and cut the desire to snack at night by 50%.
Manage stress
You might often find yourself thinking of or reaching for certain foods during times of stress. Thus, if you feel stressed, try out some stress-relieving techniques to see if they help you relax and leave some of your cravings behind. You can also seek counsel from a doctor or expert.
Get enough sleep
You are more likely to experience food cravings after a night when you didn’t sleep well. As per research, a lack of sleep affects certain areas of your brain, including the frontal cortex and amygdala, which can significantly increase your desire for highly palatable and calorie-rich foods. Thus, aim to get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.
