Hunger is one of the main reasons people overeat and gain fat. While this is in the context of general eating, hunger pangs are all the more a problem when you are dieting for fat loss.

Why is that?

When you go on a diet, two of the main hormones related to hunger and satiety go for a toss. The hormone, being leptin, which plays a role in signalling satiety and ghrelin which signals hunger to your brain.

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When you diet, leptin goes down and ghrelin shoots up. Results? HANGER (hunger+anger)!

So, here are five useful tricks that will help you manage hunger while dieting:

1. Drink More Water

Studies have shown that drinking water 15 to 30 minutes before a meal reduces your food consumption considerably, especially for sweet or savoury food items which are usually high in calories.

At times, we even confuse thirst with hunger. This makes us eat more when we are just thirsty and we increase our calorie intake by doing this.

So, drink a glass of water 30 minutes before your meal.

2. Do Not Drink Your Calories

Drinking your calories is the easiest way to finish off your daily calorie limit while not feeling full. Liquid calories, as we call them, are your worst enemies on a diet. Why?

a. It is easier to drink a lot of them.

b. It does not make you full, even one bit.

So, if you are drinking normal sodas, juices, sugary teas or energy drinks, cut them out when dieting.

3. Eat More Protein

Protein is considered the most satiating macronutrient. In studies comparing diets with different protein intakes, higher protein diets have shown higher dietary compliance and satisfaction compared to the lower protein counterparts.

How much protein should you consume during a fat-loss phase?

1.8 to 2.3 grams per kilogram of body weight.

4. Increase Your Fibre Intake

Fibre is another thing to consider if you are struggling with hunger pangs during a diet.

Fibre is usually a high-volume, low-calorie food. Meaning, fibre-rich foods are low in calories for a relatively huge quantity. And it slows down digestion and delays gastric emptying.

So, if you have the feeling of emptiness even after eating food, including some more fibrous carbohydrates by eliminating starchy carbohydrates might just do the trick.

5. Moderate Your Junk Food Consumption

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Though I am a thorough proponent of flexible dieting, I am also a huge proponent of moderation. Just because your calories play a major role in determining your weight loss or weight gain, does not mean you eat a majority of junk food while losing weight.

Yes, it is possible to even eat exclusively junk and lose weight if you keep your calories under check but is it a wise thing to do?

Absolutely not!

The reason being that these junk food options are high-calorie low-volume food options making you eat very less food and finish off your calorie targets for the day.

This hunger will ultimately make you eat more calories defeating the entire process.

Majority of the times, keep your foods coming from unprocessed, nutrient-dense, whole foods and occasionally indulge in the foods you love for better adherence and ultimately results.

Author Bio:

Pratik Thakkar is the co-founder and director of GetSetGo Fitness, an online fitness company and the founder of Mars Nutrition, a nutrition supplement company. Both his companies are geared towards providing you with the right information and products without any false or fake claims. You can reach out to him at pratik@getsetgo.fitness and follow him on Instagram.