6 Ways to Control Your Hanger

Dieting is tough. While it seems so easy to pack on the pounds, it can feel like forever working them off. Dieting can be very stressful. When you’re hungry, your body and mood do what they can to try and get you to eat. You may notice that you feel irritable and have a short temper when someone in your family or a work colleague makes a request.

Hungry people often have short fuses. Our bodies are adjusting to the new normal. There are no more shots of sugar or salty sweets as mid-afternoon pick me up. We say goodbye to ice cream after dinner and a drink or two to take the edge off.

Hanger is very real, and keeping it in check can be difficult whether you’re on a serious diet trying to shed some pounds, or the day got past you and you didn’t have time to eat. How can you control hunger and not let it get the best of you?

Don’t let hunger turn you into an evil monster. Here are six ways you can control your hunger and stop short before you bite someone’s head off.

Avoid Sugar in Your Diet

Sugar is in everything we eat practically. It makes things taste better, and it’s cheap, so food makers put it in almost every product. When you eat a lot of sugar, though, your body enters an insulin spike cycle. It feels great when you’ve eaten your sugar, but your energy levels are going to take a dive once the effects wear off.

It’s also addictive. Eating too much sugar turning you into a cravings machine. Your body screams out for more. People who stop eating sugar get headaches, feel confused with brain fog, and have shorter tempers.

Start cutting out sugar from your diet as much as possible. It’s ok to have a treat once in a while, but it should be a rarity rather than an everyday occurrence.

Focus on Your Meals

Mindless eating leads to hunger faster. In our busy lives, it’s easy to eat lunch on the go and breakfast becomes an afterthought. However, this can be destructive to your diet and your emotional well-being because it will lead to snacking and fast, compulsive eating.

It’s better to set aside time for meals you can enjoy. You should focus on your food and get all of the physical and mental benefits of good, wholesome meals. It will keep you in a better mood and feeling full for longer.

Cut Down on Carbs to Keep Your Energy Levels Even Throughout the Day

Eating unhealthy carbs like fries, chips, bread, etc. also affects your mood. It’s the same thing, basically, as the sugar cycle. Your body is accustomed to eating a lot of carbs, so when you stop or go without for too long, it affects your mental state.

Instead, eat more proteins to keep your energy levels from spiking and diving during the day. Your mood will be more even and you won’t feel stressed out by hunger.

Exploring Hunger Control with Melanotan-2

Melanotan-2, or MT-2, is a synthetic peptide that was developed by researchers at the University of Arizona in the 1980s. In tests done on rodents, there was good evidence to suggest that MT-2 reduced fat storage and hunger behavior. In the rats that were given MT-2, there was a marked reduction in how much food they ate and it changed their preference for fatty foods.

MT2 accomplishes this by regulating food cravings similar to the way the hormone leptin does. Leptin is often called the satiety hormone because it gives a feeling of fullness and interrupts what could be destructive cravings. Melanotan 2 is not yet approved by the FDA. Although this peptide requires more research, it has many different future possibilities for medical use.

Carry a Healthy Emergency Stash

It’s a good idea to carry a stash of healthy snacks you can turn to when you get hungry. Soothe hunger pangs with some nuts, cut fruit and vegetables, and similar prepared foods. The main concern when hunger strikes is that you’ll do something to sabotage all of your hard dieting work.

Drink a Lot of Water

Drinking a lot of water can keep you in a good mood and help prevent you from snacking when you’re on a diet. In general, drinking a large amount of water every day is good for overall health.

For many people eating has a lot to do with the act of eating. Drinking water keeps your mouth and minds busy without consuming calories.