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Nutrition Articles  ›  Pitfalls and Plateaus

Tips to Stay Full Longer

Beat Hunger and Boost Satisfaction

-- By Becky Hand, Licensed & Registered Dietitian
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No doubt about it, hunger is unpleasant. In fact, it can be downright embarrassing when your tummy grumbles for your attention at the most inopportune times. When you’re watching your calorie intake to lose or manage your weight, there will be days when you might experience ongoing hunger, even when you’re eating at the top of your calorie range. It can be so distracting and debilitating that you’re ready to throw in the towel. If deprivation is what eating healthy is all about, then forget it!

Not so fast. Don’t give up on your new way of eating until you add what could be the missing ingredient back into your eating and weight loss program. What's the elusive “secret” to feeling fuller, longer? Satiety.

Satiety (sa-TIE-e-tee) is that wonderfully pleasant feeling of fullness you get as you eat, when you’re no longer hungry, but aren’t overly stuffed or uncomfortable. You are just satisfied beyond desire. The more satisfied you feel after a meal, the less you’ll eat later. So how do you increase satiety without eating MORE?

When making food choices, it’s still important to meet the nutrition recommendations outlined in your SparkDiet. But if you’re having problems staying full, adjust your meals and snacks to incorporate these tips: Continued ›
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About The Author

Becky Hand Becky Hand
Becky is a registered and licensed dietitian with almost 20 years of experience. Through her company, An Ounce of Prevention, she makes nutrition principles practical, easy to apply and fun. See all of Becky's articles.

Member Comments

  • Add chia seeds to a salad, smoothie or whatever you want! When they are exposed to liquid, they expand and give you the feeling of being full. Check out this excerpt:

    Why is MySeeds Chia a dieter's dream food?

    When the seed is exposed to liquid (water, juice, soda etc) the soluble fiber on the outside of the seed-shell is activated. Each seed grabs onto more than 9 times its own weight in liquid, & holds it there. The liquid isn't easy to remove so your body treats it like a food--keeping you full like a food! The liquid coating (seen above) is removed slowly in the intestines, where it helps hydrate you and keep your digestive system moving smoothly & easily.

    http://www.mych
    iaseeds.com - 3/16/2013 2:31:29 PM
  • BEACHCOMBER9
    I find that a long selection of planned healthy options for snacking helps me feel in control of my total daily plan. I choose from the list throughout the day or add foods for snacking from meals if I have "leftovers." For example, if I planned on an apple for lunch, I might add it to my other snack options and eat it mid-afternoon. - 3/14/2013 8:13:41 AM
  • LW60448
    Herbal tea is a great way to help satisfy a need to eat and increase water consumption. One of my favorites is Celestial Seasoning's "True Blueberry" with some sweetener. It reminds me of blue berry pie!

    I have a variety of herbal teas on hand and look forward to trying the different flavors so that I don't get bored. Herbal teas are a great way to stay hydrated and tide me over to the next meal! - 3/11/2013 10:04:29 AM
  • I do all those things and still feel hungry. I just really enjoy eating I guess. So what works best for me is self control, which is why I call my diet the discipline diet.

    I have a question: it is said that going more than a certain amount of time without eating causes the metabolism to shut down and so is counterproductive to a diet. Will exercise get the metabolism going as well as food would in such a situation? If so, how much exercise would it take? Would a short but intense karate workout or sprint get it going, for example? - 2/25/2013 10:47:54 AM
  • 3SISPJD
    Not too long ago I read on Yahoo's Shine about eating some kind of (supposedly) bitter green before your meal would help you eat less.The same article also mentioned having at least 1 T vinegar a day. So now my husband & I have steamed kale,collard greens,beet greens, or chard with balsamic vinegar before our evening meal every day. In addition to that we also each make a salad of spring greens & raw spinach,celery,gr
    een onions,carrots, with a dressing of Maple Grove Farms sugar free raspberry vinegarette which has only 5 (count 'em-5) calories per 2T serving, 0 Fat grams. After eating all that I barely have room for a small grilled chicken breast & a small amy of pinto beans. - 5/31/2012 4:13:30 AM
  • MORRAY1
    I have been adding protein shakes to my diet, and I've already lost 15 pounds! I only have one protein whey shake at 4:30 almost every day, and it not only curbs my appetite, but it's so yummy. Because its chocolate it takes care of my cravings for something sweet ! - 5/30/2012 1:28:52 PM
  • I've found another trick- and that's cutting out ALL processed foods. Now that I've moved past the "detox" phase of cutting that out of my diet, my cravings have practically vanished. I am astounded at how little food I need to eat to be satisfied now that the psychological cravings are gone. - 5/30/2012 8:57:16 AM
  • I find that taking digestive enzymes with bigger meals helps me digest better and feel satisfied longer - 5/29/2012 11:46:08 PM
  • Barilla Plus pasta is so much better tasting than whole wheat. It is made with legumes and egg whites. My whole family loves it. High in fiber and protein.
    It is a must try!! - 5/29/2012 1:23:26 PM
  • As far as the recommendation for choose low-fat varieties of food: always check the labels. Sometimes they load the food with more salt or sugar to keep it tasty.

    Eating small meals and snacks every 2-4 hours keeps me feeling full. - 5/29/2012 12:18:33 PM
  • To Healthyway101
    You really have to be sure to not overcook the wheat pastas. I did that in the beginning and did not like them. Now I cannot tell the difference.
    - 5/29/2012 10:43:23 AM
  • Wheat of any kind will guarantee that you get hungry a couple of hours later, regardless if it's 100% whole grain or not. It has similar addictive qualities as sugar does. That's why it is added to almost all processed foods. - 5/29/2012 9:52:12 AM
  • As I try to stay on low fat-low carb food, there just seem to be times when crackers and peanut butter, chocolate anything, any cookies, and any dessert just seems to call out to me. And, when it does, I feel so hungry that I think I could eat everything in site before I am satisfied.
    Of course, I have feelings of failure afterwards. I know I should drink more water, but it doesn't fill me up and it dries my mouth out, which seems odd.
    The article was good and I hope I can control my hunger by following the suggestions. - 5/29/2012 8:21:35 AM
  • That picture looks so tasty. - 5/29/2012 2:37:07 AM
  • I rarely feel hungry unless it is time for a meal and even then I don't get real hungry.
    But last night I was satisfied with my salad and 2 oz. chicken, then got so hungry by 3 AM I got up and had low sodium crackers with no sodium peanut butter and a cup of hot chocolate. Very unusual for me. - 10/7/2010 9:28:53 PM