1 Step Closer To A Better Beach Body

It's that time again. Summer's approaching. You've been slacking all winter, making empty resolutions all spring, and now it's crunch time. You're merely days away from the beach.... and the bikini.

But your arms are still undefined, you've lost the muscle in your legs, and alas- the muffin top isn't going to quit anytime soon. Damn.

This morning I came across an article in CNN's health section that offers some guidance on that age old question:

HOW CAN I STOP BEING HUNGRY??

One reader writes: "I am always hungry and my appetite is ravenous, difficult to satisfy. I want to eat until I'm full EVERY TIME I eat. If it wasn't for force of will, I would continue to eat and pack the pounds back on. Is there anything I can do to fight the hunger"

Diet and exercise expert Dr. Melina Jamplois comments on the struggle.

"Hunger is a battle for many people who are trying to lose weight or have lost weight and are trying to maintain their weight," she says.

"Once you form and fill fat cells, the body has a well-designed system to maintain them, so hunger and weight regain are common. Hunger is particularly complicated, as it relies on numerous systems throughout the body including the brain, stomach and gut."

So our hunger isn't all about the size of our stomach. Our brain's working on this phenomenon too.

"There are a few things that have been proven to control hunger better and help you eat fewer calories without necessarily compromising the volume of food."

Read on for an ready list of how-to's for filling up quicker.

1. "Fullness begins with the act of chewing, so solid calories tend to be more filling than liquid calories. A study presented by a well-known researcher in this field, Dr. Barbara Rolls, showed that an apple is more filling than apple sauce, which is more filling than apple juice. Why? Because solid food requires chewing, thereby beginning the process of digestion and the release of digestive enzymes that begin to trigger fullness. It simply slows down the process of caloric consumption because it takes longer to chew an apple than to guzzle a 6-ounce glass of apple juice."

2. "Fiber, especially water-soluble fiber, may play an especially important role in feeling full, as it forms a gel with water in your stomach that slows the emptying of food from the stomach; slows the absorption of blood sugar, which also prevents the rapid drop that can lead to hunger; and allows the food to have more contact with the intestinal wall, which may help with the release of fullness hormones.

Good sources of soluble fiber include oats, beans, barley, apples, strawberries, carrots, onions, sweet potatoes, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears, plums and prunes."

3. "Lean protein is an essential component of fullness and weight maintenance, as it triggers the release of fullness hormones and can help keep blood sugar stable, thereby controlling hunger. I encourage my patients to try to eat some form of lean protein with every meal and snack if they struggle with hunger.

Good sources include skinless poultry, fish, lean red meat, low-fat or fat-free dairy, eggs/egg whites, and if you are on the go, protein bars without too much sugar or fat."

4. "One exception that you should include in your diet is noncream-based soups, which Rolls and others have shown can decrease calories significantly when consumed before a meal.

While liquid calories in beverage form are less satisfying, eating water-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and low-fat or fat-free dairy can help you eat fewer calories without cutting serving sizes. Try diluting calories in everything you eat by adding vegetables, fruit or fat-free dairy."

One last tip?

"So make sure the majority of your calories come from solid food, and limit sugary beverages and alcohol, which contain empty calories, and even juice, coffee drinks, shakes and smoothies if you don't find them as satisfying."

read the whole article here.

So there you have it. Filling up quickly seems to be about picking the right foods and being mindful of how you eat them. Like any kind of weight loss, it isn't easy. But it's necessary. And maybe, if you combine these tips with good diet and exercise, you can look like this by the start of the summer.