Nothing works better to sabotage a diet than hunger when you’re trying to eat less and lose weight.  While waiting around for any lunch, dinner or even Christmas dinner, make sure to follow these rules before you wait too long and start to get so hungry, that you make bad choices and/or eat too much.

Here’s how you can make food choices that will keep you feeling full and help prevent the hunger pangs that lead to diet-busting snacks or binges.

Food Strategies For Losing Weight

If you want to feel full all day on less food, focus on these eating strategies:

• Get enough lean protein and fiber:  Protein is the number one thing to help you feel full, and he second thing is fiber.  If you are eating protein and not enough fiber, there are supplements that you can eat or take with fiber in them.  Or simply eat more veggies.  Eat this a small portion (4 ounces) every 3-4 hours to stave off hunger.
• Eat a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. People who eat the most fruits and veggies report the greatest weight loss and were less likely to say they felt hungry on any given day. This also helps when you go into maintenance.  Eat two portions of each a day, spread out to once earlier and once later in the day.  Salad twice a day too.
• Sip soup. Adding two low-calorie soups to your diet every day could stave off hunger pangs and keep you satisfied longer. Choose soups that are broth-based, not cream-based, to reduce the calorie count; also look for soups that are low in sodium. Consider chunky, pureed vegetable soups, as they have been shown to produce the most lasting full feeling. Timing your soup so that you have it before a meal also reduces the amount you eat at that meal.
• Eat whole grains. If you are going to eat any whole grains, keep in mind to minimize them due to their carb count, buy low carb versions and stick with whole grains, not bleached or other refined flour products.  One slice of bread INSTEAD of a fruit, twice a week max if you want to lose weight quickly.