Regular exercise in conjunction with changing your diet is, of course, the key to weight loss success. However, many people who can’t stand the hunger pains or the feeling that they might never feel full again without gaining weight! This can cause people on diets, or who have already lost weight, to fall off the wagon and to undo all of the good work that they have done.

The feeling of hunger comes from several different processes; it is down to biology and psychology. Learning which foods can cause sugar crashes, learning to break poor eating habits and learning what will keep you full for longer can help.

Regardless if you are trying to lose weight, or if you are trying to maintain a healthy weight, knowing the best foods to prevent hunger can help. If you always feel hungry or are always on the lookout for the next snack, try these foods that will help to make you feel fuller for longer, without piling on the pounds:

Smoothies; they may only count as one of your five a day but smoothies, if made right, are a great, low fat way of gaining fiber and fluids without piling in the calories. Make your smoothie with low fat yoghurt and as much fruit as possible for a long-lasting, filling, low calorie mid-morning snack. The little bit of fat will help to keep you fuller for longer, the dairy will provide you with protein and the fruit will give you much needed fiber.

Soup Ok, so maybe soup is just a savory smoothie but this is another great way to stay hydrated and feel full for longer. One study showed that active men who ate a roast dinner and a liter of water felt hungry more quickly than those who had soup for lunch made up with exactly the same dinner and water, but blitzed into a soup. Go heavy on the vegetables and add a protein source, such as beans or pulses for a nutritious meal that will keep you full for longer.

Popcorn is a brilliant way of applying the psychology element of feeling full. A lot of our satisfaction with food is in the perception that we have eaten lots. Air popped popcorn with no added fat looks like a lot, is packed with energy and makes you feel like you have treated yourself, without piling on the calories.

Veggie Pasta; add as many sautéed vegetables to whole wheat pasta as you like. The more veggies you add, the greater the feeling of satiety will be. The complex nature of these foods will take longer for your body to process and keep you feeling full and satisfied for longer.

Salads back to the psychology again. A great big salad will look huge but contains mostly water. A large bag of spinach contains just 90 calories. Make a massive salad and sprinkle on a little ham, cheese, olives chopped egg or tuna for added flavor, fat and protein. Adding a (SMALL!) amount of low fat dressing and a protein source will (you guessed it!) keep you feeling full until your next main meal.

Losing weight isn’t always easy. Some people need a little help on the way. Weight loss such as lap band surgery, gastric bypass surgery and gastric sleeve surgery can help to get people on the right track. After weight loss surgery it is important to keep eating the right foods; heavy, high fat foods may not be tolerated well after surgery.

At Weight Loss Surgery we offer a full range of weight loss surgery procedures, performed by our world class surgeons. This enables us to make sure that each patient has the best surgery to suit their needs. We provide ongoing support to our weight loss surgery patients, in the form of nutritionists, psychologists, support groups and follow ups.

Contact us if you would like to know more about the range of weight loss procedures that we offer at Weight Loss Mexico or to speak to a US based case manager about the best weight loss package for you.