Managing Your Hunger

Now that September has rolled around again, many of us find ourselves having to adapt to a different routine than we had during the summer. Whether your holidays are over, your kids are back in school, your work hours have changed or you are trying to adapt to the change in weather, a different routine can have a big impact on the choices that we make. Here are a few tips that can help you cope with getting back into the swing of things.

Slow down. Your body takes about 10 minutes to signal that it's had enough food. Leafy green salads take a while to eat, giving your body enough time to recognize that it's satisfied.

Break the fast. Eating a morning meal which includes protein makes it less likely that you'll overeat during the rest of the day. Consider the following tip: Go for 1 oz of cheese, ham or turkey; ¾ cup of yogurt or ½ cup 1% cottage cheese; a tablespoon of peanut butter; or a hardboiled egg.

Brown bag it. Bringing your lunch, instead of buying it, can save you hundreds of calories - not to mention dollars. If you make your lunch, you are in control of what you're eating and how many calories you are consuming. If you have to buy your lunch, avoid pizza, noodle dishes, vending machine items and if choosing salad, avoid croutons and ask for low calorie dressing on the side.

Make room for snacks in your diet. Foods with fibre and/or protein - whole fruits, cheese, nuts, peanut butter - will help keep you from feeling famished between meals. Consider the following snacks: A tablespoon of peanut butter and a crisp apple; 1/3 cup of hummus with free veggies; 10 almonds and ¾ cup of yogurt; or 1oz cheese and a pear.

Choose foods with lots of water. You can reduce hunger by eating foods that have a high water content: whole fruits, whole vegetables and broth-based soups.

Stay calm. Develop ways to cope with stress so you're less likely to overeat. The fall weather is perfect for enjoying a nice walk or curling up with a good book.