by Holly Ridgeway

Created on: November 06, 2009

8 Tips for Feeling Fuller Longer

1. Follow the old-fashioned food pyramid. Oh come on! The food pyramid? Yes, the food pyramid. Like it or not, the food pyramid (updated periodically by the USDA) is still one of the best guides for healthy eating. A low-sugar, high-fiber, and balanced diet will help you feel fuller longer. To get on the pyramid track, go to

http://www.mypyramid.gov/.

2. Drink a lot of non-calorie or low-calorie fluids. Although water is usually recommended, it is not often very satisfying. Sugar-free drink mixes (Crystal Light and Lipton Iced Tea, for instance) and diet sodas tend to quench the thirst more. But warm liquids will make you feel even fuller longer. So drink coffee and tea, even all day. Worried about too much caffeine? Just switch to decaf after noon.

3. Eat traditional or steel-cut oatmeal for breakfast within one hour of waking. You can jazz it up with a non-calorie or low-calorie sweetener (ateaspoon of Sugar-Free Jell-O Pudding mix works great!), some nuts, and a few dried berries. Use skim milk or water before heating. Fiber makes the body feel full, and warm foods tend to satisfy hunger better than cold foods. Also, eating within an hour of waking helps jump-start the metabolism. So ditch the cold cereal, and don't wait!

4. Have soup for lunch, and use a small spoon to eat it. Soup takes a longer time to eat than a sandwich, so your brain will have more time to register that feeling of fullness. And again, the warmth of the soup will help satisfy your hunger. Soup tends to be low-calorie too, so it pays even greater dividends for the weight-conscious.

5. For dinner, fill up at least half of your plate with vegetables. And no, corn is not a vegetable. A potato is a vegetable, but since it ranks high on the glycemic index, it's best to keep its portion size to a minimum, so opt for the equivalent of a small baked potato and non-starchy veggies for the remainder. Follow the same guideline for other root vegetables. The volume of food will help you feel full, and the fiber will aid in making it last.

6. Satisfy cravings with mint. Chew minty gum between meals, but try to shoot for plain old spearmint or peppermint. Those new fruit-mint fusion gums just don't seem to keep the cravings under check. And if you're looking for a sweet to satisfy after meals, try a York Peppermint Patty (the snack size) or a half cup of light mint chocolate chip ice cream.

7. Don't eat within the two hours before you go to bed. It's a myth

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