Choosing the Right Calories

• Eat more foods with a high water content. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hunger is satisfied by the volume of calories, not the specific number of calories. Choose foods that take up space in your stomach with their additional liquid. Carrots, lettuce, spinach and broccoli are the vegetables richest in water, so include one or more of them at every meal. Choose the juiciest fruits, especially berries, watermelon and apples, to feel fuller longer.
  
  Start your meals with water-rich dishes. Eat a cup of broth-based soup (not calorie-laden cream-based varieties) or a small salad made with lettuce, tomato and carrots, before you eat your main entrée. You'll feel more satisfied at the end of your meal and may actually end up eating less.
  
  

Adding Fiber

• Replace foods made with white flour with whole grains; for example, choose a whole wheat pasta instead of regular spaghetti or macaroni or swap out white rice for brown. When in doubt, select brown grains over white. Whole grains have more fiber than white varieties, so you'll feel fuller longer because fiber takes more time to digest. It even takes longer to chew and swallow than softer white bread or pastas, so you're less likely to overeat.
  
  Structure your meals around those water-rich foods and whole grains, then add in a serving of lean protein instead of making protein the main attraction. The liquid contents will help you feel more immediately satisfied, and the fiber will keep you full until your next snack or meal time.
  
  

Using Diversions

• Is your hunger in your head or your stomach? People eat for a variety of reasons that have nothing to with hunger, such as boredom, stress or just out of habit (such as eating while watching television). Sometimes even seeing an advertisement for food can make you feel hungry. If you know you've eaten balanced meals, find ways to distract yourself until the psychological hunger goes away. Go for a walk, talk to a friend or do something enjoyable to take your mind off cravings. Drink a glass of water in case you're actually thirsty, not hungry. Brush your teeth or pop a breath mint so you can tell yourself food won't taste good. Have a healthy snack if you still feel hungry, such as air popped popcorn, a handful of carrots with hummus or a cup of soup.