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We’ve all had that uncomfortable, hungry craving at one time or another. We start our diet and 8 hours into it, we are suddenly taken over by hunger…That lettuce sandwich that we ate 6 hours ago just was not enough to keep us satisfied and now we are ready to start eating cardboard just to feel better.

Truthfully, most of us can’t take how uncomfortable this is, so we go hunting for whatever food we can find. Maybe it’s chips from the vending machine or a Snickers bar from 7-11. Whatever it is, we find it and we scarf it down like a like a wild animal. In the process we end up breaking our diet – and we feel like a failure because of it. If we do this too many times, we simply give up on the diet and proclaim it too hard to follow.

And why not, it’s much easier to deal with being overweight than it is to deal with the immediate pain of being hungry. Well, fear not, because there are actually some things you can do to tame that ravenous beast inside you.

1. Stay away from high glycemic carbs. One of the worst things you can do is eat carbs that spike your insulin. It’s a recipe for disaster and will only lead to ravenous hunger down the road.

What ends up happening is that when you eat high glycemic carbs, you create a never ending cycle where you body is constantly craving food. Your insulin spikes, it then rushes into action and quickly shuttles the sugars in your bloodstream to storage (probably fat). Then, your body crashes. It needs more glucose, so it sends a signal to your brain that it’s hungry again.

If you reach for more bad carbs, you’ll repeat the cycle again, again, and again.

So, stay away from things like refined white flower, sugar, corn syrup and the like. These will only make you miserable as you try to watch your weight.

2. Eat more protein. Try to eat protein at every meal, even your snacks.

It’s been clinically proven that protein increases satiety…That is to say, that it makes us feel fuller, longer. It’s one of the reasons that very obese people are often prescribed higher protein diets.

(For you geeks who love the science aspect, you can read more about protein and satiety here http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18469287)

And, protein has several other benefits. One is that it spares the muscle you would otherwise lose when on a low calorie diet. Often, when people cut their calories for extended periods, their muscles get broken down and used as fuel. It’s one of the reasons why you see people who are “skinny fat”. They look frail and skinny, but they still have layers of fat on their abdomen, cellulite on their legs and arms, and an overall unhealthy look.

3. Eat your vegetables. Most vegetables have very few calories, which makes them perfect for dieting. You can eat pounds of the stuff and still not gain weight.

But, there’s also another reason that vegetables, and many fruits, are important to making us happy dieters. First, they have volume and fiber. This means they take up a lot of room in your stomach and they are slow to digest. Think of broccoli for example. This is a very voluminous food, without a lot of calories. Eat as much as you like, until you are completely full and you won’t have to worry losing weight.

Here’s another thing about fruits and vegetables. They have loads of healthy vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. Your body craves this stuff. And, if you are undernourished you are likely to still have food cravings. By providing your body nourishment, you are more likely to feel full for longer periods of time.

In fact, a recent study in New Zealand showed that rats who ate blueberry extract before their meals ate almost 10% fewer calories than those that didn’t. Scientists believe that this may be due to the powerful antioxidant effect that blueberries have, which might trigger receptors in the small intestine, which notify your brain that you are full.

Ever wonder how to cut down the time it takes to get flat, eye poppin’ abs? Well, you don’t need to waste hours in the gym to get results. There’s a few things you can do to make more of an impact when you workout and burn more calories. The net effect is you can get ripped really quick, if you follow these hints.
Maximize your caloric burn to get ripped abs

I hate seeing people do their workouts all wrong. In fact, I see people wasting a tremendous amount of time in the gym on a regular basis. Most people would be better served to have a program that is more intense, but much shorter in duration than the workouts most people do. In fact, a lot can be done with only 3 days a week spent at the gym…And, those exercise days do not need to be more than an hour long.

But, these workouts should be hard. If you’re working out with weights, cut your rest time between sets down. In fact, two or three different exercises back to back, then rest. This will cause you to work harder and burn more calories.

And, don’t waste time focusing on individual muscles. Do whole body movements like squats, deadlifts, push presses and the like. They tax your body more and get more muscles involved. Yes, they are harder, but they also produce much greater results.
Focus On Carbs To Blast More Ab Fat

If you’re like many people, you just can’t seem to get a handle on your calories. Counting them, weighing and measuring your servings, and logging all that information can be a a huge headache. Well, here’s a simple way around that problem. Count your carbs.

If you eat lean proteins and avoid real fatty foods, you can lose a lot of weight if you pay attention to your carb intake. Carb calories can add up quickly without your even knowing it. For example, one cup of rice is around 205 calories.

Not only do carb calories add up quickly, fast burning carbs also make you want to eat more. Ever wonder why people always say their hungry an hour after eating Chinese food? That’s because the big spike in blood sugar that they get after eating a high carb meal creates a big problem later. Once all the sugars (glucose) have been transported out of their blood stream into their muscles, liver, and fat cells their blood sugar drops dramatically. Because of this they get this strong desire to eat and refuel.

Large amounts of carbs calories lead to a never ending cycle of eating. Simply reducing your carb levels to more manageable intakes will do wonders for your feelings of hunger. Eat slower burning carbs like vegetables, oats, beans, and some fruits and you will feel much better on your diet.

Most people trying to get flat abs should keep their carbs at less than 100 grams per day. If you’re a larger person who requires more daily calories or you’re physically active, you may want to up that amount a bit.