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Hunger pangs are those horrible pains we feel in the stomach when we have not eaten for a while. The stomach muscles begin to contract when they have not had any food to process for a while. People who suffer from low blood sugar also may experience hunger pains when their glucose level is low. Another cause of hunger pangs could be a possible gastrointestinal infection and if consuming food does not make the pain go away then you should get it looked at.

Eliminating hunger pangs

If you are getting hunger pangs because you are simply always hungry then you might need to learn to control them if you want to lose weight. If you want to decrease your chance of getting hunger pangs then you need to eat foods that fill you and satisfy your body’s needs. High fibre foods keep the body feeling fuller for longer than processed foods. You should eat some form of lean protein at each meal as protein acts as an appetite suppressant. Also eat light meals frequently instead of three big meals a day.

Ignoring hunger pains

If you change your diet in order to lose weight you may start to experience hunger pangs as your body needs time to adjust to the new input it is getting. If you skip breakfast you will experience more hunger pains because during the night your body’s glucose levels have dropped and they will continue to drop throughout the day. It is better not to simply ignore hunger pains but to feed the body with low calorie, high-fibre foods and give the body time to process a small amount to avoid binge eating.

Keeping you body in check

If you are eating a healthy diet and hunger pangs just don’t seem to go away then you may need to consult a nutritionist or a doctor. Also remember to exercise, be it on home exercise machines or at the gym, as exercise helps to regulate appetite and ultimately control hunger pangs.

Tags: exercise