2. Eat More, Weigh Less
Studies using a simple salad have changed the way nutritionists think about hunger. Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University, recently examined the impact of eating a large-volume, 100-calorie salad (3 cups of chopped romaine, 1/2 medium carrot, 1 sliced radish, 1/2 tomato, 2 tablespoons of reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, and 1/2 medium cucumber tossed with 2 tablespoons of reduced-fat Italian dressing) before or with dinner. People who ate the salad, regardless of timing, reported greater satiety and ate 11 percent less in total calories. Another study by Rolls found that consuming a broth-based soup or an apple before a meal can also help curb calorie intake. The reason is that we tend to eat a fixed weight of food every day, regardless of calorie or nutrient content.
More: 7 Ways to Trick Yourself Full
Winning Strategy
Eat as much as you can of foods with very low calorie densities, such as non-starchy vegetables, broth-based soups and fruit, says Rolls. Consume reasonable amounts of low-density stuff, like whole grains, legumes, lean protein, starchy vegetables and low-fat dairy. Eat only small portions of medium-density foods, like bread, cheese, nuts and higher-fat meat and dairy. And obviously, limit those high-calorie-density food bombs, like fried snacks, candy and cookies.
MORE: A beer and sausage diet? It's just one of the Weird Diets That Actually Work.
3. Don't Swallow Stress
When you're stressed, your body releases the hormone cortisol, which can interfere with insulin and boost your blood glucose, which is instant fuel for outsprinting a predator on the savannah. But unless you're actually running away from your supervisor, that fuel tends to become belly fat, even as stress strengthens hunger. Worse, stress can make you eat more fatty, salty and sugary foods, a recent study in the journal Appetite found.
PLUS: Spots where modern stress bites your body and how to fight back: Where Stress Hides in Your Body.
Winning Strategy
For longer-term solutions, "dissipate stress and you'll dissipate stress eating," says psychologist Lisa Groesz, Ph.D., author of the study in Appetite. "Think about how you interpret stressful events. Then let go of what is not in your control," she says. And try to exercise every day; exercise is a proven stress reducer, but not because of the flood of endorphins, says Robert Thayer, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at California State University at Long Beach. More likely it's through the interaction of norepinephrine and serotonin, which are neurotransmitters that help your brain deal with stress.
4. Pound Protein
Leidy's research suggests that consuming high-protein meals can reduce reward-driven hunger. "Our study looked at the impact of protein at breakfast, but I would suspect that eating a high-protein snack in the afternoon would also reduce reward-driven hunger later in the evening." Leidy also determined that a satiety hormone known as peptide YY, or PYY, remained elevated for several hours after a high-protein meal.
More: How Eating Breakfast Can Help You Lose Weight
Winning Strategy
Eat 20 to 30 grams of protein at every meal and always for your afternoon snack. A cup of plain Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 1/4 cup of raspberries works well: Protein in the yogurt and fiber from the seeds and fruit will slow the release of food from your stomach while also stimulating PYY. (Fuel your workout with these 5 Protein-Packed Gym Snacks.)