Tips for staving off hunger pangs

If you are trying to get fit for summer, you are likely moving more and eating less — and grappling with the nagging feeling that you can’t seem to stop feeling hungry.

Don’t worry, you are not alone. Here are three reasons you’re always hungry and what to do to tame your rumbling tummy.

• You forgot the protein: If you are looking to slim down, you may be cutting out too much protein at meals, sabotaging your feelings of fullness. Protein con tributes greatly to the feeling of being satisfied. Indulge in some protein at every meal and you will stay full longer. We’re not just talking steak, either. Dig into eggs, yogurt, tofu, beans as well as animal proteins.

• You didn’t get enough sleep: When you are exhausted, you tend to eat more to keep your energy up. In one University of Chicago study, sleepdeprived people ate more than 50 percent more calories than when they had a good night’s rest. Those who got enough shuteye lost this urge to eat, researchers found, according to the Daily Mail. So make snooze time a priority to shut off those late afternoon cravings.

• You’re dehydrated: Sometimes you are really thirsty but you mistake that feeling for hunger. The confusion happens in the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates appetite and thirst. When dehydration sets in, the wires get crossed in the hypothalamus and you start munching when what you really need is a tall, cool glass of water. Experts recommend that you drink more, starting when you first wake up, so you get the hydration you need.