No matter their situation, when I speak with my weight loss patients, they all share one common challenge…

Relentless hunger and cravings.

It’s no secret that if you’re dieting to lose weight, you’ll be eating fewer calories than your body needs. This deficit is what forces your body to burn stored fat.

Now, your body doesn’t like this, so it’s going to send all kinds of hunger pangs and craving signals to trick you into eating more. This of course makes fat loss an uphill battle.

To help you maintain a lean, trim physique all summer long, here are 5 scientifically proven ways to nip hunger and cravings in the bud!

One of the easiest ways carbs and sugars sneak into our diets is through liquid calories, which does nothing to help us feel “full”.

Whether it’s a sugary cocktail, or your favorite blended coffee beverage, it’s easy to drink a whole meal’s worth of calories, and still feel hungry.

If you’re going to have a drink, focus on zero-calorie liquids like water, tea, and black coffee.

In the world of nutrition, we use a measurement called “the satiety index,” which is a scale that measures how filling a food is.

According to the satiety index1, the most filling food you can eat are white potatoes. That’s right—potatoes are even more filling than lean meats, eggs, fruits, and vegetables.

I know carbs sometimes get a bad rap, but potatoes are a fantastic food to include in your meal planning.

I’m not saying you should start eating french fries with every meal, but simply adding a healthy baked potato to one of your meals is a great way to stay full for hours.

Carbonated beverages are another fantastic way to stay full between meals.

Of course, it’s best to avoid any sugary sodas. But there are endless flavors of calorie-free sparkling water you can enjoy—or even the occasional zero-calorie diet soda!

The bubbles are quite filling, making these a perfect choice to sip on between meals if you struggle with cravings. Plus, you’ll be keeping yourself hydrated all day long!

Sleep is your body’s time to recharge its batteries. But when you don’t get enough sleep, your body will look for other ways to top off the fuel tanks.

Where does all that extra energy come from? Food—especially sugary foods and other empty carbohydrates.

So if you find yourself struggling with cravings and yawning throughout the day, set your bedtime one hour earlier and stick to it consistently for two weeks. I promise you’ll notice a massive difference.

Fiber helps your digestive system feel happy and healthy, and is essential for optimal gut health.

In addition to keeping you regular, fiber can also help you feel full.

Your body has a hard time absorbing calories from fiber. Foods that are high in fiber, like leafy green vegetables, berries, whole grains, sprouted bread, and oatmeal are very filling and the perfect side-dish addition to any meal.

Try using these five hunger helpers to keep the cravings away, and you’ll soon find that maintaining a lean, healthy body will feel like a walk in the park.