Most people fall off track with their diet because they get hungry and/or bored. That’s why having lots of food and prep strategies that will fill you up and keep you feeling satisfied is key.

So, anytime you are feeling hungry, or just feel like eating something, remember these 4 program mantras: 

Although it sounds counterintuitive, eating more than the minimum number of foods on your HMR plan can help you lose more weight, faster. That’s because eating more—if you’re still hungry after eating the minimums—keeps you from feeling hungry and deprived. This makes it easier to stick with the program by quieting the "food noise" vs. relying on willpower to stay on track. 

This is the power of More is Better.

Giving yourself permission to eat more when you need it keeps you “ahead of hunger” so you have a stronger resolve against foods that are not on your plan and don’t serve your weight and health goals.

• Give yourself permission to eat extra. Still hungry after dinner? Don't torture yourself. Eat another entree or add in an extra shake. Or made a double shake—one of our favorite simple strategies!
• Pair a shake and an entree at the same meal. This is a filling combination that will help you feel fuller longer.
• Blend a serving (or two) of fruit into your shakes. Fresh, frozen, or canned fruit can all be used to make delicious and filling smoothies with an extra boost of nutrition.

Our stomachs recognize volume, not calories, to signal when we are full. Be strategic and make recipes that yield a lot of food (high volume) for not a lot of calories. Win-win!

• Experiment with blended high-volume shakes. Preparing your shakes in a blender with water and lots of ice creates more volume, which is more filling. And the longer you blend, the creamier it gets.
• Use non-caloric flavorings or beverages. By using diet sodas, sugar-free drink mixes, extracts, calorie-free syrups, coffee, tea, and flavored seltzer, you can use more water and ice without diluting the flavor.
• Churn some HMR Ice Cream. Prepare your shakes in a food processor to make a decadent ice cream. This is the highest-volume - and arguably most delicious - way to prepare an HMR Shake. Try one of our favorites, Lemon Cloud Ice Cream, made with fat-free, sugar-free instant pudding mix (e.g. Jell-O brand). Or you can use frozen fruit instead of ice to make a delicious soft serve, like our Strawberry Ice Cream recipe. It's more filling than a regular shake and you can eat it with a spoon.
• Add more vegetables. HMR Entrees go great with vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned}. No matter the entree, anchor your plate with at least two full-cup servings of vegetables for more volume and more nutrition, without a lot of calories.
• Add broth to your entrees.  A cup of low sodium broth can transform your entree into a delicious soup, stew, or bisque—adding variety and volume to your meals. Try our Italian Wedding Soup recipe.

It's nearly impossible to choose wisely when we get too hungry, so don't even let yourself get to that point. Stay ahead of hunger altogether by planning to eat frequently throughout the day.

• Use the “BSLSDS” planning structure. Think about your day in terms of Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, Snack. Plan it out with the details of those meals and snacks to ensure that you have everything you need each day. Eating frequently throughout the day can help keep your blood sugar steady and hunger at bay.
• Plan to eat every 2-3 hours. Be preemptive with your meals and snacks. Wherever you are, every 2-3 hours, eat something (that is on your diet plan), and more if you need it. This also means it's important to have food with you wherever you go, so you don't find yourself feeling hungry, without something to eat, and succumbing to unplanned temptations that will derail your progress.

You know those times when you just feel hungrier than others? Or when you just feel like snacking? Think about when those times happen for you and meet them head on with some strategic planning:

• Plan and prep. If you anticipate a more challenging time of day, prep something ahead of time so it's all ready the instant you need it. Make a chocolate pudding with a sliced banana and put it in the fridge. Or warm up an entree and veggies and keep it in a thermos so there's no decision that needs to be made when hunger or temptations arise.
• Make your favorite recipe. Having a favorite recipe to look forward to can make those more challenging times a little easier to manage. Try the Chocolate Root Beer Float recipe for a decadent, nostalgic treat.
• Always have something with you that you can say “yes” to. There's lots of great options that are portable, such as bananas, apples, HMR puddings, and even Entrees (they’re already cooked and can be eaten right out of the box), that you can keep on hand for whenever those more challenging times arise—especially when you’re traveling, running errands, or will be away from your house for an extended period of time.
• Counter cravings with a diet-friendly option. Comfort food cravings got that name for a reason! But you can enjoy delicious food without sacrificing your weight and health goals. Try these comfort food recipes to stay on track without feeling like you’re missing out.

Keep trying new things until you discover the strategies that work best for you. And if you've discovered something that's really supporting you to stay on track, please share it in our private Facebook group.