Losing weight tops the list of New Year’s resolutions. If only losing weight were as easy as the want to.

There are so many challenges to losing weight. Making good food choices, emotional state, taste and hunger all play a part in our attempt to lose weight. We could simply just not eat but that is not healthy nor easy to do. One of the biggest problems I hear from my clients who are trying to lose weight is feeling satisfied after eating.

What if I told you there are ways to fill your stomach so you feel full faster and yet consume fewer calories overall…would you try them?

Here are 4 simple yet effective tricks to feeling full while eating less calories.

1. First off, consume a lot of fruits and veggies. Why? Fruits and veggies are high in fiber making you feel full faster. Fiber rich foods also lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Think of things like romaine, kale or leaf lettuce. Berries, apples, pears, oranges and grapefruit are good fruit choices.

2. Next, consume foods that contain a lot of water. The foods to eat here again are fruits and veggies. Because of their high water content, they will fill you up without the calories. So what do I recommend? Eat a big salad filled with a wide variety of vegetables and fruits or a hot choice, do a broth based chunky vegetable soup.

3. Eat slowly and chew your food well. When we eat quickly we tend to over eat. It takes a while from the time food hits our stomach, for the brain to get the signal that we are full. Give your body time to communicate to itself. It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that you are full. So enjoy your food in the company of others over pleasant conversation. That tends to slow down how fast we eat.

4. Eat on smaller plates and limit the number of food choices. Studies show that if a person is served a big plate of food they are likely to eat it all. Compared to people who ate less on smaller plates, the smaller plate people felt just as satiated.

Try these tips to feeling full and satiated while losing weight. Be purposeful about eating. Make it an event to share with others rather than eating while watching TV or while standing at the kitchen counter. Savoring your food and the company of others will allow you to feel full on much less food!

Dr. Tina Paul, BCND, Traditional Naturopath, Vibrant Living Wellness Center, 144 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, (626) 470-7711 or visit www.vibrantlivingwc.com.