Appetite vs. Hunger (devil vs. lucipher)

Ever have those thoughts of having a snack, even though you just ate a burrito, a pizza and a double double with animal fries an hour ago?

For me, fitness and eating healthy are an everyday battle. But over the years, I have learned little tricks to combat my cravings. In order to beat the cravings, you first have to understand why you are having them.
Sometimes you are physically hungry, which is your body's response to running low on energy. Also, your stomach is constantly creating acids to break down food and when there is no food in there those acids are bubbling up and causing your stomach to rumble. At this point, you should eat!
On the other hand, there is your appetite and this can be very hard to control. People like me (who have a 500lb person deep inside) get pleasure from eating. I think it's a mixture of the taste and the act of doing something (oral fixation?).
The point I am trying to make is that eating when you're hungry is hunky dory, but eating when you feel your appetite flare up is not necessary unless it's accompanied by physical hunger.

I am sure I am not the only one who struggles with this so here are some things I have come up with to try to control my appetite:

1. Do not starve yourself! If you do this you will end up eating everything in sight.

2. Eat snacks. I like to bring some fruit (apples, oranges, grapes), veggies (carrots) or yogurt to snack on during the day if I get hungry or just want something. It's better to satisfy your appetite with something healthy than junk food.

3. Coffee! Some people might disagree but I find it to be a tasty treat. Jenny and I keep a non fat french vanilla creamer at work to make it more tasty. It has been proven that drinking a couple cups a day is actually good for you. It has antioxidants in it, not to mention the help with the productivity at work ;). It also helps you step it up a notch in your work outs.

4. Replace carbs with protein. Protein feeds your muscles, keeping them strong and lean and also keeps you fuller longer than carbs and fats. My trainer suggested to me to have at least 40g per day. Try: hard boiled eggs, GREEK yogurt (it's good with a little honey), chicken breasts and ground turkey.