Authors say feeling full is the only way to lose pounds and keep them off.

By Bill Daley

| Chicago Tribune

"Diet" means "denial" no matter how you spell it, but "diet" doesn’t have to mean "hungry," too. A new e-book attempts to tackle the problem, offering ways to lose weight while still feeling satisfied.

But I’m Hungry!, available for $11.99 at butimhungry.net or on Amazon, promises to help battle "the beast" — hunger — while dropping the pounds and keeping them off. A collaboration of a health writer, a nutritionist and an editor, the e-book promises "the exact combination of healthy foods and lifestyle changes you need to lose weight, feel great and never be hungry again. No more fad diets, just healthy living."

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The premise is clear: Paying attention to what types of food you eat, when and in what proportion will help you succeed in reaching your goal weight.

Co-authors Marie Suszynski of Emmaus, Pa., and Crystal Petrello, a registered dietitian based in Las Vegas, along with editor Sue Mellen of Citrus Springs, Fla., make it all seem very doable. They offer a clear explanation of how roller-coaster blood sugar levels create feelings of hunger and how the sensible eating of proteins and fats (yes!) brings long-term satisfaction. They discuss how to choose foods that taste good and are healthy, too. The authors cover all the bases from sample menus and shopping tips to physical exercise suggestions and ways to keep yourself psyched for the task.

Although there are a number of weight-loss plans and diets that call for a mix of sensible eating and exercise, Mellen thinks what makes this e-book strategy stand out is the emphasis on a "satisfaction solution."

"When people feel deprived, people eat," she says. "And they eat way too much to compensate for missing something. ... If you have a long-term feeling that life is good, you feel satisfied. You’re not hungry, and you continue that lifestyle with no reason to binge."

A peek inside:

Eat three "satisfying" foods: soup, salad, whole grains. They help you fill up in a good, lower-calorie way so you eat less of the "bad" foods.

Don’t live by bread or pasta alone. Combine carbohydrates with protein or fat in every meal or snack. "A couple of pieces of toast won’t have the staying power that an egg, toast, milk and fruit would," the authors write.

Buy whole foods instead of processed food. Fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains offer more taste for fewer calories. They are high in fiber, too, giving you the bulk needed to feel satisfied.