Its two hours before lunch and your stomach begins to growl

like a hungry lion. You look around to see if anybody heard

it and yes, everybody knows you're starving. It's something

we have all gone through, so don't feel bad.

What do you usually reach for when your stomach starts to

growl? More than likely it's one of the quick choices that

everyone makes - you grab for the bag of chips, the candy

bar or even those jelly filled donuts. These items will fill

your stomach but they'll also fill your thighs, abdomen and

stomach with fat!

There are plenty of alternatives to sweets and such; you

just have to know what they are. Here I will list a few for

you to choose from next time your stomach gives you a growl.

1)There is nothing worse than your 104 pound co-worker who

stops at the bakery on her way to work and brings in two

dozen fresh donuts. It's cruel and should be company policy

that if somebody is dieting, it is against the rules to do

such a thing. Never fear; dried fruits are there to save

the day. Trust me; I'm a huge fan of dried fruits; they've

never let me down yet.

2.) Candy bars are nice ways to take a bite out of your

hunger, but it's full of calories. If you're on a limited

caloric intake each day, a candy bar will eat up most of

those allotted calories, leaving you with little left for

the rest of the day. Instead of biting a candy bar, how

about trying some of those low-fat, low-calorie granola

bars? You'll satisfy your hunger, stick to your diet and

give your body some needed nutrients as well.

3.) Almost everyone likes a good chocolate chip cookie (or

2 or 3 or possibly more) when they're hungry. Again, they

taste good, but they can pack on the calories. Instead of

those tasty cookies, how about going for rice cakes or low-

fat, sugar-free cookies to squash your hunger?

4.) What about those jelly-filled donuts or other popular

pastries? They're good for taste (and a quick sugar high)

but not good for your waistline. Maybe you can consider some

sugar free Fig Newton's instead. They don't have as much fat

as the pastries and they can satisfy your fruit craving that

you may be suffering from when you reach for the

jelly-filled donuts.

Just because you are dieting doesn't mean you have to

starve yourself or go without snacks; you just have to make

the right choices in the snacks you choose. Just watch your

calories and don't let the lion roar