Hunger Control : Top Tips to Control Appetite and Lose Weight

Introduction :

Feeling hungry all the time can be a major hurdle in your weight loss journey. It can lead to overeating, unhealthy snacking, and ultimately, weight gain. But don’t worry, you’re not alone. Many people struggle with hunger pangs, especially when trying to shed those extra pounds.

In this comprehensive article, we’ll discuss effective strategies to help you control hunger, boost your metabolism, and achieve your weight loss goals.

Understanding Hunger vs. Appetite :

Before we dive into these tips, it’s important to distinguish between hunger and appetite.

• Hunger:  It is physiological need for food, often accompanied by physical sensations like a growling stomach or light headedness.
• Appetite: It is a psychological desire for food, influenced by cravings, emotions and external signs.

By understanding the difference between these two, you can better manage your eating habits and avoid unnecessary snacking.

Here is a list of 10 natural evidence-based ways to reduce  hunger and lose weight.

1. Prioritize Protein in your breakfast: 

Prioritizing protein in your breakfast can be a good strategy for controlling hunger throughout the day. Here’s why:

How Protein Keeps You Full:

• Satiety Hormones: Protein helps the release of hormones like cholecystokinin (CCK) and peptide YY (PYY), which signal your brain that you’re full.
• Ghrelin Reduction: Protein suppress the production of ghrelin, the “hunger hormone.” S1

• Slowed Digestion: Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates. This leads to a sustained feeling of fullness.

The recommended protein requirements for a   sedentary lifestyle (little or no exercise) is 0.8 gm. /kg of body weight.

However for a more active lifestyle the protein requirement varies from 1.0 to 1.2 gm. /kg of body weight.

The rich low calories sources of protein in daily life are

1. Cottage cheese (paneer)
2. Oats
3. Soya Products
4. Pulses
5. Beans
6. Green peas
7. Green vegetables.
8. Curd
9. Milk
10. Peanuts.
11. Almonds
12. Broccoli
13. Pumpkin seeds
14. Eggs.
15. Fish.

2. Fibre rich foods :

 

Top sources of fibre are:

1. Grains: Barley (17.3%), Popcorn (14.5%) , Oats (10.6%),Brown rice
2. Nuts: Almonds (12.5%), Pistachios (12.5%), Pumpkinseeds (18.4%), Sunflower seeds (8.6%).
3. Pulses: Lentils (Masoor 7.9%), Kidney Beans (Rajma 6.4%), Split peas (Matar Dal 8.3), Chickpeas (Chana 7.6).
4. Fruits: Papaya, Guava, Apples, Oranges, Mangoes, Strawberries.
5. Vegetables: Broccoli, Beets, carrots etc. are high fibre vegetables.

Things to remember while incorporating more fibre into your diet:

• Start gradually increasing your fibre intake to avoid any digestive issues.
• Drink plenty of water. This help fibre move through your digestive system.

           Don’t forget to take advice of doctor or qualified dietician if you have any health issue.  

3. Quality sleep:  

Good sleep plays a crucial role in hunger control. Here’s how it works  :

• Hormone Regulation: Good Sleep helps to regulate the hormones that control hunger. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more ghrelin(hunger hormone) and less leptin, (satiety hormone)  This can lead to increased hunger and cravings.  
• Metabolism: Sleep deprivation can slow down your metabolism. This makes it harder for your body to burn calories. This make it harder to lose weight.  
• Food Choices: When you’re tired, you’re more likely to make poor food choices. You may prefer high-calorie snacks or sugary foods instead of healthy foods. 

Tips for getting good sleep:

• Stick to a schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bed.  
• Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool.
• Limit screen time or using mobile before bed.

If you’re not getting quality sleep, talk to your doctor. They can help you identify and treat any underlying sleep disorders.

4. Mindful Eating.:

5. Exercise daily to reduce hunger :

Daily exercise also helps to reduce hunger in many ways. This is how it works:

i) Hormone Regulation:

• Ghrelin Reduction: Exercise, especially high-intensity exercises and workouts, helps in decreasing levels of ghrelin, often known as “hunger hormone.” Lower ghrelin levels can lead to reduced feelings of hunger.  
• Increases Satiety Hormones: Exercise can boost levels of satiety hormones like peptide YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK). This promotes feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating.

ii)Metabolic Effects:

• Increases Metabolism: Regular exercise can increase your basal metabolic rate (BMR). This means your body burns more calories at rest. This help to regulate appetite and prevent overeating.  
• Increases Insulin Sensitivity: Exercise enhances your body’s sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. This helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce sugar.

iii)Psychological Benefits:

•  Reduces stress: Exercise is a stress reliever. Stress often leads to emotional eating. By reducing stress, exercise helps to curb emotional eating triggers.  
• Improved Mood: Regular exercise releases endorphins, natural mood elevators. A positive mood   helps you to make healthier food choices.  Thus there is less likelihood of emotional eating.  

6. Focus on losing  belly fat:

i) Hormonal Imbalance:

• Increased belly fat lead to increased production of Neuropeptide Y (NPY) hormone. This increases your hunger levels.
• Excess belly fat also disrupt the balance of ghrelin. This leads to increased hunger signals.
• Belly fat can interfere with the body’s ability to react to leptin, the hormone that sends fullness signals to brain. This makes it harder to feel satisfied even after eating.

ii) Sleep Disruption:

• Belly fat also disrupt sleep patterns. This leads to fatigue and increased hunger. When you’re tired, your body may crave for energy-rich foods. This contributes to weight gain and further increasing belly fat.

iii) Inflammation:

• Excess belly fat leads to inflammation whis disrupt the body’s hunger and satiety signals.

So you should focus on losing weight around your middle to cut appetite levels.

7. Prefer solid foods to reduce hunger:

Taking more solid foods than liquid help you eat less without feeling hungry.

i)Feeling of Satiety:

Solid foods require more chewing. This signals your brain that you’re eating and helps you feel full sooner. On the other hand Liquids, especially sugary ones, can be consumed quickly without triggering this satiety response.  

ii)Longer Digestion Time:

Solid foods take more time to digest than liquids. This slows down the digestion process and keeps you feel fuller for a longer period.

iii)More Nutrient Dense:

Solid foods are generally more nutrient-dense than liquids. They provides a wider range of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. These nutrients contribute to satiety and overall health.  

iv)Brain Signals:

Solid foods always send stronger signals to your brain that you’re eating this contributes to hunger control.

8. Take warm water with lemon and honey:

9. Find out if there is any medical reason behind excessive hunger:

10.Cutting Sugar intake:

 

Cutting your sugar intake can be an effective strategy for controlling hunger. This is because:

i)Blood Sugar Spikes and Drops:

Sugary foods cause rapid spikes and drops in blood sugar. These crashes cause intense hunger and cravings mainly for more sugary foods.  

ii) Lack of Nutrients:

Sugary foods usually lacks essential nutrients like protein and fibre. These nutrients are crucial for satiety (feeling of fullness) and keeping hunger at controlled levels.  

iii) Unhealthy Gut Bacteria:

Excessive sugar consumption can disrupt the balance of bacteria in gut. This   leads to increased hunger and cravings.  

Conclusion :

Although hunger is an important signal of the human body which should not be ignored.

But excessive hunger is always harmful and leads to weight gain and obesity in the long-term. So excessive hunger should be taken care of in every respect.

The tips mentioned here are just simple guidelines to cut your appetite and cravings between meals.

If even after trying these tips you still feel excessively hungry kindly consult your medical practitioner  to discuss the situation.

Also read :

1. How to make a mindset for losing weight

2. Daily calorie requirements of body for Losing Weight

3. Weighing yourself daily : First step towards weight loss