Learning to control hunger is probably the biggest hurdle when you’re on a weight-loss plan. It’s a complaint I hear more often than any other. Some people gripe about counting calories or keeping a food diary; others grumble about making time to exercise. But not a day goes by that someone doesn’t tell me that they just can’t stop being hungry, and that they’re “starving all the time”!
I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve that can help you control hunger naturally, but the first step is to figure out if you are really and truly hungry in the first place.
How to Tell if You’re Truly Hungry
Feeling hungry isn’t the same thing as “wanting something to eat.” There are few telltale signs that can help you distinguish stress-related or emotional hunger from true, physical hunger.
First, ask yourself these questions:
- Does your stomach rumble?
- Is your energy level dipping?
- Do you have a little bit of “brain fog” or feel “cranky”?
If any of those things happen to you, you probably do need some fuel. These are all common symptoms of true hunger. When you feel this way, your body is likely to respond when you eat something – and you’ll probably feel better.
If you’re eating for reasons other than hunger – if you’re just bored, angry or depressed – food probably won’t make you any less bored, angry or depressed. Or, if it does, you probably won’t feel that way for long.
If it’s emotion or stress that’s driving you, or if you’ve got the urge to eat something simply because it looked good or smelled good, you’re probably not truly hungry. In that case, you’ll want to find other ways to deal with the urge to eat.
5 Best Ways to Control Your Hunger and Suppress Appetite
Hunger control is aimed at curbing true hunger: the growling stomach, the low energy or the irritability that often comes when your body needs fuel. Since true hunger naturally drives you to eat, you’ll want to learn some healthy, hunger-stopping strategies if your goal is to lose weight through calorie restriction.
So here are my top five tips to control hunger and curb your appetite:
1. Use protein as a hunger-buster.
Protein satisfies hunger better than carbohydrates or fat, so try to include some lean protein at each meal and snack. In fact, protein works its magic not only in your digestive tract, but it also affects your brain chemistry in a way that helps you feel satisfied and mentally sharp.
2. Fill yourself up with watery, high-fiber foods.
Water and fiber have no calories. But watery, high-fiber foods are “bulky” and take up more space in your stomach, so they help to fill you up. Most veggies (except the starchy ones like potatoes, corn and peas) have very few calories per serving because they contain so much water and fiber. Watery fruits like melons and pineapple and high-fiber fruits like berries can also help fill you up for a relatively low-calorie cost.
3. Exercise can help control hunger.
A bout of exercise can suppress hunger hormones, which can curb your appetite. But in order to sustain your activity, your body needs to be properly fueled. Sometimes, in an effort to lose weight, people cut their calories too much and just don’t have the energy to keep up with their exercise. So the whole process backfires. People often tell me that they feel as if exercise makes them hungry and leads them to eat more. But often, that’s because they haven’t fueled up properly before and after their workouts.
4. Drink fluids to help you feel less hungry.
Drinking fluids with your meals may make your meals feel more filling. And some people confuse thirst with hunger, so even though their bodies are craving fluid, they wind up eating instead. If you stay hydrated, that’s less likely to happen.
5. Eating small, frequent meals can help curb your appetite.
When you eat small meals every few hours, it helps keep your blood sugar levels more stable throughout the day. This is important since dips in your blood sugar can cause your hunger to spike. Even if you think a smaller amount of food won’t be enough to hold you, the knowledge that you’ll be eating again in just a few hours often makes it easier to manage your hunger.
