Appetite is both a physical and a psychological phenomenon. Often, even if we are not really hungry, we eat because we feel bored, stressed or simply because it is "time to eat". There are many diet pills and diet programs advertised as appetite suppressants, but it is also possible to control it naturally through nutrition and physical activity.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Suppress Hunger
Step 1. Get your fill of fiber
Fibers are complex non-digestible carbohydrates capable of making you feel full and at the same time take in a small number of calories. Fibrous foods, such as oats, are excellent allies in any diet because, in addition to reducing appetite, they provide long-term energy by regulating the release of insulin and blood sugar.
- It is recommended to consume 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed or approximately 28 grams daily for a woman and 38 for a man.
- If you want to lose weight, include ample amounts of high-fiber foods in your every meal, including fruits, vegetables, and legumes.
- For breakfast, prepare a large portion of oats; it will keep hunger at bay until lunchtime by helping you not to eat between meals. Oats are a food that is digested slowly and therefore has the ability to make you feel full for a long time.
Step 2. Have a good coffee in the morning
A couple of cups of coffee will help kickstart your metabolism and suppress your appetite. It should be noted, however, that for some people, coffee has the opposite effect. So learn how coffee affects your body and act accordingly.
Coffee beans are rich in caffeine and antioxidants which the body absorbs easily. It has been estimated that the effects start to show up within one hour of taking
Step 3. Eat dark chocolate
Chocolate lovers can rejoice! The bitter taste of dark chocolate (with a minimum percentage of cocoa of 70%) is in fact sufficient to reduce appetite.
- It has been shown that the stearic acid contained in cocoa slows digestion and gives a prolonged sense of satiety.
- For an ideal result, add a little bit of unsweetened cocoa to your coffee.
Step 4. Get more fat and protein
To digest proteins, the body needs the energy that comes from calories; in addition, it promotes an increase in hunger-suppressing hormones. Compared to other organic compounds, fats and proteins are the best appetite suppressants because they regulate blood sugars for a longer time; a diet that is rich in them is able to keep them stable and controlled. The future feeling of hunger and appetite will also be affected. Eating a moderate amount of fat has the ability to make you feel full on a diet.
- Replacing carbohydrates with lean proteins, 15-30%, guarantees greater weight loss and a reduction in hunger.
- Casein protein, often found in powdered protein supplements, is a gradual (slow) release protein that can make you feel fuller and consequently decrease your appetite.
- Diets too low in fat have the opposite effect: they increase hunger. When taken in moderate quantities, fats are harmless and have numerous beneficial effects on the body. Plus, they make your meals tastier.
Step 5. Experiment with carbohydrates
Sugars and starches are an important source of energy and keep the metabolism active. Carbohydrates that contain starches are rich in nutrients and have the ability to make you feel full.
- Starches are digested slowly, satisfying hunger and decreasing appetite.
- Starches also contain fiber, which further promotes satiety.
Step 6. Hydrate with water
Water takes up space. Since the human body is mainly composed of water, it sends out frequent signals of thirst every day. Whether you consider it an appetite suppressant or not, water is a vital substance for the body and is completely calorie-free.
- Many studies no longer support the theory of drinking eight glasses of water a day. Instead, consider your weight and try to drink the same number of ounces of water (1 ounce equals 30 ml). If you weigh 70 kilos, you should therefore drink 70 ounces of water daily, or 2.1 liters (70 x 30 = 2100 ml).
- Make your water more palatable with a drop or two of lemon or lime juice.
- Water is a healthy alternative to sodas and alcohol, both of which are dehydrating for the body.
- If you feel hungry between meals despite having a healthy snack, drink a glass of water to fill up and quench your hunger.
Part 2 of 3: Regulating Hunger
Step 1. Have breakfast every day
There is a valid reason why doctors say it is the most important meal of the day: the body has been fasting all night. Plus, a nutritious breakfast makes you less hungry throughout the day. Research shows that those who don't eat breakfast tend to snack more in the afternoon.
- "Nighttime Eating Syndrome" (NES) is a disorder that leads to eating late at night, before going to sleep or after waking up from hunger, and is clinically recognized as an eating disorder. Having breakfast every day reduces the chances of developing this condition.
- Research also shows that skipping breakfast can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and elevated fasting lipid levels.
- Skipping other meals can have the same consequences. While many believe that skipping a meal helps you lose weight, the opposite is true. In fact, you will tend to eat between meals, thus promoting weight gain.
Step 2. Choose healthy snacks
There is nothing wrong with having an afternoon snack, the important thing is to opt for lean fruits, vegetables or proteins, such as chicken breast or fish. A healthy snack helps keep hunger in check until dinner time and brings important nutrients to the body, including vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds.
- Avoid drinks and foods that contain sugars because they cannot satisfy hunger and therefore cause you to continue munching throughout the day.
- If you prefer a snack that contains fat, make sure they are the healthy type to reduce your sugar intake and avoid overeating in the late afternoon.
Step 3. Eat consciously
Mindful eating techniques are aimed at avoiding overeating. They work by teaching you to focus on every single bite you put in your mouth, so that you are more aware of your portions and slow down the pace of your meals.
- Mindful eating techniques also aim to teach you not to eat while watching television, using the computer, or doing anything else that might distract you from the meal. Any of these distractions can interfere with your ability to keep an eye on how much food you eat.
- For example, try eating a raisin or any other dehydrated fruit of your choice and try to notice its distinctive characteristics, such as texture, color, smell and taste, both before putting it in your mouth and while chewing it. By eating it you will experience all your senses in a conscious way; it is a simple but highly meaningful exercise.
- Try to make each meal last at least twenty to thirty minutes, chewing each bite carefully to promote better digestion.
Step 4. Meet your nutritional needs taking into account your physiology
The amount of food you need to eat depends on your weight and health goals, your lifestyle, and how manageable your diet plan is. Eating a few or many meals has different benefits. The secret is to find the perfect combination for your health.
- Eating often, for example having six to eight meals a day, does not significantly increase your metabolism or lose fat. Three 1,000-calorie meals a day have the same calorie intake as six 500-calorie meals. Energy levels are the same, so eating many meals does not bring any additional benefits in terms of reduced appetite.
- Eat more frequent meals if you are looking to gain muscle mass, strengthen your body, or if you are diabetic. Eat less frequently if your goal is to burn fat or if you have a busy lifestyle.
- The best approach is to eat when you feel hungry and stop when you feel satisfied.
Part 3 of 3: Physically Controlling Hunger
Step 1. Exercise regularly
The impact of physical activity is multifaceted. A moderate intensity workout causes the body to feel no appetite because it uses fat stores to create energy. Conversely, a low-intensity workout, such as swimming, running, or walking, makes you feel hungrier.
- Research has found that moderate or high intensity physical activity significantly reduces the neuronal response to food.
- Exercise also decreases the brain stimuli responsible for anticipating the meal. This effect reduces hunger, stress and keeps you healthy.
Step 2. Get enough sleep
Numerous studies have been done on sleep, sleep deprivation and its impact on the human body. In general, a lack of rest has a negative impact on the health of the body and increases the hunger hormones that trigger the desire to eat between meals.
- Studies show that a body deprived of the correct amounts of sleep leads to craving for more carbohydrates. Scientists argue that the cause is due to the desire to increase one's energy levels.
- Sleep and nutrition are closely linked. A prolonged lack of sleep can dramatically increase hunger.
- Leptin, a protein hormone released by fat cells that suppresses appetite, largely dependent on the amount of sleep. Therefore, when you don't get enough sleep, you greatly affect your hunger levels.
Step 3. Practice yoga
Yoga can help you reduce your appetite. The profound knowledge of yoga makes you more aware of your body and, consequently, more adept at recognizing the sense of satisfaction and less inclined to want to eat junk food.
- Practicing yoga for at least one hour a week has been shown to decrease appetite. As it helps reduce stress, yoga suppresses a hormone called cortisol, which is associated with compulsive eating.
- The discipline of yoga also guides you to eat consciously, helping you to stop eating when you feel full.
Step 4. Control emotional hunger
Eating because you feel bored is a learned habit, in fact many people struggle to distinguish between real and psychological hunger.
- Real physical hunger comes gradually and can be satisfied with almost any food. Once you are full, you will stop eating naturally and feel no guilt. On the contrary, eating out of boredom generates the desire for a particular ingredient, arises suddenly and leads to binge eating. Most likely, after eating to fill an emotional hunger, you will feel guilty.
- Keep a food diary and make a note of everything you drink and eat throughout the day. Also describe the feelings you feel before and after eating. If you find that you frequently snack on unhealthy snacks between meals, or late in the evening, and feel guilty after eating, try to distract yourself with an enjoyable activity during the most dangerous hours, such as going out for a walk., reading a good book or playing with your pet.
- If you can't resist the urge to eat, focus on healthy ingredients, such as fresh or dried fruit and vegetables.
Advice
- When you start feeling hungry, try a drink; very often the body confuses thirst with hunger.
- Eat on smaller plates; for the same portion, it helps you fool your brain into thinking you have eaten more food.
- Listen to your favorite music, sing, dance, exercise or do anything that can distract you positively.
- Fill the plate less; the less you have in front of you the less you eat.
- Try to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains. These are healthy foods that will help balance the feeling of appetite.
- Digesting numerous ingredients, including raw celery, requires more calories than the food itself.
- Choose sugar-free chewing gums and don't sweeten your coffee. If you can't stand the bitter taste, use an artificial sweetener.
