Eating healthily to reduce weight is much easier said than done. And if you’re on a tight diet or limiting your calorie consumption, you may find yourself so hungry that it’s tempting to revert to old behaviors. So, how can you deal with hunger pangs and prevent giving in to undesirable cravings?
Other than controlling your diet and making changes in your eating habits, there are some other ways through which you can eat less and can curb your diet.
Although most individuals tend to go for healthy means or tricks for reducing appetite, we recommend trying supplements that may curb your appetite.
Moving ahead, we’ve compiled a list of the greatest science-backed strategies to help lower hunger and appetite without food.
Tips for suppressing appetite without Food
1. Get enough protein
Increasing your protein intake can increase feelings of fullness, lower hunger hormone levels, and assist you in eating less at your next meal. In a short research of 20 healthy people who were overweight or obese, those who ate eggs (a high protein food) instead of cereal (a lower protein food) experienced enhanced sensations of fullness and reduced hunger hormones after breakfast.
Another study involving 50 overweight adults revealed that drinking a drink that was high in protein and fiber 30 minutes before eating pizza helped reduce feelings of hunger as well as the quantity of pizza the participants ate.
Protein’s appetite-suppressing effects include animal sources like meats and eggs. Vegetable proteins, such as beans and peas, maybe just as effective at keeping you content while limiting your intake. Protein should account for at least 20-30% of total calorie intake, or 0.45-0.55 grams per pound (1.0-1.2 grams per kg) of body weight, to provide health benefits. Yet some studies suggest up to 0.55-0.73 grams per pound (1.2-1.6 grams per kg) of body weight.
2. Drink plenty of water.
Anecdotal research suggests that drinking water may decrease hunger and promote weight loss in certain people, serving as a natural appetite suppressant, much like some appetite suppressant pills.
Animal experiments have also shown that thirst is sometimes mistaken for hunger. A small human study found that participants who drank two glasses of water right before a meal ate 22% less than those who did not.
Scientists believe drinking roughly 17 ounces (500 mL) of water can extend the stomach and convey fullness signals to the brain. Because water quickly empties the stomach, this technique may work best if you consume water as close to the meal as feasible.
However, starting your meal with a broth-based soup may have the same effect. In an earlier study, researchers noticed that eating a bowl of soup before a meal reduced hunger and total calorie intake by about 100 calories.
This could differ from the case for everyone. Genetics, the type of soup you eat, and various other factors are all at work. Soups with savory umami flavor profiles, for example, may be more satiating than others.
Since the neurons that govern your appetite for both water and food are connected, there is still much to learn about how they engage and why drinking water may also satisfy your hunger or appetite for solid foods.
3. Learn which dinnerware works best for you.
You may have heard that eating from a smaller plate or using a different-sized utensil will help you eat less. Lowering the size of your dinnerware may also help you instinctively cut meal amounts and consume less food without feeling deprived. Once you have more on a bigger plate, you’re more inclined to consume more without realizing it.
Several studies indicate that using a smaller spoon or fork may not directly alter your hunger, but it may help you eat less by reducing your eating rate and causing you to take smaller portions.
Other studies, however, have found contradictory results. Researchers are beginning to understand that the size of your dinnerware affects your hunger levels due to a variety of personal factors such as culture, upbringing, and learned behaviors.
The benefits of eating on a plate with fewer portions may have been inflated in the past, yet this does not suggest this technique isn’t worth a shot. Experiment using various plate and tool sizes to see if they affect your hunger and appetite levels or how much you eat overall.
4. Regular exercise
Exercise seems to diminish the activation of brain areas associated with food cravings, resulting in a lesser urge to eat high-calorie foods and a higher motivation to eat low-calorie foods.
It also lowers hunger hormone levels while enhancing sensations of fullness. Some study implies that aerobic and resistance exercise are equally efficient at changing hormone levels and meal size after exercise, while it also indicates more intense workouts have stronger following effects on appetite.
In general, exercise tends to have a pretty good influence on hunger for the majority of people, but it’s crucial to note that studies have found a substantial variation in how individuals and their appetites react after exercise. In other words, there is no promise that the outcomes will be the same for anyone. But exercise has numerous benefits, so including activities that you enjoy in your day is a good idea.
5. Get adequate sleep
Having enough quality sleep may also help reduce hunger and prevent weight gain. According to research, getting too little sleep might raise personal reactions to hunger, desire, and food cravings.
Sleep deprivation can also induce an increase in ghrelin, a hunger hormone that stimulates food intake and is a warning that the body is hungry, as well as the appetite-regulating hormone leptin.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most people require 7-9 hours of sleep every night, while children and adolescents require 8-12 hours.
6. Control your stress level
Excessive stress is known to increase cortisol levels. Despite effects that differ from person to person, elevated cortisol levels are usually regarded to enhance food cravings and the desire to eat, and they have even been related to weight gain. Stress may also lower levels of peptide YY (PYY), a fullness hormone. Others, on the other hand, respond uniquely to stress.
However, if you want to know more about suppressing your appetite, we recommend you to visit D Magazine for more information and facts.
Can supplements help suppress my appetite?
Taking stimulants to suppress hunger is not suggested until your doctor has prescribed it. A low dose of supplements can help lessen appetite, but too much can induce nausea and other adverse effects.
Much more research is required before these supplements may be prescribed specifically to suppress hunger cravings:
1. Magnesium:
Helps reduce tension, relaxes muscles, enhances sleep, and regulates glucose and insulin.
2. Stimulants:
Adrenaline suppresses appetite by diverting blood away from the digestive tract. Other potent stimulants, such as synephrine and yohimbine, can help lower food cravings but are not recommended for daily use.
3. Ginger, 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), and Caralluma Fimbriata:
These ingredients may help with appetite control, but research is limited.
Key Takeaway: How To Suppress Appetite Without Food
Hunger and appetite are natural physiological activities. Typically, they simply indicate that your body requires energy and that it is time to eat. These are just a few simple techniques to lessen your appetite and hunger when such sensations seem stronger than usual.
If you’ve tried these suggestions but still feel hungry more than normal, consider speaking with a doctor about extra support for appetite regulation.
