Dieting is tough! So many people start diets, only to fail in days or weeks once they hit that first hunger wall. Those initial positive results on the scale quickly disappear after the first urges to binge become too much.
The truth is the only way to lose weight is to get into a caloric deficit. You can do this one of two ways. The first is to increase your activity level. You need to burn more calories to get through whatever you eat. Anything you burn in excess of what you eat spurs your body to go to your fat stores for energy. The other is to eat less food. When you eat less, your body burns fat and loses weight.
Anyone who has successfully lost weight and kept it off will tell you diet is the majority of their success. If you want to lose weight, you need to reduce how many calories you eat. However, that’s hard, especially when you start getting hungry. You’ve eaten a certain way for however long, and now you’re telling your body it’s time for something different. Expect some biological pushback.
Thankfully, there are things you can do to suppress how hungry you feel to increase your chances of diet success. Here are 7 tips you can start trying today.
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Focus on Eating More Protein
Foods that are high in protein make you feel fuller and more satisfied for longer. Eating more protein makes you less likely to experience feelings of hunger in the middle of the afternoon or other gaps between meals.
Most people are eating far too little protein. Instead, they fill their diet with empty carbs and sugar, making them feel hungry again shortly after eating. This is why folks overeat and feel like they’re constantly hungry.
By eating more protein, you’ll feel less hungry. Increase your protein intake by eating more chicken, beans, Greek yogurt, and other high-protein foods. Buy an excellent low-sugar protein powder that you can make shakes with in between meals when you feel like you can’t wait any longer for food.
Drink More Water
Increase how much water you’re drinking to suppress hunger. People who drink up to a gallon of water daily will struggle less with hunger pangs. Drinking water before meals, for example, will make you feel fuller faster, so you’re less likely to eat as much.
Drinking also helps you avoid feelings of hunger because you’re putting something in your stomach. Eating is often a habit, and it’s not so much about feeling hungry as it is a ritual. With drinking more, you’re getting similar feelings without consuming calories.
Stay Active!
People think they feel hungry when they’re bored. When you’re sitting around, it’s easy to conflate boredom with hunger. You’re probably not actually hungry; you just need to find something to fill your time.
Stay active by taking walks or working to avoid obsessing over how hungry you are. You’ll find that you eat less when you’re not sitting around as much.
Eat Low-Calorie Foods
When you need to snack, make sure you pick the right foods. Don’t eat doughnuts or bagels when you’re trying to lose weight. You need to have low-calorie foods around that won’t destroy your diet when you’re feeling especially hungry.
Instead, eat carrots, celery, sugar-free chewing gum, and other foods that won’t bust your daily caloric target.
Stay Away from Stress
People in stressful situations tend to eat more as a coping mechanism. But, whether it’s work or home stress, you can sabotage your diet because your body goes into panic mode, telling you that it needs you to self-soothe with food.
Avoid stress to prevent hunger feelings from taking over. Identify stressful situations early and prepare to handle them appropriately.
Stop Drinking so much Alcohol
When you drink too much, you’re more likely to feel hungry. If you’re intoxicated, you’re also much less capable of fighting off feelings of hunger because you’re less inhibited. The same goes for smoking marijuana and using some other drugs.
Staying alert and mentally sharp will help you control yourself when feelings of hunger come along. If you’re trying to diet, stay away from alcohol and other harmful substances.
Exercise More
When you exercise, you’ll initially feel hungrier after a workout. Soon, however, your body will self-adjust, and you’ll find you are more selective about what you eat and how much you consume. If you want to fight off feelings of hunger, go for a walk or a run. Your body will release endorphins and eliminate those hunger pangs that are more likely related to feeling bored or habitual eating.
Peptides & Hunger
NAD+ is a peptide that was discovered over a century ago. Now, we know that NAD+ is a linchpin to keeping cells functioning. Unfortunately, NAD+ levels tend to decline over time, so researchers are finding ways to keep cells working with higher peptide levels.
In animal models, NAD+ regulates metabolism and how the body responds to hunger, exercise, and other stresses.