One of the biggest hurdles for those on a weight loss plan is learning how to suppress their appetite. Using a weight loss appetite suppressant can do a lot by helping you control hunger. However, there are many other ways to suppress appetite to avoid a chronic health condition known as obesity.
This article focuses on the top 8 ways anyone who wants to manage or watch their weight can suppress their appetite without endangering their overall health.
Before getting started
Before moving onto the top 8 evidence-based ways to suppress your appetite, it’s important to note that with any kind of supplement, e.g., using appetite suppressant pills, it’s essential to consult a doctor first. Below, you’ll find 8 simple and natural ways to suppress your appetite.
Drink lots of clean water before meals
Drinking a large glass – or two – of clean water just before any meal has been proven to make you more satisfied, fuller, and less hungry in the long run. You should consider drinking at least 1.5 liters of clean water every day. This has been proven to significantly reduce weight and appetite; the final outcome was greater fat loss.
Take more healthful fats and protein
Some healthy fats and proteins are more satisfying and highly effective at keeping you full for long periods.
Therefore, consider replacing some of your carbohydrate-laden foods with healthy fats and proteins to control your appetite.
The following are some of the recommended high-protein foods you should add to your diet:
- Eggs;
- Soy products;
- Peas and beans;
- Greek yogurt;
- Lean meats.
You should obtain healthful fats from natural sources like avocados, nuts and seeds, and olive oil.
Spice up every meal
Only a few people know that spices such as cinnamon, turmeric, curry, black pepper, and cayenne pepper rev up the human metabolism while acting as appetite suppressants.
When consumed with high-carb meals, some spices, such as cayenne pepper, can boost your body’s fat-burning activities.
Add more fiber foods to your diet
Fiber has no calories, so taking watery, high-fiber foods will take up more space in your stomach since they are ‘bulky.’ Moreover, fiber never breaks down like the other foods you eat, making it stay in the human body for extensive periods.
This slows down digestion and keeps you feeling full all through the day. A high-fiber diet has also been linked with lower obesity rates. Examples of some healthful high-fiber foods you should consider adding to your diet include the following:
- Chia seeds;
- Whole grains;
- Almonds;
- Vegetables;
- Avocados and apples;
- Pulses and beans.
Get enough sleep
Adults generally require 7 to 9 hours of high-quality sleep every night. When you sleep for that long, your body regulates ghrelin, the notorious appetite-stimulating hormone.
Lack of sleep or inability to sleep well causes your body to secrete higher levels of ghrelin. When this happens, your body will immediately mistake the appetite-stimulating hormone’s signals for hunger. But what you really need is quality sleep.
Therefore, ensure you sleep for at least 7 or 8 hours every night. The sleep must be uninterrupted, which means drinking less water after dinner. You should also sleep as early as possible. Beauty sleep is not a myth but a reality.
Workouts before meals
Exercise is a highly effective and healthy appetite suppressant because all appetite hormones are sufficiently suppressed right after high-intense workouts.
An in-depth study revealed that after intense exercise, lower levels of ghrelin were present in the human body. In comparison, higher levels of GLP-1 and PPY, i.e., the fullness hormones, were found.
Eat low-calorie but bulky foods
People who go on a diet reduce their general food intake. But this can leave them with a ravenous appetite, causing a severe relapse into binge eating and undoing everything they have endured.
However, dieting does not imply that you should go hungry. Instead, it means eating only the right foods. Some foods are low in calories but incredibly high in nutrients and energy. Examples of such foods include beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
A complex polysaccharide carbohydrate known as Glucomannan is present in the konjac plant. This substance is low in calories but very high in fiber, and its long-chain structure makes it pretty difficult for the gut to digest it readily.
Consuming large volumes of bulky, low-calorie foods will prevent your stomach from growling while enabling you to burn more calories than you consume.
Less stress
Many people can’t differentiate between physical hunger and comfort eating due to anger, stress, or sadness. However, in-depth studies have linked stress to an increased desire to binge eat and consume non-nutritious foods.
Therefore, do your best to reduce stress every day. Mindful eating, as well as mindfulness practices, may help minimize stress-related comfort eating and binge eating.
You can reduce stress by sleeping up to 8 hours a day. You should also relax after work and make social contact, especially during weekends, to promote your de-stress process.
To sum up this guide on appetite suppression, controlling or suppressing your appetite is crucial in your weight loss journey. By focusing on the ways to suppress appetite, you can easily control your hunger in a very healthy way.
