For to lose weight , you generally need to reduce your daily calorie intake .
Unfortunately, weight loss diets train often a increased appetite and severe hunger despite satisfactory results.
This can make it extremely difficult to maintain weight loss .
Here is a list of 19 scientific ways to reduce excessive hunger and appetite:
1. Take a konjac supplement
Konjac , also known as glucomannan , is a plant that grows in parts of Asia.
Also used in traditional Chinese medicine, konjac is widely consumed as a 100% natural food supplement for appetite reduction because it quickly increases the feeling of satiety , it promotes weight loss and cholesterol management.
By taking our pure konjac food supplement , you will feel full throughout the day thanks to its glucomannan content which gives it this powerful satiating power.
You will therefore be much less likely to overeat or snack between meals.
Discover our food supplement based on pure konjac by clicking here
2. Eat enough protein
Adding more protein to your diet can make you feel fuller , make you eat less at your next meal, and help you lose fat.
For example, one weight loss study compared two breakfasts identical in calories: one composed of eggs , the other bagels.
Participants who ate the egg breakfast lost 65% more weight and 16% more body fat at during the eight-week study period .
Additionally, a bring high in protein may help prevent muscle loss when daily calories are reduced for weight loss .
Making protein about 20-30% of your total calorie intake, or 0.45-0.55g of body weight (1.0-1.2g/kg), seems enough to provide the benefits.
3. Opt for fiber-rich foods
A high fiber intake stretches the stomach, slows its rate of emptying, and influences the release of satiety hormones .
Additionally, fiber can ferment in the gut. This produces short chain fatty acids believed to help further promote feelings of fullness .
In fact, a recent study reports that adding beans , peas, chickpeas and lentils rich in fiber with your meal can increase feelings of fullness by 31%, compared to equivalent non-bean meals.
The whole grains rich in fiber can also help reduce hunger and make you feel fuller .
Eating 14 grams of extra fiber each day can lower your calorie intake by up to 10%. Over 3.8 months, this could lead to a loss of up to 1.9 kg .
However, more recent reviews observe less dramatic effects. This may be related to different types of fibers studied .
The guys fiber more slimy like pectins, beta-glucans, and guar gum seem more filling than less viscous fiber types .
Additionally, few negative effects have been linked to high-fiber diets. Foods high in fiber often contain many other beneficial nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and useful plant compounds .
Therefore, opting for a diet containing enough fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds can also promote long-term health.
4. Choose solids over liquids
Solid calories and liquid calories can affect appetite differently.
A recent study found that compared to a solid snack, people who ate a liquid snack were 38% less likely to compensate by eating less at the next meal .
In a second study, participants who were fed a semi-solid snack reported less hunger, less desire to eat, and greater feelings of fullness than those fed a liquid snack .
Solids require more chewing, which may allow the satiety signal more time to reach the brain .
Scientists also believe that the extra chew time allows the solids to stay in contact with the taste buds longer, which may also promote feelings of fullness .
5. Drink coffee
Coffee has many health and athletic performance benefits – and can also help curb your appetite.
Research shows that coffee increases the release of Peptide YY (PYY). This hormone is produced in the gut in response to food and promotes feelings of fullness .
Scientists believe that PYY levels play an important role in determining how much you're likely to eat .
Interestingly, the decaffeinated coffee can produce a stronger reduction in hunger , with effects lasting up to three hours after consumption .
However, more studies are needed to determine exactly how it works.
6. Fill up with water
Drinking water can help reduce the hunger you feel before meals.
It can also increase the feeling of fullness after a meal and promote weight loss .
In fact, studies show that people who drink two glasses of water right before a meal eat 22% less than those who drink no water .
Scientists believe that about 500ml of water is enough to stretch the stomach enough to send satiety signals to the brain .
That said, water is also known to empty the stomach quickly. For this trick to work, it may be best to drink the water as close to the meal as possible.
Interestingly, starting your meal with soup can work the same way.
Researchers observed that eating a bowl of soup just before a meal decreased hunger and reduced the total calorie intake of the meal by about 100 calories .
7. Eat mindfully
Under normal conditions, your brain knows whether you are hungry or full.
However, eating quickly or while you are distracted can prevent your brain from recognizing these signals.
Solve this problem by eliminating distractions and focusing on the foods in front of you – a key aspect of mindful eating.
Research shows that practicing mindfulness during meals can help people feel more pleasure when eating. This can help keep the focus on quality over quantity and reduce binge eating behaviors .
There also seems to be a connection between hunger, satiety and what your eyes see.
One experiment offered two identical milkshakes to participants. One was called a “620 calorie indulgence,” while the other was given a label “reasonable 120 calories” .
Although both groups consumed the same amount of calories, Hunger hormone levels dropped further for those who thought they were drinking the “indulgent” drink .
Believing that a drink has more calories can also activate areas of the brain linked to feelings of fullness .
How full you feel can be influenced by what you see, and watching what you eat can be very beneficial.
8. Treat yourself to dark chocolate
The bitterness of dark chocolate is thought to help decrease appetite and decrease cravings for sweets .
Researchers also believe that the stearic acid in dark chocolate may help slow digestion, further increasing feelings of fullness .
Interestingly, just smelling this treat could produce the same effect.
One study observed that simply smelling 85% dark chocolate reduced both appetite and hunger hormones just as much as eating it .
Still, more studies are needed to examine the effects of dark chocolate on feelings of fullness.
9. Eat ginger
Ginger has been linked to many health benefits. These include a reduction in nausea, muscle pain, inflammation, and blood sugar.
Interestingly, recent research adds another benefit to the list: reduced hunger .
One study found that consuming 2 grams of ginger powder diluted in hot water with breakfast reduced participants' post-meal hunger .
However, this study was small and more research in humans is needed before strong conclusions can be drawn.
10. Spice up your meals
Ginger may not be the only spice to reduce hunger .
A recent study looked at the effects of capsaicin, found in hot peppers , and capsiate, found in sweet peppers .
He found that these compounds can help reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness .
Additionally, the ability of these compounds to generate heat may also increase the number of calories burned after a meal.
However, these effects were not observed in all studies and remain small. Additionally, people who consume these foods can often develop a tolerance to the effects.
11. Eat on smaller plates
Reducing the size of your dinnerware can help you unconsciously reduce your meal portions. This will likely help you consume less food without feeling deprived.
Interestingly, this effect can fool even the most conscious eater.
For example, one study observed that even nutrition experts unconsciously helped themselves 31% more ice cream when given larger bowls .
Research has shown that when you have more on your plate, you're likely to eat more without realizing it .
12. Use a bigger fork
The size of your cooking utensils can have dramatic effects on how much food you need to feel full.
One study observed that participants who used larger forks ate 10% less than those who ate their meals with a smaller fork .
Researchers have hypothesized that small forks may make people feel like they're not making much progress in assuaging their hunger, leading them to eat more.
Note that this effect does not seem to apply to the size of all utensils. Larger serving spoons can increase the amount of food eaten in a meal by up to 14.5% .
13. Exercise
Physical activity is thought to reduce activation of regions of the brain linked to food cravings, which may lead to decreased motivation to eat.
It can also reduce hunger hormone levels, while increasing feelings of fullness .
Research shows that aerobic and resistance exercise are equally effective in influencing hormone levels and the size of a meal consumed after exercise .
14. Lose body fat around your waist
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a hormone that influences appetite and energy balance.
Higher levels of NPY are thought to increase appetite and may even change the percentage of calories you store as fat .
Interestingly, researchers have found that body fat, especially that around your organs, can increase NPY production .
For this reason, losing weight around your waist can help reduce your appetite and hunger .
15. Get enough sleep
Getting enough quality sleep can also help reduce hunger and protect against weight gain .
Studies show that too little sleep can increase hunger and appetite by up to 24% and decrease levels of certain satiety hormones by up to 26% .
Research also shows that people who sleep less than seven hours a night rate their level of satiety after breakfast as 26% lower .
It should be noted that several studies also associate short sleep, generally defined as less than six hours per night, with a risk of obesity . up to 55% higher .
16. Reduce your stress
Excessive stress is known to increase levels of cortisol, a hormone.
Although the effects may vary from person to person, it is generally believed that high cortisol levels increase food cravings and the will to eat .
Stress can also decrease levels of Peptide YY (PYY), a fullness hormone .
In a recent experiment, participants consumed an average of 22% more calories after a stressful test compared to a non-stressful version of the same test .
Finding ways to reduce your stress levels can not only help reduce hunger , but also reduce your risk of obesity and depression .
17. Eat omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, especially those found in fish and seaweed oils, have the ability to increase levels of the satiety hormone leptin.
A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids can also increase satiety after meals when calories are restricted for weight loss .
So far, these effects have only been seen in overweight and obese participants. Further research is needed to see if the same applies to lean people.
18. Opt for protein-rich snacks
Snacking is a matter of personal choice.
If it's part of your daily routine, you might want to choose snacks that are high in protein rather than fat.
High-protein snacks can increase feelings of fullness and reduce total caloric intake at the next meal.
For example, a yogurt high in protein lowers hunger more effectively than high-fat crackers or a high-fat chocolate snack .
High-protein yogurt eaten in the afternoon can also help you eat about 100 fewer calories at dinner than the other two options .
19. Visualize the foods you crave
According to some researchers, imagining yourself indulging in the foods you crave the most can actually decrease your desire to eat them.
In one experiment, 51 participants first imagined eating three or 33 M&Ms before being given access to a bowl of candy. Those who imagined eating more M&Ms ate 60% less candy, on average .
The researchers found the same effect when they repeated the experiment using cheese instead of M&Ms .
It seems that the visualization exercise can trick your mind into believing that you have already eaten the desired foods, which greatly reduces your desire to eat them.
Conclusion
Hunger is an important and natural signal that should not be ignored.
The tips mentioned here are some simple ways to reduce your appetite and hunger between meals .
If you've put these tips into practice but still find you're too hungry, consider talking to a healthcare professional about your options.
