How To Control Hunger? -Strategies To Stop Feeling Hungry All The Time

By Yaamini Radhakrishnan on April 27, 2021

How To Control Hunger?

Do you feel hungry throughout the day? Are the regular meals not enough for you? If you have the habit to eat frequently, it might be difficult to control hunger. This would result you in munching food all the time and increasing your calorie intake. While some people feel hungry psychologically due to binge eating, while some may be suffering from eating disorders.

Types of Hunger

Hunger can lead to an increase calorie intake and cause several complications like obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and other metabolic disorders. Hunger is mainly of 2 types- Physical and mental hunger.

Physical Hunger- It is a type of hunger you experience when there is sugar deficit in the body. This happens after 3-4 hours post every meal.
Mental Hunger- Mental hunger is an emotional feeling where you cannot stop feeling hungry even after a full meal.

The hunger is mainly controlled by 3 hormones called Ghrelin, Insulin, and Leptin. When you have not taken food for more than 3-4 hours, the insulin levels in the blood drop. This triggers the hunger hormone Ghrelin which makes you start feeling hungry. As soon as there is an increase in the glucose levels in the body, the Leptin hormone is secreted which makes you feel full and stop eating.

Reasons for Hunger or Overeating

Excessive hunger, maybe due to Leptin resistance. This indicates that your brain has stopped responding to the signals of the Leptin hormone. As a result, you eat more and gain a lot of weight in the form of fat. The more fat the body stores, the more Leptin is produced. However, instead of stopping you from eating more, the hypothalamus gland doesn’t recognize the stop-eating signal and becomes resistant to Leptin. As a result, there is no control of hunger.

Strategies To Control Hunger And Stop Feeling Hungry

Unless you are suffering from an eating disorder, controlling hunger is not an impossible task. Eating disorders require separate medical attention. Other type of excessive hunger can be easily controlled if you make up your mind. If you are wondering how to control hunger, listed below are some strategies to control hunger and stop feeling hungry.

#1. Understand Your Body

Before reaching to any decision about your food intake, it is important to understand your body type and check for any underlying health issues. You may want to consult your doctor to check if you have any allergies or hormonal issues. Also keep a track of the triggers that make you feel hungry. Some of the factors could be PMS, smell, anxiety, etc.

#2. Never Skip Breakfast

Most people don’t develop a good habit of eating a healthy breakfast. Some skip breakfast while some binge on unhealthy food in the morning. It is important to break your fast of 7-8 hours with a healthy breakfast. Ensure that your morning meal is full of complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein. Having a good and full breakfast will keep you satiated throughout the day and control hunger.

#3. Coffee Or Green Tea

Coffee and green tea are great appetite suppressors and at the same time wonderful energizers. Have a cup of coffee or green tea with breakfast, 30 minutes before lunch, 1 hour after lunch and 30 minutes before dinner. Your appetite will reduce and the anti-oxidants will flush out all the toxins from the body.

#4. Increase Protein Intake

Consuming protein in every meal will keep you full and not cause sudden spike of blood glucose and control hunger. Protein takes longer time to digest and prevents you from feeling hungry frequently. Some of the best sources of protein rich fruit include chicken breast, legumes, eggs, tofu, fish, nuts, and seeds.

Add Protein to Your Food

#5. Increase Dietary Fiber

Dietary fibers are nothing but complex carbs that are not easily digested. Fiber forms a gel like layer in the gut , which slows down absorption thereby helping to control hunger and reduce sudden insulin spike. Some of the best sources of dietary fiber include fruits, veggies, whole wheat, and whole grains.

#6. Drink Water

Your question on how to control hunger is easily answered with increase in the intake of water. In between your meals, if you feel hungry, drink water. Drinking water dilutes the stomach acids in the stomach and decreases your hunger pangs for a while.

Conclusion

Hunger is a completely natural process and cannot be ignored. However, if hunger is occurring too frequently, you must look for ways to control hunger. Eating a well balanced diet and leading a stress free life will control hunger in the longer run. Listed above are some simple yet effective strategies to reduce hunger and control appetite. By controlling hunger you will also control your body weight and feel a good positive change both physically and mentally.

References:

Yaamini Radhakrishnan:I am a clinic research professional, graduate in biotechnology and post graduate in biochemistry. Have also pursued freelance writing since the past 5 years I am married and have a daughter. I am a native and reside at Bangalore.

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How To Control Hunger? -Strategies To Stop Feeling Hungry All The Time

How To Control Hunger?

Types of Hunger

Reasons for Hunger or Overeating