How to overcome hunger while dieting; science-based tips

Are you always feeling hungry or thinking about food? You try to lose weight but have problems cutting down your calorie intake. Don’t worry; it’s a common problem and some facing too. You need to know how to overcome hunger while dieting. A few small changes in your habits, your extra pounds going on vacation. The first one is to drink enough water every day.

This article brings you smart tips to overcome hunger while dieting and feel full longer in an easy way.

Why are you always feeling hungry?

The answer is you are not eating enough. When you think about going on a diet, decreasing your calorie intake is inevitable.

If you feel hungry all the time and eating becomes an obsession, you may not be eating enough. You know that eating fewer leads to weight loss, yet not eating enough may not help you lose weight. You could end up hurting yourself.

Starving yourself to death is not a way to lose weight. You should spend time and have the patience to reach the desired weight. Often the slower progress is more sustainable; the results will stay with you in the long term. That is why you need smart strategies to overcome hunger while dieting.

The right amount of food

Determine the right amount of food for yourself. You would better take advice from experts so as not to risk your health.

Find out the difference between the portion and the size. How much food you eat at one time is the portion. Yet, the amount of food on a label or listed on a product’s Nutrition Facts is the serving. You should have enough energy to work and continue life.

How do you feel?

In case you are always thinking about food and eating, you could be decreasing too much calories. If you are always feeling full or stuffed, you could be eating too much.

How to overcome hunger while dieting?

Don’t worry; you don’t need to skip all the sweet and delicious food you like. You just need to see it from a different perspective to overcome hunger while dieting.

Drink more water

You already know that water holds several benefits for you. It promotes the function of your heart and brain. You do exercise; it will increase your performance. You also need it for a healthy skin and digestive system. If you are not satisfied with your weight, drinking water should ring a bell for you.

Drinking water before your meal could help overcome hunger while dieting. It will suppress your desire to eat more and help you to lose weight. As water is zero in calories, it can fill your empty stomach along with hydration.

Studies indicate that drinking water 30 minutes before a meal could reduce your calorie intake. In another study, the groups of candidates who drank water before a meal lost more pounds than those who didn’t.

Remember that water can not lead to weight loss. However, it helps you to eat less and overcome hunger while dieting.

Thirsty or hungry?

Are you hungry for sure? Hunger can be one of the signs of dehydration. Your body often doesn’t recognize thirst from hunger. So you could be thirsty but want to eat. So again, drinking water could overcome hunger while dieting. The next time you are hungry, think that you have drunk enough water today or not. You could become full with one glass of water.

Ensure you drink enough water every day and include water-rich food in your diet.

How much water do you need every day?

The amount depends on your:

• Age
• Gender
• Physical activity
• Season
• Job
• How hot or humid it is.

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine says that men should drink 15.5 cups of water per day and women need 11.5 cups per day. You try to figure out the right amount for yourself.

Try to overcome your daily stress

Stress affects different aspects of your life. Changing your mood is the tip of the iceberg. It can also increase your desire to eat more food.

According to a study, the women exposed to stress had more calories in their diet. They consumed particularly more daily sweet stuff than those who were not stressed.

According to an article published on Springer LINK about stress and obesity, a high level of stress decreases peptide YY (PYY). It’s a hormone that tells you are full. The more you feel stressed, the later you will know you are full.

Other studies indicate that stress is associated with cortisol. It can cause you to feel more hungry than usual.

Being stressed and trying to overcome hunger while dieting could be meaningless. You should try to control or decrease your stress level then think of losing weight.

Signs and symptoms of stress

The common signs and symptoms of stress could be as follows:

• Headaches
• Sleep disorders
• Exhaustion
• Heart disorders
• Depression
• Negativity
• Not enough energy
• Dry mouth
• Cannot relax your mind

How to reduce stress

The following tips and strategies can help you decrease your stress:

• Drink enough water
• Be a productive multitasker
• Write down your tasks to get rid of the Zeigarnik effect.
• Organize your work.
• Have stress-relieving food like fruits and vegetables.
• Reduce your eye strain by 20-20 or 20-20-20 rules.
• Try office exercise

The above techniques help you to reduce stress at work, which could also overcome hunger while dieting.

Take a good Night sleep

Research shows that when you are tired due to not getting enough sleep, your body has to get more energy. It would store more calories and desire for more food.

Feeling tired throughout the day, you may not be able to work out or move around. It would lead to burning fewer calories than when you are at the full energy level.

According to the CDC, more than one-third of Americans are not getting enough sleep. The AASM advises to sleep seven hours per night to have a healthy lifestyle. Providing that you don’t get enough sleep, you are likely to get:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Frequent mental distress

You are sleepy; you may not be able to overcome hunger while dieting. So try to get enough sleep every day.

How about not eating enough food every day and trying to make it up on the weekend? Yes, your stomach doesn’t like it. The same is true with sleep. If you don’t get enough sleep and hope to sleep over on the weekend, it may not be a good idea. You and I need the daily rest to have a healthy life.

How to have a good night’s sleep?

Try to make a comfortable place for your night’s sleep. Eliminate any distractions. It would be better not to use smartphones, TV, or computer a few hours before going to bed. Having a regular sleep schedule would also help you. Make the bedroom not too hot, not too cold. Having large meals before bed is not a good idea either. Having drinks before bed shouldn’t interrupt your sleep cycle. If you wake up to visit the bathroom in the middle of the night, remove them.

Learn more about drinking water before sleep.

Fiber and more fiber

According to “Nutrition Reviews,” fiber could help you overcome hunger while dieting. They could make you feel full longer and consume fewer calories throughout the day.

High fiber food takes longer to digest, so you will feel full longer. Vegetables, fruits, and whole grains provide fiber and are good options to overcome hunger while dieting.

You have 30g of fiber a day; you can keep your hunger at bay to a great extent. Yet, added fiber can not be as convincing as natural food.

The top sources of fiber include but not limited to:

• Fruits,
• Veggies,
• beans,
• Nuts,
• Seeds,
• Whole grains.

According to research, taking high fiber food influences the release of appetite-reducing hormones. They also produce short-chain fatty acids, which could make you full for longer.

Fiber also helps you reduce the risk of:

• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Obesity

Try to eat enough protein per day

According to Mastaneh Sharafi and his team research and three other independent researchers, having protein could lead to a rise in feeling full and a reduction in hunger hormone levels. It could end up eating less in your next meal.

In one study, participants had eggs which is a rich source of protein, and the others had cereal which is a lower source of protein. The ones who had cereal were more hungry. But the pens which had eggs felt full and not hungry after breakfast.

In the study of Mastaneh Sharafi and her team, the participants who had beverages high in protein and fiber before eating the meal felt less hungry, and the amount of food eaten was reduced.

The appetite-suppressing effects of protein are not limited to animal sources like meats and eggs. A vegetable source of protein, like beans and peas, is also helpful to keep you full for a longer time.

Try solid food to control your hunger

According to John W Apolzan and his team research and one other independent research, your brain reacts to solid and liquid calories differently. According to Healthline, solid foods with a higher thickness or higher viscosity decrease your hunger to a large extent compared with liquid foods.

In the study by Ai Ting Goh and his team, people who had solid food like rice and vegetables had fewer calories for the next meal compared with the people who had soft food like risotto and boiled veggies.

Bottom Line

You want to lose weight and reduce your calories yet always feel hungry and think about food. Your diet could be the problem. You need to know how to overcome hunger while dieting. “Knowledge is power” helps you be smart about what you eat and stay healthy.

The article explained effective and simple strategies to overcome hunger while dieting. As you saw yourself, one of the essential points is to drink enough water.

People may not like the taste of tap water like Las Vegas or have no access to pure water. A reliable water company could solve your problem.

Tahoe Springs Water has been providing water services in Las Vegas since 1994. Call us now at +702-903-1433 to order water options alkaline, Spring Mountain, or purified water to ensure your hydration.

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FAQs

Is it possible to stop hunger while I go on a diet?

Yes, you can use the tips in the article; one is to drink enough water.

Is it OK to feel hungry most of the time?

No, it’s not. You shouldn’t be hungry and hurt your stomach, and you’re not losing weight while being hungry.

How do I know that I am overeating?

When you always feel full or stuffed or think about food most of the time.

Is water helpful in overcoming hunger?

Yes, you might be thirsty, not hungry. Drink water to find out