How Can I Naturally Suppress My Appetite?

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If only I didn’t get hungry all the time, I would have lost weight by now! Have you ever repeated this to yourself? If yes, then you are not alone, almost everyone who tries to lose weight, the greatest barrier they face is their own appetite.

How can you stick to your diet plan and ultimately lose weight when you are hungry all the time? When you feel so hungry that going back to your old eating habits doesn’t sound that bad.

And all the junk foods that you have access to only make your situation worse. It’s not that easy to stop yourself from eating a bag full of Cheetos literally lying in front of you when you are running left and right due to hunger.

So, what should you do? Should you give in to your cravings or Find a way to manage your hunger pangs? If you are reading this article, chances are you are looking for a way to suppress your appetite so that you can lose weight.

Here are 7 actions you can take to suppress your appetite naturally:

Food

7 Actions You Can Take to Suppress Your Appetite Naturally

If you are thinking that you are going to suppress your appetite by eating anything you like plus a few other magical foods, then you should ready yourself for a brutal awakening.

Eating anything you like never works with appetite. The satiety level of food is linked to its nutrient density (ratio of nutrients to calories). As a result, to suppress your appetite, you need to make sure you are eating healthy every day.

This does not mean that you can’t occasionally step out and eat something else. However, eating junk food or ultra-processed foods will not satisfy your hunger or reduce your appetite since these foods are made up of ingredients that lack satiating macronutrients.

Eating healthy organic, nutritious food rich in nutrients your body needs for proper functioning is the primary way to reduce your appetite. Here are a few actions you can take to suppress your appetite naturally:

1. Consume Apple Cider Vinegar

Let’s be serious no one likes the taste of apple cider vinegar. But still, people consume apple cider vinegar daily mainly due to its assistance in weight loss.

Apple cider vinegar contains antioxidants and natural probiotics that can improve your gut health and help delay stomach emptying. Some studies even suggest that Apple cider vinegar may help control blood sugar spikes that occur after eating.

To consume apple cider vinegar, dilute it in water or add it to food/ drink (1-2 teaspoons in a large glass of water). Avoid taking apple cider vinegar shots as ACV is acidic in nature and can damage your throat & teeth.

Moreover, consider sipping ACV after diluting in water with a straw gently. This way, you can keep most of the vinegar off your teeth. You should also rinse your mouth with water after drinking apple cider vinegar to further prevent enamel damage.

You can get apple cider vinegar from amazon!

A glass of water

2. Drink Water Before Every Meal

It has been touted by many health experts that drinking water first thing in the morning is good for health, as it balances the lymphatic system, which helps in building a strong immune system.

Apart from this, water is also associated with weight loss. Various studies suggest that drinking water reduces appetite, boosts metabolism, increases calorie-burning, and can reduce overall liquid calorie intake.

A study (2008) on Water Consumption suggests that drinking water before breakfast reduces the amount of calories consumed by 13%.

In another (2014) study, 50 overweight women drank 500 mL of water 30 minutes before each meal in addition to their regular water consumption for 8 weeks.

The participants reported a reduction in body weight, body mass index, body fat, and appetite suppression.

So, don’t underestimate water when it comes to weight loss, and consider drinking two cups of water 30 minutes before each meal to suppress your appetite.

There is no standard recommendation on how much water you should drink daily. Water intake drops down to individual needs. However, the National Academy of Medicine recommends a daily water intake of 2,700 mL/day for adult women & 3,700 mL/day for adult men.

To keep tabs on your daily water intake, try the ideal weight water challenge. In this challenge, you have to drink 2 liters of water daily for a month. To make drinking water easy, you can carry around a 2 ltr water bottle and make it a rule to finish it before the day ends. 

3. Increase Your Protein Intake

Protein takes more time to digest than carbohydrates and assists in reducing levels of ghrelin (aka hunger hormone). Protein also increases the production of hormones like PYY and GLP-1 (appetite-reducing hormones).

Several studies show that high-protein diets result in weight loss even without restricting calories. High-protein diets also have been shown to reduce body fat, especially in the abdominal section.

Moreover, most sources of protein are relatively low in calories when compared to simple carbohydrates. In brief, by increasing your protein intake, you will feel fuller, your metabolism will improve, and levels of ghrelin (hunger hormone) will decrease.

Some protein-rich foods: Chicken, Cheese, Nuts, Eggs, Milk, Fish, Lentils, Cottage Cheese, Quinoa, Greek Yogurt, etc.

According to DRI (Dietary Reference Intake), a sedentary adult should consume 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound (56 gm of protein per day for the average sedentary man, 46 grams of protein for the average sedentary woman).

Here’s a protein calculator you can use to determine how much protein your need daily. If you are unable to meet your daily protein needs from natural sources, you can also use supplements

Apple

4. Consume Foods Rich in Fiber

Food rich in fiber will keep you fuller for longer by delaying stomach emptying. Fiber also helps in producing short-chain fatty acid in your gut which promotes feeling of fullness.

A review on Dietary pulses reports that fiber-rich beans, chickpeas, and peas can increase the feeling of fullness by 31%. Moreover, fiber-rich whole grains can also reduce hunger. 

Some fiber-rich foods: Whole grains, Broccoli, Beans, Avocados, Berries, Dried Fruits, Nuts, Potatoes, Apples, etc.

(You can use the Cronometer app to track your calories and macronutrients!)

5. Get Enough Quality Sleep

I know you have a lot of work to do, and most of it is fairly important. However, if you can’t manage your routine to get at least 7 hours of quality sleep every night, then chances are you are doing something wrong.

I am a CS Engineer, and just to complete my degree, I worked really hard. In those days, I convinced myself that I don’t need much sleep. I managed to pull it off. However, not without a cost (reduced performance, weight gain, stress, and more).

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can result in an elevation in ghrelin (hunger hormone), making you feel hungry all the time.

So, if you don’t have enough time to sleep, make it, even at the expense of work.

Manage your work in the least amount of time so that you have more time for sleep and other activities. I know hustle culture doesn’t allow it, but if you are better rested, your performance and mood will improve.

Green tea

6. Consume Green Tea

I don’t think anyone drinks green tea for its taste (Comment down below if you do). I haven’t met anyone in 23 years of my life who drinks green tea for its taste.

But one thing is sure people who are trying to maintain their weight or reduce their appetite are drinking green tea. The reason is simple; Green tea contains caffeine and catechin (a type of flavonoid), and both of these compounds boost metabolism and fat burning.

In a study on the effectiveness of green tea on weight reduction, 60 obese individuals who took green tea extract for three months lost 7.3 more pounds and burned 183 more calories per day than those not taking the extract.

Moreover, green tea increases the release of CCK on consumption.

CCK is a hormone released in the intestines after eating to alert the brain that the body has had enough to eat. On its release, the appetite is reduced immediately.

That’s why most people who are trying to reduce their appetite drink green tea.

You can get green tea from amazon!

7. Try Supplements

I don’t think you need supplements to reduce your appetite. A healthy balanced diet combined with a healthy lifestyle while consuming water before meals and green tea is more than enough to suppress your appetite.

Still, there are supplements out there that may help you in reducing your appetite, like zotrim (clinically proven appetite suppressant), etc.

However, if you think your appetite is out of control and you need supplements, you should consider consulting a dietician or a doctor first. 

Conclusion

Just keep in mind, if the food you are consuming is highly nutritious, it will make you feel satiated. The primary reason why you feel hungry all the time is due to the lack of nutrients in your diet.

Moreover, ultra-processed food or junk food is not going to reduce your hunger. Junk food contains phthalates, which can disrupt hormones in the body. The only thing junk food does for you is it makes you consume unnecessary empty calories.

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P.S Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this article on Appetite, feel free to share it. Moreover, leave a question down below in the comment section if you have any.

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Rudra

Hi, I am Rudra, a computer engineer, and a certified procrastinator. I started FitnessGained in 2018 to help me stay fit despite all my desk time. Now I run this blog as a hobby. Here at FitnessGained, I will share what I do to stay fit & more. Our motto is "Reaching True Potential with Effort."

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