How to Better Manage Appetite and Hunger

Losing weight effectively is not just about when and how you eat but requires that you do a good job in managing what you eat. Skipping meals may result in immediate weight loss but long-term weight loss requires you to eat regular meals. When you decide to change your eating habits to shed unwanted pounds, feeling hungry sometimes is to be expected. However, experts say for any weight loss plan to be effective you must be able to stick with it, so it’s important to manage your appetite.

Experts suggest that you only need a 250-calorie deficit each day to shed about two pounds per week. That explains why it is important to avoid a quick snack before your normal mealtime, as you can ruin your daily deficit. Managing hunger to suppress your appetite requires that you are in control of when you need to eat as well as when you decide to stop eating. Pounds can add up if you engage in overeating. That also includes too much of healthier foods.

Even if you’re able to attain your goal weight, don’t let up. The reward of shedding pounds is keeping it off. Check out the tips below to avoid weight regain:

• Don’t Skip Meals – Since you miss out on essential nutrients, skipping breakfast will not help you lose weight and you may have food cravings throughout the day due to hunger.
• Eat Whole Foods – You can consume larger portions of whole foods without putting on weight, while still consuming an impressive amount of nutrients for satiety and to promote feelings of fullness.
• Be More Active – When you lose weight, being more active can help with weight maintenance. Plus, exercising more often is excellent for your health and reduces between meal hunger pangs.
• Drink Lots of Water – Since it is so easy to confuse thirst for hunger, it is much smarter to start by consuming a glass of water and see if that is what your body actually needed.
• Never Stock Junk Food – When you fail to plan your meals ahead of time, the fastest option to satisfy your appetite and hunger is often junk food. Instead of stocking your home or office with junk food, opt for healthy unprocessed foods to manage hunger.

Losing weight was hard but continuing to focus on small changes can make keeping the weight off a lot easier. There is no need to worry about every fluctuation you see on the scale but it is crucial to never lose focus on the things that led to your success. The appetite suppressing effects of adding protein and fiber to your diet can be an effective strategy for increasing your daily intake of calories once you have reached your target weight.

Remember, vegetable proteins can be just as effective as those from animal sources.

Any consumption of energy counts but eating breakfast is a common trait among people who have lost weight and kept it off. Eating early in the day may help you avoid getting too hungry and then overeating at a later meal. Here at the Metabolic Research Center, we’ve been helping people lose weight and keep it off for over three decades. If you have struggled to achieve permanent weight loss, contact MRC to learn more about our personalized approach.