Sticking to a healthy eating plan can seem rather intimidating, especially if you’re new to the world of health and fitness.
You have to plan your meals, go to the store, cook your food, measure it out and then calculate the macronutrients and calories to make sure you’re hitting your goal. Let’s also not forget about all the clean up work that’s involved afterwards!
Through all of this you’re bound to feel hungry and a bit irritated (i.e. hangry). In this state, you’re likely to reach for the easiest option -- some type of prepackaged item in your pantry (junk food) or hit up the local takeout joint.
After some time (even just a day) of doing this, you realize that there are no shortcuts to improving your eating habits. But, that doesn’t necessarily make things easier, at least when it comes to getting started with healthy eating.
In fact, research shows that dieting can deplete your mental resources and require willpower and dedication to succeed.
The good news is that controlling hunger isn’t complicated. In fact, we have 5 simple, effective ways to control hunger so that you can stay with your healthy eating plan and get the results you want from your transformation challenge!
5 Simple Ways to Control Hungerfiber
Prioritize Protein with Meals & Snacks
One of the main reasons individuals struggle with hunger, not only during dieting but even when following the standard American diet is a severe lack of quality protein.
What is protein and why is it important?
Well, protein is an essential macronutrient that supplies our body with the raw material (amino acids) it needs to repair and build new tissues, including muscle, hair, skin and nails.
But, that’s not all. Protein also helps keep you feeling full.
In fact, research has shown protein to be the most satiating of all macronutrients.[1,2]
And when individuals swap high-fat, high-calorie snacks for ones with more protein (as well as fewer calories), they experience less hunger and more satiety![2]
As an added bonus, protein also requires your body to burn more calories to digest it compared to carbohydrates or fat. This helps boost total daily energy expenditure, further supporting weight loss.
The bottom line here is that you want your meals and snacks to focus on protein (and be supplemented with carbs and fats). Quality sources of protein are those that include all the essential amino acids (EAAs), such as lean red meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, Greek yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese or protein powder (whey, egg white, or vegan protein powder).
Eat Enough Fiber
After eating enough protein, the next simple way to control hunger when dieting is to eat enough fiber.
Fiber is the indigestible part of plant foods that helps to nourish our gut microbiome, slow the rate of digestion, helps control the release of carbohydrates (sugar) into the bloodstream, promote the release of satiety hormones, and support regularity. Highly processed foods (e.g. chips, cookies, packaged goods, etc.) are typically stripped of fiber (and other key micronutrients) during the manufacturing process.
Research shows that increasing the amount of fiber-rich foods in one’s diet can improve feelings of fullness by 31%.[3]
Other studies find that consuming an extra 14 grams of fiber each day may reduce calorie intake by up to 10%.[4]
Sources of fiber include plant foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes. For added support you can also use a daily fiber supplement, such as 1UP Fiber Plus that supplies an impressive 7 grams of fiber per serving from natural sources, including golden flaxseed, psyllium husk, and inulin.
Maintain a Consistent Eating Pattern
Circadian rhythm describes the pattern your body follows on a daily basis. It impacts your body’s hormones (chemical messengers) which help to prepare your body to be more efficient at digesting, absorbing, and metabolizing food.[5]
For instance, insulin sensitivity is typically greater in the morning than in the evening, which means that larger meals (especially those including lots of carbohydrates) are processed better when eaten in the first half of the day.
Note: The caveat here is that if you workout in the afternoon, your insulin sensitivity will still be high due to the fact that intense physical activity increases insulin sensitivity and your body’s utilization/storage of carbohydrates.
Regardless of when you exercise, though, it’s important to maintain a consistent eating habit as our bodies acclimate to being fed at certain times of day.
Inconsistent meals can lead to unexpected rises and falls in blood sugar levels, which can impact energy levels, mood, and hunger/satiety cues. It’s even been shown to impact cardiometabolic risk factors.[6]
Researchers also state that “more regular eating can induce more stable and constant plasma levels of intestinal satiety hormones, such as glucagon-like-peptide-1, cholecystokinin and peptide YY.”[7]
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is absolutely essential to achieving your health and fitness goals. There’s no two ways about it.
Sleep is when your body does the majority of its repair and recovery. Without adequate sleep you won’t be able to perform at your best, both mentally and physically. Insufficient sleep can also negatively impact your weight loss goals. It increases the desire to eat, especially, and research shows that while sleep deprivation increases energy expenditure by ~100 kcal per day, it also increases energy intake by >250 kcal per day.[8]
Over weeks, months, and years this leads to weight gain.
In other words, if you’re serious about controlling hunger, improving your eating habits and losing weight, then you need to prioritize sleep.
Sleep experts recommend 7-9 hours of sleep per night for adults. If you need help getting a full night’s sleep, try:
- Maintaining a consistent bedtime
- Having a bedtime ritual
- Taking a warm bath/shower before bed
- Avoiding blue light two hours before bed
- Avoiding caffeine/alcohol before bed
- Reading/journaling/meditating
- Keeping your room cool and dark
Use the Right Supplements
Last, but not least, you may want to incorporate certain dietary supplements to help control hunger. In addition to protein powder and fiber supplements that we’ve already mentioned, you may want to consider supplements specifically designed to address hunger management.
That’s exactly why we developed 1UP Appetite Suppressant.
Our top-rated appetite suppressant includes five natural, hand-picked supplements at precise dosages to help reduce appetite and cravings while supporting increased fullness. Take a serving 1 hour before mealtime to help curb appetite cravings and stay on track with your healthy eating plan.
References
- Morell, P., & Fiszman, S. (2017). Revisiting the role of protein-induced satiation and satiety. Food Hydrocolloids, 68, 199–210. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodhyd.2016.08.003
- Ortinau, L.C., Hoertel, H.A., Douglas, S.M. et al. Effects of high-protein vs. high- fat snacks on appetite control, satiety, and eating initiation in healthy women. Nutr J 13, 97 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-13-97
- Li, S.S., Kendall, C.W., de Souza, R.J., Jayalath, V.H., Cozma, A.I., Ha, V., Mirrahimi, A., Chiavaroli, L., Augustin, L.S., Blanco Mejia, S., Leiter, L.A., Beyene, J., Jenkins, D.J. and Sievenpiper, J.L. (2014), Dietary pulses, satiety and food intake: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of acute feeding trials. Obesity, 22: 1773-1780. doi:10.1002/oby.20782
- Howarth NC, Saltzman E, Roberts SB. Dietary fiber and weight regulation. Nutr Rev. 2001;59(5):129-139. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2001.tb07001.x
- Manoogian ENC, Chaix A, Panda S. When to Eat: The Importance of Eating Patterns in Health and Disease. J Biol Rhythms. 2019 Dec;34(6):579-581. doi: 10.1177/0748730419892105. Epub 2019 Dec 8. PMID: 31813351; PMCID: PMC7213043.
- Pot GK, Hardy R, Stephen AM. Irregular consumption of energy intake in meals is associated with a higher cardiometabolic risk in adults of a British birth cohort. Int J Obes (Lond). 2014 Dec;38(12):1518-24. doi: 10.1038/ijo.2014.51. Epub 2014 Mar 28. PMID: 24675713; PMCID: PMC4115153.
- Garaulet M, Madrid JA. Chronobiological aspects of nutrition, metabolic syndrome and obesity. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2010;62(9-10):967–78. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2010.05.005.
- Chaput, JP., McHill, A.W., Cox, R.C. et al. The role of insufficient sleep and circadian misalignment in obesity. Nat Rev Endocrinol 19, 82–97 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-022-00747-7
