10 ways to fight hunger and lose weight

As the saying goes, knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle. On the road to weight loss, you will encounter many obstacles and enemies. Among them, the most difficult to deal with is probably "hunger". If you want to defeat the hungry demon, you must know its cause so that you can successfully defeat it with the right method.

The body has certain mechanisms to maintain hunger and fullness. Generally speaking, ghrelin and leptin are the two hormones with the most direct impact. Leptin, as the name suggests, is an endocrine that can make people lose weight. It increases satiety and reduces appetite by stimulating the satiety center. On the contrary, the function of ghrelin is to stimulate appetite and make people feel hungry and want to eat. Many factors can affect the secretion of these two hormones, including weight changes, amount of exercise, sleep conditions, calorie intake, etc. In addition, the secretion of serotonin will also affect mood swings and cause changes in appetite. These regulatory mechanisms are designed to maintain a balanced body weight. In the absence of disease, body weight should fluctuate within a certain range, neither too fat nor too thin. But there are too many factors that disrupt this balance, such as stress, staying up late and uncontrolled eating, which can all lead to obesity.

When we talk about "hunger", it is actually the feeling that the body wants us to eat, which is a normal physiological phenomenon. So don’t be afraid of being hungry. If you feel hungry at the right time, such as feeling hungry before mealtime, it is normal. If you feel hungry outside of mealtimes, such as 3 p.m. or 10 p.m., you need to find out the cause and correct it. You can also use some methods to reduce or eliminate the feeling of hunger, and you will be successful if you can hold out until meal time. Here are some methods to help everyone find a way that suits them to fight off the "hunger demon".

Tip 1: Eat breakfast

Breakfast is the key to starting your metabolism for the day, but many people just drink a cup of coffee or even skip it because they are in a hurry for work or class. I thought I could lose weight by eating less, but the consequence was that I would get hungry in the afternoon or evening. Therefore, no matter how busy you are, you must eat a nutritious breakfast, which is also the most important step in controlling your weight.

Tip 2: Drink more water

Water not only has zero calories, but also increases satiety, which is very important for people who are losing weight. Some people mistake the feeling of thirst for hunger, so drinking water from time to time to reduce hunger can temporarily deceive the hunger demon.

Tip 3: Go to bed early

The longer the gap between bedtime and dinnertime, the more likely it is that hunger will seek you out for a midnight snack. In addition, people who go to bed late have increased ghrelin and decreased leptin, which increases their appetite. The secretion of serotonin will also decrease due to mental tension caused by lack of sleep. At this time, hunger will make you want to eat to increase serotonin and relax your mood. So you should try to go to bed early.

Tip 4: Eat three meals at regular times and in fixed quantities

People who do not have regular meals are prone to being too hungry or overeating. Overeating will expand the stomach, and when the stomach is expanded, the more they eat. This vicious cycle will definitely lead to obesity. If possible, make sure to set aside time to eat a meal during mealtime, and limit the amount of food to a certain amount.

Tip 5: Distract Your Attention

Sometimes it’s not hunger, it’s greed. When I see the snacks and biscuits and smell the aroma of bread and fried chicken, I naturally want to eat them. It is unlikely that we will always have the willpower to resist these delicacies, so it is particularly important to divert our attention. Escape the scene quickly and do other things, such as taking a walk, doing housework, or chatting with someone to escape the temptation of hunger.

Tip 6: Satisfy your appetite at the right time

Sometimes the more you can’t get something, the more you want it. It is necessary to satisfy your desires from time to time, but the amount should be limited. Set a goal for yourself, such as losing half a kilogram this week, and allow yourself to eat some of your favorite foods. If you want to eat bread or cake, eat it as a starch for your main meal. If you want to eat biscuits as a snack, you might as well eat just a few pieces or a small package. If you satisfy yourself occasionally, you will feel happier. But if satisfying your desires results in not losing half a kilogram in the next week, you may really have to keep your mouth shut.

Tip 7: Eat slowly

After eating, the body stimulates the secretion of leptin. It takes about 20 minutes for leptin to stimulate the satiety center to produce a sense of fullness, so people who eat too fast often eat too much before they feel full. Chewing slowly and taking at least 20 bites of food before swallowing is also an important way to fight hunger.

Tip 8: Eat more high-fiber foods and low-GI diet

A high-fiber diet is the key to increasing satiety, such as green vegetables, konjac, large tomatoes, guava, etc. A low GI diet refers to a diet that keeps blood sugar relatively stable after digestion, thereby reducing obesity and increased appetite caused by drastic fluctuations in blood sugar. Resistant starch is one of them. Changing the starch in your three meals will have the desired effect. For example, you can change white rice to brown rice, and white bread to whole wheat bread. In addition, corn and oats are also good choices.

Tip 9: Brush your teeth when your appetite increases

Give the brain a restraining response that you have finished your meal, especially using mint toothpaste will reduce appetite significantly. Go brush your teeth when your appetite increases during non-meal times!

Tip 10: Make good use of catechins and chitin

There are some products on the market that can increase satiety and can be helpful, such as tablets containing catechins or chitosan. After taking them, the fiber inside can take up some space in the stomach. You can use them appropriately when you are really hungry but afraid of eating too much. It is recommended to consult a professional before using it for safety.

After reading these 10 tips, start trying them out, and slowly adjust your living and eating habits and content. Don’t ignore small things. The more you pay attention to details, the closer you are to success. Believe in yourself, you will be the next one to defeat hunger.