Feeling hungry all the time could be a sign of obesity.
If you feel hungry all the time you may eat something or the other which would directly increase the calorie intake in your body and would result in making you obese.
Feeling hungry is a natural process that our body goes through every day, but if it turns out to be excessive then it is harmful.
It would push you to do overeating which is not at all good for you to remain fit and healthy.
So, it is very important to check that you should not go through this situation.
If you are experiencing such improper cravings and hunger issues then you should follow the following ways to overcome this situation.
Some Effective Ways To Stop Feeling Hungry
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Increase water Intake In The Body
As we all know that water plays a very important role in suppressing your appetite, which will prevent you from overeating.
When you drink water you may[1] feel that your stomach is filled.
It indicates the brain to stop eating or consuming more calories because there is no capacity left in your stomach to store more food.
Also drinking water would help you to skip heavy meals as you may feel filled up due to a heavy intake of water. Thus, you can avoid unnecessary snacking and overeating.
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Add More Protein To The Diet
Protein may increase the feeling of fullness and decreases hunger hormone levels, and thus it may[2] help in decreasing your appetite and making you eat less.
Protein does affect your appetite it could suppress it more in comparison to carbohydrates and fats.
If you want to control your hunger needs then add more and more protein-rich meals to your diet such as chicken, fish, meat, eggs, etc if you are non-vegetarian.
Green vegetables such as beans, and peas are rich in protein if you are vegetarian.
Getting half of the calorie intake from protein sources is sufficient for you to get health benefits as well as to suppress your appetite.
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Add More Fiber To The Diet
Food rich in fiber helps you to feel filled up by making your digestion process slow and releasing some hormones which may[3]help you in increasing satiety and regulating appetite.
Soluble fiber helps in encouraging gut bacteria, which is connected to less fat in the body.
In simple words, fiber does not get digested easily they take time which tends to change the large intestine relatively unchanged.
Some insoluble fiber does not mix with water and acts as a bulking agent which takes time to be digested and creates fullness in the stomach.
Thus it may stop you from overeating in surplus amount and reduces your appetite.
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Distract Yourself To Avoid Eating Every Time
Most of the time you may get confused about being hungry or bored, you feel hungry just because you are free or bored.
You have nothing to do, so you may feel like eating something.
When you feel hungry like this you should distract your mind from thinking about eating by calling a friend and having a good conversation with them.This would not only distract you from eating, but it would also divert your mind to some other topic.
You could[4]also watch movies or listen to podcasts which may help you to divert your focus from hunger and cravings.
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Get Enough Amount Of Sleep
Not getting enough amount of sleep is a major reason for uncontrolled hunger and appetite.
Enough amount of good sleep promotes the production of healthy hormones which control hunger.
Likewise, lack of sleep or a bad sleep cycle may affect hunger as it promotes some hormones which create an imbalance in the body and makes you feel hungry.
Moreover, loss of sleep may[5]impact your body which may directly affect your insulin levels and also the hormones which regulate the blood sugar levels.
It may also enhance the chances of diseases like diabetes. It could also alter the way your body breaks down food into energy and as a result, it may cause obesity.
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Consume Ginger At Least Two Times A Day
Ginger is said to be the agent to aid weight loss, as it suppresses appetite with the help of phytochemicals present in it.
It would flush out the toxins present in the body and improve digestion.
So, you should consume ginger for 30 minutes after eating any sort of meal. keep a small piece of ginger in your mouth and slightly chew it.
It would[6]stop you from eating anything for the next 20-30 minutes as you are chewing the ginger slowly.
Thus ginger not only adds a flavor to your mouth but also decreases the feeling of hunger.
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Eat More Fruits And Vegetables
Vegetables and fruits are full of fibers and nutrients which make you feel filled up and satisfied for a more extended period.
They help in controlling the blood sugar level of the body which helps in better digestion and also plays a very important role in controlling cravings.
Vegetables and fruits are rich in fiber and water which may[7]help you to curb hunger as they are considered high-volume food.
They help in filling your stomach easily by bulking up the meals consumed.
Moreover, fruits and vegetables provide less necessary amounts of calories because they contain only water and fiber.
Also, fruits and vegetables are easily digested as they are lite food sources and more nutritious.
Meanwhile, the best thing about consuming fruits and vegetables is that they are low in calories and have less density.
It may help you to shed more weight without making you feel like you are restricting your diet.
Consuming fruits and vegetables daily promotes a healthy body and also they are preferred over snacks and heavy meals which contain carbohydrates and fats.
Conclusion
As of now, you may get the idea of how to control the feeling of being hungry all the time. Do try these different ways according to your body and health.
These would be beneficial in controlling your overeating and craving. You could start with adding fruits, fiber, and protein to your diet.
Along with getting enough sleep, slowly and gradually add more different ways that are mentioned above to overcome or to stop the feeling hungry.
References/Sources
Working4Health prefers using primary and verified references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and our primary references include peer-reviewed research, academic, and medical institution studies.
- Vinu Ashok Kumar Vij and Anjali S. Joshi Effect of excessive water intake on body weight, body mass index, body fat, and appetite of overweight female participants J Nat Sci Biol Med. 2014 Jul-Dec; 5(2): 340–344.doi: 10.4103/0976-9668.136180
- Extra protein at breakfast helps control hunger Available from: https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/extra-protein-at-breakfast-helps-control-hunger
- Michael R. Lyon and Veronica Kacinik Is There a Place for Dietary Fiber Supplements in Weight Management? Curr Obes Rep. 2012; 1(2): 59–67.Published online 2012 Apr 13. doi: 10.1007/s13679-012-0016-9
- Raymond F. Anton What Is Craving? Alcohol Res Health. 1999; 23(3): 165–173.
- Stephanie M. Greer,Andrea N. Goldstein,and Matthew P. Walker The impact of sleep deprivation on food desire in the human brain Nat Commun. 2013; 4: 2259.doi: 10.1038/ncomms3259
- Muhammad S. Mansour,Yu-Ming Ni,Amy L. Roberts, et al. Ginger consumption enhances the thermic effect of food and promotes feelings of satiety without affecting metabolic and hormonal parameters in overweight men: A pilot study Metabolism. 2012 Oct; 61(10): 1347–1352.Published online 2012 Apr 24. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2012.03.016
- Joanne L. Slavin and Beate Lloyd Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables Adv Nutr. 2012 Jul; 3(4): 506–516.Published online 2012 Jul 6. doi: 10.3945/an.112.002154
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Alisha Matthew has been a practicing nutritionist since 2016. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition from the University of IOWA. She is a staunch believer in improving the human health index by educating people about nutrition and the importance of nutrition in leading a healthy and happy life. Her long-term goal is to keep educating people on general health and keep herself updated with the latest trends in the field of health.