Eating less to lose weight seems straightforward. All you have to do is cut your daily calorie intake, and with time, you’ll get results. Just one problem: When you stop feeding your body the amount of food it’s used to, it won’t be long before your stomach starts to rumble and pangs of hunger begin. This is because when your body senses food is in short supply it will start pumping out more of the hunger hormone ghrelin to encourage you to eat. You’ll be left trying to stick to your diet as you combat your own body, which is begging for food.
To appease your stomach, try these natural tricks to suppress your appetite and keep you on track.
If you’re trying to eat less, add a potato to your meal. Not only are they versatile, but they contain a special type of starch that resists digestive enzymes so your body has a harder time breaking them down. This means they stay in your intestines longer, delaying those nagging hunger pangs. Try sweet potatoes for a healthy dose of vitamin A and C.
If you’re packing along snacks to keep your diet on track, make sure an apple is one of them. Apples do a great job of filling your stomach, as they have a high water content and can keep you feeling full with their ample amounts of fiber. Apples also contain pectin which can help prevent blood sugar spikes that leave you running for the kitchen.
3. Good fats
If you’re trying to get rid of fat, it may seem counterintuitive to increase your intake of fatty foods, but eating more fat is a proven weight loss strategy. The key is choosing healthy fats like those found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts. The fats found in these natural foods keeps you full for longer. Researchers at UC Irvine found that oleic acid, a form of good fat, triggers the small intestine to produce a compound that transmits a hunger-curbing message to the brain.
Drinking water is a great way to tame your appetite. Next time you’re starving, drink a full glass of water and feel the change in your body as your hunger dissipates. One 2010 study found that people who drank two glasses of water before a meal ate between 75 and 90 fewer calories than those who didn’t drink water. It may seem too good to be true, but if you just make a point to drink water before eating, you may naturally find yourself eating less.
Chia and flax seeds have been gaining attention as a possible diet tool to keep you full longer. Chia seeds swell with water, leading some to believe that they fill your stomach to keep you full. They are also packed with omega-3s, protein, and fiber, which keep you fuller for longer. In addition, just one tablespoon of flax seeds contains 2.3 grams of omega-3s and three grams of filling fiber.
This wonder fruit is often overlooked, but one study at the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at the Scripps Clinic in San Diego found that people who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6 pounds in three months. The study found the fruit lowers your post-meal levels of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar and fat metabolism.
Not only do they make your food taste better, but many spices can actually boost your metabolism and burn body fat faster. Cinnamon has been shown to help curb cravings, and cayenne and turmeric are warming spices, meaning they raise your body temperature and boost your metabolism. Ginger is recognized for helping control blood sugar to prevent a spike in your glucose levels after a sugar- or carb-heavy meal.