How to Control Hunger: 12 Proven Strategies to Curb Your Appetite

Recognizing true hunger is key to weight management. To curb appetite, make sure you eat enough protein and fiber-rich foods, drink plenty of fluids and exercise regularly. Mindful eating and quality sleep can help to regulate hunger and food intake.

Learning to control hunger is probably the biggest hurdle when you’re on a weight-loss plan. It’s a complaint I hear more often than any other. Some people gripe about counting calories or keeping a food diary; others grumble about making time to exercise. But not a day goes by that someone doesn’t tell me that they just can’t stop being hungry, and that they’re “starving all the time”! 

I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve that can help you control hunger naturally, but the first step is to figure out if you are really and truly hungry in the first place.

Feeling hungry isn’t the same thing as “wanting something to eat.” There are a few telltale signs that can help you distinguish stress-related or emotional hunger from true, physiological hunger.

First, ask yourself these questions: 
 

• Does your stomach rumble?
• Is your energy level dipping? 
• Do you have a little bit of “brain fog” or feel “cranky”?

If any of those things happen to you, you probably do need some fuel. These are all common symptoms of true hunger. Don’t ignore these signals – give your body the nutrition it needs when it needs it before you end up binge eating. 

“Food noise” refers to the constant, intrusive thoughts about food, such as specific cravings, obsessing about what to eat next or stressing about food choices and their consequences. This mental chatter can lead to a disconnection from true hunger signals and fullness cues.

Learn to recognize food noise. If you’re eating for reasons other than hunger – if you’re just bored, angry or depressed – food probably won’t make you any less bored, angry or depressed. Or, if it does, you probably won’t feel that way for long. 

If it’s emotion or stress that’s driving you, or if you’ve got the urge to eat something simply because it looks good or smells good, you’re probably not truly hungry. In that case, you’ll want to find other ways to deal with the urge to eat.

If your goal is to lose weight, managing hunger is key to controlling your calorie intake. But can you really suppress appetite? How do you stop feeling hungry all the time? The answer lies in understanding how true hunger works. Both your body and mind play a role, and knowing these triggers can help you combat food noise, manage cravings and work towards achieving a healthy weight.

Hunger is your body’s way of signaling that it needs fuel. Unlike food noise, true hunger signals are driven by hormones such as:

• Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone,” rises when your stomach is empty, telling your brain it’s time to eat. Levels drop after a meal, curbing your appetite.
• Peptide YY (PYY), released from the intestinal cells after eating, slows digestion and signals fullness to the brain.
• Leptin, produced by fat cells, helps regulate long-term energy balance by reducing hunger when energy stores are sufficient. When leptin levels are high, it signals to the brain that the body has sufficient energy stores, reducing hunger and food intake.
• Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), released from the intestinal cells after eating, slows digestion and promotes satiety. We’ll discuss GLP-1 agonists later.

These hormones work in tandem with other factors, like blood sugar levels and energy needs, to regulate your hunger. If you’ve ever noticed your hunger spiking after skipping a meal that’s your body’s intricate system at play.

Your appetite isn’t just about biology – it’s shaped by your environment, emotions and daily habits.

• Lifestyle Choices: Poor sleep₁ and lack of exercise_{2, 3} can heighten hunger. For instance, inadequate sleep can increase ghrelin production, making you feel hungrier the next day ₄. 
• Dietary Habits: Meals low in protein_{5, 6} and fiber₇ can leave you feeling unsatisfied, triggering frequent hunger. Balanced meals help stabilize your appetite by keeping blood sugar levels steady. 
• Psychological Factors: Stress and negative emotions can drive appetite _{8, 9}. When you’re stressed, your body produces cortisol, which can increase cravings for high-fat, sugary foods₁₀.

This is different from emotional eating, which is a learned response that is often tied to comfort-seeking behaviors₉. By recognizing these influences, you can take steps to manage your hunger more effectively and make choices aligned with your weight-loss goals.

Hunger control is aimed at curbing true hunger, which is a physiological response characterized by a growling stomach, the low energy or the irritability when body needs fuel. Since true hunger naturally drives you to eat, it’s important to adopt some healthy strategies to manage hunger and to avoid eating too frequently, especially if your goal is to lose weight through calorie restriction.

So here are my top tips to control hunger and curb your appetite:

Protein satisfies hunger better than carbohydrates or fat₁₁, so try to include some lean protein at each meal and snack. Chicken, fish, legumes, dairy products and soybeans are great options. Protein works its magic not only in your digestive tract, but it also affects your brain chemistry in a way that may boost your cognitive functions₁₂. Ensure you get the recommended amount of protein each day.

Compared to digestible carbohydrates such as starch and sugars, fiber has a low energy density₁₂. Additionally, some fibers are bulky and take up more space in your stomach, while others form a gel-like substance and slow down digestion, helping to fill you up ₁₃. Incorporate these into your meals and snacks:

• Non-Starchy Vegetables such as leafy greens, cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini, spinach and broccoli
• Watery Fruits, including melons, pineapple, citrus fruits and berries 
• High-Fiber Fruits such as berries, kiwifruit, pears, oranges, bananas, apricots and apples

Adding these foods to your diet helps you feel full longer and reduce overall calorie intake. They also provide many vitamins and minerals your body needs.

A bout of exercise can temporarily suppress hunger hormones, which can curb your appetite ₃. Here’s how it works: 

• Exercise suppresses ghrelin levels. The higher the intensity of the workout, the more effective it is at reducing ghrelin levels, helping manage your hunger. 
• Exercise increases PYY and GLP-1, hormones that promote satiety and help control overeating _{3, 15}. 
• Exercise lowers cortisol levels, helping you avoid stress-related food cravings _16.

Regular exercise, especially higher-intensity workouts, can help control hunger and makes it easier to balance how much energy you take in and burn ₃. By staying active, you support your body’s natural hunger signals and improve your ability to manage appetite, which can make it easier to stick to your health goals.

When you do exercise, just remember that your body needs to be properly fueled. Sometimes, in an effort to lose weight, people cut their calories too much – and then they just don’t have the energy to keep up with their exercise, so the whole process backfires. People often tell me that they feel as if exercise makes them hungry and leads them to eat more. But often, that’s because they haven’t fueled up properly before and after their workouts.

Drinking water or other non-caloric beverages before a meal may help your meals to feel more filling₁₇ . And some people confuse thirst with hunger, so even though their bodies are craving fluid, they wind up eating instead. If you stay hydrated, that’s less likely to happen. Just be mindful of avoiding sugary, high-calorie drinks, as they can contribute to excessive calorie intake.

Eating slowly and chewing thoroughly can help you feel fuller and prevent overeating₁₈. Research shows that prolonged chewing (mastication) stimulates the release of some satiety hormones, which suppresses appetite₁₈. Taking time to chew also improves digestion. When food is well-chewed, it’s more efficiently processed by your digestive system, allowing for better absorption of nutrients₁₉ It also gives you more time to recognize fullness signals. By slowing down and chewing each bite, you can also better manage portion sizes and reduce the likelihood of overeating.

Research shows that eating while distracted, like watching TV or scrolling through your phone, can lead to overeating _{20, 21}. Focusing solely on your meal helps you better recognize your body’s hunger cues, making it easier to stop eating when you’re full.

When you use smaller plates, it visually tricks your brain into thinking you're eating more, but you still get the satisfaction of finishing your plate₂₂. Slower, more mindful eating encouraged by smaller portions gives your body time to register fullness.

Regular eating helps maintain stable blood sugar levels ₂₃, which is key to preventing excessive hunger later on ₂₄. When you skip meals, blood sugar dips, leading to increased cravings and a higher likelihood of overeating at the next meal.

Getting enough quality shut eye is crucial for controlling hunger. When you don't sleep well, ghrelin increases (making you feel hungrier), while leptin (the hormone that signals fullness) decreases ₁. This imbalance can trigger cravings for high-calorie foods and result in overeating.

Balancing all these tips and strategies daily can be challenging. Supplements provide convenient, effective options to support your weight management goals, especially on busy days. And balanced snacks should be an integral part of your weight management plan.

Here are some tips to help complement your balanced diet:  
 

• Meal Replacements: High-quality protein and fiber, fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, simplify calorie and portion control. 
• Protein Boosters: Great for meeting protein needs, they also serve as satisfying snacks or post-workout boosts. 
• Fiber Supplements: Support fullness and healthy digestion.
• Nutritious Snacks: Protein-packed soups, bars and foods such as yogurt, eggs, nuts or cottage cheese provide convenient, balanced choices.

Weight-loss supplements can be a valuable tool to support your goals. For example in some markets, we offer Prolessa® Duo, a dual-action hunger control and fat-reduction powder that can be added to a shake, milk or yogurt.* Formulated with a unique emulsion of palm and oat oils, it helps to reduce calorie intake and provide a feeling of fullness when taken with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise plan.*

Discover Herbalife’s high-quality weight management products to support your weight-loss journey today. Contact your Herbalife Independent Distributor for details. 

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

GLP-1 agonists, originally designed for managing type 2 diabetes, have become a popular choice for weight-loss and obesity management due to their ability to suppress appetite ₂₅. These medications work by mimicking the body's natural satiety hormone, GLP-1, which helps to reduce hunger and induce a feeling of fullness by slowing gastric emptying ₂₅. 

Though GLP-1 drugs can offer effective solutions to weight loss, they should be seen as part of a broader, sustainable approach to health. Use of these medications may lead to nutrient deficiencies if not carefully managed ₂₆, and research indicates that weight regain is common after stopping them ₂₇. For long-term success, it’s essential to focus on healthy habits, including balanced nutrition with adequate protein level to prevent loss of lean body mass, regular physical activity and lifestyle changes in conjunction with any medical treatments. No drug alone can replace the need for these fundamental shifts in habits. 

As many customers turn to weight-loss medications like GLP-1 drugs, Herbalife recognizes the need to address the nutritional gaps these medications may create. To meet this need, Herbalife has introduced the GLP-1 Nutrition Companion,* a range of product combinations designed to support the nutritional requirements of those using GLP-1 medications. The combo offers key nutrients like high-quality protein, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals to support muscle mass, digestive health and overall wellness. 

*The Herbalife® GLP-1 Nutrition Companion is not a drug and has not been clinically evaluated in GLP-1 patients. Consult your physician before you make changes to your diet during medically supervised weight loss.

To master hunger and support long-term weight loss, consider these key strategies:
 

• Build healthier habits: Practice mindful eating and good sleep hygiene, stay hydrated and exercise regularly.
• Focus on protein and fiber-rich foods.
• Eat slowly and avoid distractions during meals.
• Try incorporating high-quality supplements to help with fullness and cravings.
• Maintain a balanced diet and consistent meal patterns.

These approaches work together to improve hunger regulation and help you achieve a healthy weight. Discover more tools and strategies for long-term weight management in our wellness resources.

Susan Bowerman is the senior director of Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training at Herbalife. She also serves as the chair of the Herbalife Dietetic Advisory Board and the Outer Nutrition Advisory Board. As a registered dietitian, Ms. Bowerman educates Herbalife Independent Distributors about our Global Wellness Philosophy and is responsible for the development of nutrition education and training materials.

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