How to Stop Feeling Hungry & Start Losing Weight

Do you feel hungry often? Have you ever been described as having a "bottomless pit"? Do you want to do something about your hunger?

If you do, this article is the right one for you!

In this article, we will go through 5 key reasons why people feel hungry and how to fix them.

1) Eating too much processed food

This may seem obvious to some but it's worth repeating. Whole, minimally processed food like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and meat/fish will fill you up much more than most highly processed food like chips, popcorn and biscuits. They are also more nutritious.

A practical tip is to fill yourself up with minimally processed food first and wait a while before deciding if you still want to have a go with those processed food.

2) Genes, Hormones, Abdominal Fat and other internal causes

You may be surprise to read that studies have shown people with relatively low bodyfat normally have better levels of hormones related to hunger. This means they are better able to control their level of hunger. They also typically have better dietary habits, such as planning ahead for their meals.

Conversely, people with higher body fat levels have sub-optimal levels of hormones related to hunger, which are affecting the hunger desire in the brain. If you are interested to read more, feel free to read the following reviews here (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867415002615, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24898142, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23890517 and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25998029)

Regardless of the cause, fixing this with weight/fat loss with the tips below will overcome these internal causes.

3) Eating while distracted

How many times have you seen other people sitting down in front of a TV and eating whatever that is in front of them? Or in the cinemas when people just eat their popcorn, sausage buns and slurp down 1L of sugary drinks? Or working on a long project with a laptop and food beside? This causes us to eat than we would have wanted, according to this research review of studies (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/97/4/728.abstract).

The solution to this? Do not have food while doing other tasks. If you must have, control the portion of the food you bring to the table or the cinema hall.

4) Eating speed

There is evidence indicating that those who eat fast eat more calories. (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/100/1/123.long) Not a good habit if calorie control is your goal!

If you've been to certain Western Europe countries, you may have realised the speed of how many people eat. They have long conversations over meals, in which they take small bites in between talking. I personally saw this when I was in France years ago.

So, slow down when you eat. Enjoy the sensation of food going through your mouth, through your throat and down to your stomach. Feel the improved satiety with eating slower.

5) Drinking your calories

There is research (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24167595) suggesting that drinking beverages containing loads of sugar such as fruit juice, sweet tea, coca cola or your favourite drink in the new coffee house will likely lead to more calories being consumed without a significant change in hunger perception. This certainly does not go well with the goal of fat loss, where you want to consume less calories and fill less hungry and more full.

The solution is simple: Drink mostly calorie-free drinks such as water, tea and coffee.

I hope this article has been informative and useful. If you have implemented the above ideas and still feel like you cannot control your hunger, it may be time to seek medical help. Hunger is a complex topic and there are certain factors beyond our control which can be remedied by medical intervention.