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6 Ways To Curb Your Appetite

By far one of the biggest struggles I face when trying to lose weight is dealing with those intense cravings. I'm not talking about feeling hungry before a regularly scheduled meal—that's normal. Please, eat when it's time to eat.

What I'm talking about is when your body is hungry for food when you shouldn't be intaking calories at that time. It's completely normal when you're cutting back on calories compared to what you're used to, but man, it's rough.

Especially at night... oh, those nighttime cravings have always been, and honestly still are, one of my biggest battles when trying to diet. I constantly fall for the classic 'late night, sneak into the kitchen, open the fridge, and begin devouring everything in sight' routine.

It's like my stomach turns into a black hole, and suddenly I'm on a mission to eat everything that isn't nailed down. Over the years, I’ve discovered ways to combat those moments when you shouldn’t be eating anymore. So, if you’ve ever found yourself in a staring contest with your fridge at 11 PM, here are my top 6 methods for conquering cravings and keeping hunger at bay:

1. You Might Just Be Thirsty

I find that a lot of times, I'm not actually hungry like I think I am. The 'hunger' we sometimes feel often stems from thirst, and we frequently mistake that thirst for needing food.

One way I prevent this from happening is by ensuring that I'm constantly drinking plenty of water throughout the day. When those intense cravings kick in, I like to drink 16-32 ounces of water before eating anything. Adding a little salt to that water helps me feel more full and hydrated, which curbs the hunger.

2. Brush Your Teeth

Disclaimer: I have no clue if this tip has any scientific backing, but it works for me. When I get those sudden urges to eat, especially at night, I sometimes try brushing my teeth 😀 Weird, right?

I'm not sure exactly why, but every time I've done this, it does a fantastic job of curbing my hunger. My theory is that it's a combination of:

1. Making eating less appealing since your mouth is now all minty, reducing the desire to eat.

2. Giving your body a psychological signal that eating is no longer an option.

3. Playing off the laziness of not wanting to re-dirty your mouth after just cleaning it. Somehow, not wanting to brush again helps curb my hunger.

4. Distracting you from the hunger or craving and helping you focus on something else.

It's like telling your stomach, 'Sorry, buddy, we're closed for the night.' It's a simple trick, but it's saved me from many late-night fridge raids.

3. Distraction Through Movement

I think a common suggestion people make is to distract yourself. And yes, I agree, but the key for me is distracting myself with some sort of movement or exercise. What I've found is that trying to distract myself through stationary methods doesn't work. If anything, just sitting there trying to fight thoughts of food with other thoughts only makes the cravings stronger.

But when I remove myself from the presence of my kitchen and food, and put myself in a situation where my focus shifts to physical activity, a few things happen:

1. When you exercise, you release endorphins, which have been shown to help regulate your appetite.

2. I lose any thoughts of food and instead become focused on the physical activity at hand. It's especially useful if you make sure this physical activity is away from your kitchen or where food is stored.

3. I get an extra, unexpected workout in. Never a bad thing.

I'm not suggesting you get a full-blown workout in every time you're a little hungry. It can be as simple as walking in the sun or doing some push-ups. Just some light exercise to get your brain off the thoughts of food.

4. Slow Down

As you're eating, make a conscious effort to slow down the rate at which you do so. On average, it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to signal to your stomach that you're now full.

I'm not suggesting you take a couple of bites then wait 20 minutes, but in an effort to curb the tendency to overeat, you can do a few things:

1. Reduce your bite size.

2. Drink water throughout your meal.

3. Try to be mindful of the flavors and textures. Savor and enjoy the meal

5. Leave Larger Meals For Later In The Day

Again, no scientific backing here, just purely personal experiences, but one thing I've found to be very useful for reducing my urges to eat, especially at night, is saving a larger amount of my calories for the end of the day.

This is something I now do regularly, and what I've found is that:

• I feel less lethargic with smaller meals during the work day. No more post-lunch food comas.

• I have something to look forward to at the end of the day. It's like a reward.

• I'm less likely to raid the fridge at midnight because I'm actually satisfied from dinner.

• It helps me sleep better. Going to bed slightly full is way more comfortable than going to bed hungry.

6. Protein. Protein. Protein.

Let's go through two different days:

1. A day filled with fried foods, chips, carbohydrates, and fats. Very little protein.

2. A day filled with a large serving of clean and natural protein at every meal.

The result? Even if day 1 consists of significantly more calories and food volume, I am still much more likely to feel hungry versus day two, which was filled with cleaner food and, oh right, PROTEIN!

We've discussed this a million times on Project100, but adding more protein to your diet will increase your feeling of fullness and help with weight management.

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