Several types of diet pills meant to suppress appetite are on the market, but you can regulate hunger without experiencing any of the negative health effects that may come from taking these pills. By watching your intake of certain nutrients and spacing your meals appropriately, you can keep hunger under control and, as a result, eat fewer calories.
Fat
Limiting fat is a good idea, because you'll reduce total calories and reduce your risk of some diseases. But fat-free products may not be a good addition to your diet. In a 2003 study in the journal "Obesity Research," subjects were hungrier after eating fat-free muffins than if they ate muffins containing canola oil, peanut oil or butter. There was no difference in satiety between any of the fat-containing foods. Allow limited healthy, or unsaturated, fat into your diet to feel full and keep from overeating at your next meal.
Protein
In one study, participants felt increased satiety, leading to decreased calories, in response to increasing protein from 15 percent of the diet to 30 percent of the diet. The Mayo Clinic recommends 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories come from protein. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this equals about 50 to 175g a day. Consume the bulk of your protein from plant sources, and choose lean meat over red meat, which is high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Fiber
Fiber is a substance in plants that can't be digested, so it helps clean out your intestines. In a 2007 study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," a high-fiber breakfast reduced appetite and lowered later food intake in a group of healthy men. Try adding high-fiber foods to your diet such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans and legumes.
Considerations
Choose certain foods for maximum appetite suppression. Potatoes contain a special type of starch that rejects digestive enzymes, so they take longer to break down and stay in your intestines longer, says Katherine Beals, Ph.D., R.D., a clinical associate professor of nutrition at the University of Utah, in an interview with MSNBC. Choose baked potatoes over French fries to watch fat and calorie intake. For high fiber, try raspberries, pears, whole-wheat pasta, barley, split peas, lentils, beans, artichokes or broccoli.
Meal Spacing
Going too long without food can lead to overeating at your next meal. In a 2002 study in the "International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders," young men who habitually ate more meals in a day ate less than men who typically ate fewer meals in a day. Try eating several small meals a day, or add snacks in between meals to keep blood sugar stable, metabolism running and your appetite from getting out of control.
References
- Obesity Research: Effect of Fat Sources on Satiety
- MSNBC: 7 Tricks to Suppress Your Appetite
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: Insoluble Cereal Fiber Reduces Appetite and Short-Term Food Intake and Glycemic Response to Food Consumed 75 Min Later by Healthy Men
- International Journal of Obesity Related Metabolic Disorders: Habitual Meal Frequency and Energy Intake Regulation in Partially Temporally ISolated Men
- American Journal of Clinical Nutrition: A High-Protein Diet Induces Sustained Reductions in Appetite, Ad Libitum Caloric Intake, and Body Weight Despite Compensatory Changes in Diurnal Plasma Leptin and Ghrelin Concentrations
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