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How To Not Be Hungry On A Diet – 10 Effective Tips 2024 (Backed By Science)

Mitchelle Morgan

Updated on - Written by
Medically reviewed by Kimberly Langdon, MD

how to not be hungry
How To Lose Weight And Not Be Hungry?

Do you want to start a diet to go alongside your workout routine? Or maybe you went on vacation and gained a few more pounds than you care to have. Going on a diet is one way to lose body fat and achieve your body goals.

But, one issue we’ve all had to face is the control hunger when dieting. For instance, when using CBD for weight loss you may feel hungry all the time.

Is there a way you can prevent feeling hungry when trying to lose weight and see your diet through?

How To Lose Weight And Not Be Hungry?

Below are some ways to support you make weight loss efforts without being hungry when dieting.

  1. Be Present When Eating
  2. Hydration Is Key
  3. Add More Solids To Your Meals
  4. Better Sleeping Habits
  5. Increase Your Protein Intake
  6. Never Skip Breakfast
  7. Steer Clear Of Empty Calories Foods
  8. Eat More Fiber
  9. Get Up And Exercise
  10. Eat More Hot Foods

When you want weight loss, you have to master how to deal with reducing hunger. Dieting works by taking fewer calories. A low-calorie diet will leave your stomach with little food, so you have to find ways to reduce hunger.

Being on a diet also means changing what you eat. You have to reduce the number of carbs you eat and add more fiber-rich foods, protein, and good fats to your meals throughout the day.

How To Not Feel Hungry On A Diet With Only 10 Effective Tips

Be Present When Eating

how to not be hungry
Mindful eating is quite beneficial when on a diet

How do you eat your meals when it’s the right time? Are you aware of the food before you get too distracted? One issue we all face in a busy world is eating too fast and not paying attention to our food intake.

Truthfully, being distracted means your mind finds it hard to process what is happening. This is the reason you start to feel hungry only a short time after eating. So, you should master being present[1] when eating your meals to prevent hunger pains throughout the day.

In addition, when you pay attention to your food intake, you can take stock of what you are eating. Start by turning off all distractions when it’s time to eat and focus on the pleasure the meal gives you. According to research, mindful eating is quite beneficial when on a diet.

At the same time, don’t rush through your meal. Take small bites and indulge in prolonged chewing[2] before you swallow. You will start to feel satisfied and retain this feeling for a long time which helps you avoid feeling hungry.

Besides, eating slowly helps you in other ways. For instance, you have a better digestive system and derive more satisfaction from your food intake. And you can take time to evaluate the ingredients you like and others you want to remove from your meals.

Hydration Is Key

, Making sure you maintain proper hydration is crucial for your diet

You’ve probably heard this information before. At times what you are interpreting as hunger is most likely thirst. So, making sure you maintain proper hydration is crucial for your diet.

When your body lacks water, you become dehydrated and feel thirsty. But at times, this can be interpreted as hunger making you think more about food. Try keeping your body constantly hydrated and watch it transform.

The reason why you’re constantly feeling hungry is that you don’t drink enough water. This feeling becomes more enhanced when you are on a diet throughout the day. Therefore, it means you have to up your water intake[3] when dieting to avoid feeling like you need to eat.

Another step to take is to pace your water intake. Avoid drinking lots of water in one sitting. This will only make you feel full for a moment. Instead, take sips of water throughout the day. The good news is there are so many ways you can carry water and make sure you’re hydrated.

Add More Solids To Your Meals

how to not be hungry
Eating more solids helps you feel fuller and not focus on your next meal when dieting

Take a look at what you eat when on a diet. Are you taking in more solids or liquid foods? The state of the food you eat matters and can help you stay fuller for longer.

Typically, when eating more solids, you have to pace yourself. Each bite means taking time to chew and then swallow before you can put more food in your mouth. This gives your mind and body a chance to communicate and create a sense of fullness[4], right?

However, taking more liquids can bring you much less time to finish the whole meal. For instance, if it’s a smoothie, you want to gulp it down and be on your way. But, it’s a different case when you have a salad with more lean protein in front of you.

Therefore, make sure your diet has more solid food than liquids. This will help you feel fuller and not focus on your next meal when dieting.

Better Sleeping Habits

how to not be hungry
Getting enough sleep can work well with your diet

How long do you sleep? Do you at least get 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep? If not, that’s one of the reasons you feel hungry during your diet.

Research shows that poor sleeping habits can contribute to feeling hungry when awake. You end up craving more food than average, especially when tired and longing for some rest. It’s because your fullness hormones[5] are not as active as they should be.

On the other hand, getting enough sleep can work well with your diet. You aren’t tired and can focus on other things in your day other than food. In addition, you get to keep up with your eating routine, which is in line with your diet.

Therefore, go to bed on time and keep your phone away. Choose better sleeping habits by going to sleep and not scrolling on your phone. You’re less likely to be hungry during the day when on a diet.

Increase Your Protein Intake

how to not be hungry
You have to maintain or increase eating healthy protein to reduce hungry feeling when dieting

How much protein is on your plate when you start your diet? While it makes sense to lower carb intake, you have to maintain or increase eating healthy protein. Otherwise, you will mostly feel hungry and irritable when dieting.

Usually, the lack of enough high-protein foods on your plate only makes hunger pangs[6] worse.  Protein is good for your health and well-being. You cannot build muscles and bones without eating protein. It’s why you have to add more to your plate when dieting.

In addition, protein helps you achieve your set goal. It’s one of the reasons you can get rid of hormones like ghrelin[7] that bring about hunger. You get more fullness hormones which are beneficial when you are on a diet.

Since your goal is weight loss, you want more protein and fewer carbs on your plate. Protein helps build muscles, while carbs add fat to your body weight.

Never Skip Breakfast

how to not be hungry
Check your diet and see what meals you can take and which to skip

Check your diet and see what meals you can take and which to skip. But, as you do so, make sure you can take breakfast every day. Some diets advocate for skipping breakfast, but you learn this works against you in so many ways.

Breakfast is one of the most important meals[8] in a day. For a diet to work, you have to lower your calorie intake. But, you still have to eat, so it makes sense to have the majority of your calories early in the day. As you work or do other activities, you tend to shed more of them than in the evening when you take fewer calories.

Still, make sure when you eat breakfast, you aren’t full. If breakfast is not your thing, you can eat when you are most active. Pay attention to your body all day and see when you feel most hungry. Then work on your diet to suit that time which is when you take your major meals.

Steer Clear Of Empty Calorie Foods

how to not be hungry
Empty Calorie Foods do not add any nutritional value to your body weight and will only make you feel hungry during your diet

A diet will work better when you lower your total calories. This forces your body to burn fat for nutrition to keep you going. However, you still have to eat to survive. So, keep a keen eye on what you eat while dieting.

One thing you have to steer clear of is empty calories[9]. These empty-calorie foods are junk food, sugary drinks, and treats. Truthfully, these foods do not add any nutritional value to your body weight and will only make you feel hungry during your diet.

It means this is the right time to clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Instead, replace these foods with nutritious items like protein, vegetables, and fruits. These foods will help you feel full and not craving to eat while on a diet.

Eat More Fiber

how to not be hungry
Lowering your calorie intake can expose you to feeling hungry and fighting food cravings all the time

A successful diet works when you remove all the unhealthy foods and add the right foods to your meals right. But lowering your calorie intake can expose you to feeling hungry and fighting food cravings all the time.

Therefore, you have to find ways to be full and suppress your appetite. Apart from drinking more water, you must add fiber-rich foods to your meals. Research[10] shows that high-fiber foods can help as a natural appetite suppressant and help you increase feelings of fullness for the rest of the day.

Fiber-rich food varies and can include:

  • Whole grain cereals like Brown Rice
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Seeds and nuts
  • Pulses
  • Peas

All the above foods, including brown rice, are a great addition to your meals. They have a lot of health benefits including adding more nutrition and helping you feel fuller[10] when on a diet.

Get Up And Exercise

how to not be hungry
Specific forms of exercise can help your body fight off hunger

One secret to a successful diet is to ensure you incorporate exercise into it as you take fewer calories. Be sure to move at least once a day to get your blood flowing. Not only does working out help you shed weight, but it also suppresses your appetite[11].

There is a study that shows that specific forms of exercise can help your body fight off hunger. When you do aerobics, for example, your brain learns to have a lower appetite[11]. That’s the message the form of a workout delivers.

Your body achieves this because you have less production of hunger hormones. Instead, you get more than signal feelings of fullness, so you won’t think about food when dieting. The body secretes fewer hormones that crave food which is in line with your plans for weight loss.

Eat More Hot Foods

how to not be hungry
An increase in body temperature lowers hunger levels in your body

A food diary contains hot food like pepper. When you eat fewer calories, it’s normal for the temperature of your body to increase. Research[12] has shown that an increase in body temperature lowers hunger levels in your body.

Therefore, you can start adding more hot peppers to your meals. One compound in chilies is responsible for suppressing appetite. The compound is capsaicin, and it works similarly to exercising. Both increase your body temperature and help reduce hunger pangs when dieting.

However, like everything else, make sure you take hot peppers in moderation. Too many can bring you lots of harm and end up affecting your diet.

Takeaway

When you start a diet, there are moments when you feel hungry. While hunger is a good thing, that is not the right moment to be craving food. So, you have to take specific steps to make sure a natural appetite suppressant.

Above are 10 ways how to not be hungry on a diet. Each one is backed by studies and research, which is good for your health and well-being. All you have to do is implement each way and evaluate the results.

Lastly, if you follow the tips and are still hungry, seek further help. A medical professional can help you better.


+ 12 sources

Health Canal avoids using tertiary references. We have strict sourcing guidelines and rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic researches from medical associations and institutions. To ensure the accuracy of articles in Health Canal, you can read more about the editorial process here

  1. Nelson, J.S. (2017). Mindful Eating: The Art of Presence While You Eat. [online] 30(3), pp.171–174. doi:https://doi.org/10.2337/ds17-0015.
  2. ‌Hawton, K., Ferriday, D., Rogers, P., Toner, P., Brooks, J., Holly, J., Biernacka, K., Hamilton-Shield, J. and Hinton, E. (2018). Slow Down: Behavioural and Physiological Effects of Reducing Eating Rate. Nutrients, [online] 11(1), p.50. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6357517/
  3. ‌Mattes, R.D. (2010). Hunger and thirst: Issues in measurement and prediction of eating and drinking. Physiology & Behavior, [online] 100(1), pp.22–32. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2849909/
  4. ‌Forde, C.G., van Kuijk, N., Thaler, T., de Graaf, C. and Martin, N. (2013). Oral processing characteristics of solid savoury meal components, and relationship with food composition, sensory attributes and expected satiation. Appetite, [online] 60, pp.208–219. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23017464/
  5. ‌Spiegel, K., Tasali, E., Penev, P. and Cauter, E.V. (2004). Brief Communication: Sleep Curtailment in Healthy Young Men Is Associated with Decreased Leptin Levels, Elevated Ghrelin Levels, and Increased Hunger and Appetite. Annals of Internal Medicine, [online] 141(11), p.846. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15583226/
  6. ‌Apolzan, J.W., Carnell, N.S., Mattes, R.D. and Campbell, W.W. (2007). Inadequate Dietary Protein Increases Hunger and Desire to Eat in Younger and Older Men. The Journal of Nutrition, [online] 137(6), pp.1478–1482. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2259459/
  7. ‌Blom, W.A., Lluch, A., Stafleu, A., Vinoy, S., Holst, J.J., Schaafsma, G. and Hendriks, H.F. (2006). Effect of a high-protein breakfast on the postprandial ghrelin response. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, [online] 83(2), pp.211–220. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16469977/
  8. ‌Gibney, M., Barr, S., Bellisle, F., Drewnowski, A., Fagt, S., Livingstone, B., Masset, G., Varela Moreiras, G., Moreno, L., Smith, J., Vieux, F., Thielecke, F. and Hopkins, S. (2018). Breakfast in Human Nutrition: The International Breakfast Research Initiative. Nutrients, [online] 10(5), p.559. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5986439/
  9. ‌Poti, J.M., Slining, M.M. and Popkin, B.M. (2014). Where Are Kids Getting Their Empty Calories? Stores, Schools, and Fast-Food Restaurants Each Played an Important Role in Empty Calorie Intake among US Children During 2009-2010. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, [online] 114(6), pp.908–917. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4009391/
  10. ‌Clark, M.J. and Slavin, J.L. (2013). The Effect of Fiber on Satiety and Food Intake: A Systematic Review. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, [online] 32(3), pp.200–211. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23885994/
  11. ‌Dorling, J., Broom, D., Burns, S., Clayton, D., Deighton, K., James, L., King, J., Miyashita, M., Thackray, A., Batterham, R. and Stensel, D. (2018). Acute and Chronic Effects of Exercise on Appetite, Energy Intake, and Appetite-Related Hormones: The Modulating Effect of Adiposity, Sex, and Habitual Physical Activity. Nutrients, [online] 10(9), p.1140. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164815/
  12. Szolcsányi, J. (2015). Effect of capsaicin on thermoregulation: an update with new aspects. Temperature, [online] 2(2), pp.277–296. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4843897/
Mitchelle Morgan

Medically reviewed by:

Kimberly Langdon

Mitchelle Morgan is a health and wellness writer with over 10 years of experience. She holds a Master's in Communication. Her mission is to provide readers with information that helps them live a better lifestyle. All her work is backed by scientific evidence to ensure readers get valuable and actionable content.

Medically reviewed by:

Kimberly Langdon

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