Updated on Mar. 25, 2021
You probably don’t have a tapeworm. But you’re likely sleeping too little, spending too much time on Instagram, and doing a bunch of other things that make you so freaking hungry, all the freaking time.
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Skimp on sleep and you mess with your hunger hormones—such as ghrelin: When it surges, you feel hungry. And the hunger hormone leptin (which helps you feel full) sinks. Sleep loss also appears to boost blood levels of a chemical that makes eating more pleasurable—similar, believe it or not, to the effects of marijuana, according to a small study from the University of Chicago published in the journal Sleep in 2016. Of the 14 male and female participants in their 20s, those who slept only about four hours at night (instead of a healthier 7.5 hours) couldn’t resist what the researchers called “highly palatable, rewarding snacks”—foods fit for the munchies, like cookies, candy, and chips—even though they’d had a big meal two hours before. Your goal, starting tonight: seven to nine hours of shut-eye. Check out these other tricks that can help you lose weight while you sleep.
And almost every time, not long enough after your last syrup-slathered bite, your stomach is grumbling and you’re left wondering how that’s even possible. Oh, but it is: Researchers at the University of Missouri found that women who ate a high-protein breakfast of sausage and eggs felt less hungry and more full throughout the morning, and even ate fewer calories at lunch, compared to women who had a low-protein plate of pancakes and syrup in the morning, or skipped breakfast altogether.
And speaking of bypassing breakfast, try not to: Another study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2013, showed that eating a healthy breakfast, especially one high in protein, reduced brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior in late-adolescent girls, compared to breakfast-skippers. “Protein can fight off cravings and increase satiety at meals,” says Angela Ginn-Meadow, RD, a Maryland-based registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Check out these 15 high-protein breakfast ideas that will help you lose weight.
Those processed foods aren’t necessarily better for you: Some have extra sugar, others more salt, and many might not even save you calories. But we digress. You’re right to try to avoid trans fats and not go crazy on the saturated versions. But you can (and should) make room for a little heart-healthy unsaturated fat in your diet, because similar to protein and fiber, it can also help you feel full: “Fats slow stomach emptying, as well as trigger satiety hormones,” says Cynthia Sass, RD, author of Slim Down Now: Shed Pounds and Inches with Pulses—The New Superfood. Still, all fats, including the healthy fats in olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados, are high in calories, so stick to proper portions. The American Heart Association recommends healthy adults limit fat to 20 to 35 percent of total daily calories (or 44 to 78 grams for a 2,000 calorie diet).
Those pangs of hunger may actually be your body telling you that you’re thirsty, says Ginn-Meadow. So before grabbing a snack from the pantry, sip some water and wait for a little to see if your cravings pass. Staying hydrated may also help you manage your appetite and weight, according to a study published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics in 2016. Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign studied the dietary habits of more than 18,300 adults and found that the majority of people who upped their daily water intake by one, two, or three cups cut up to 205 daily calories, as well as reduced their consumption of saturated fat, sugar, sodium, and cholesterol. These are the signs and symptoms that you could be dehydrated.
We’ve all been that person mindlessly munching through a bag of chips while frantically trying to meet a deadline, or spooning ice cream from the pint after getting into a fight with a friend. But when you’re stressed out all the time, cortisol hormone levels remain high, which then trigger hunger hormones. “Also, chronically elevated cortisol produces glucose, leading to increased blood sugar levels, and is also tied to insulin resistance, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes,” adds Sass. “In this state, when blood glucose is high but insulin isn’t functioning normally, hunger is increased, because the body thinks the cells are being starved.” See if one of these 37 soothing stress relievers will work for you.
You have heard the advice to switch to whole-grain versions: They contain fiber, so they are more filling, they contain more nutrients, so they’re healthier for you, and they are a good source of complex carbohydrates—the kind that takes longer to digest, so blood sugar rises more slowly and steadily. Refined grains—found in that white bread you insist on using—as well as white rice and many sugar and white-flour foods like cookies and crackers—have been stripped of their fiber and cause blood sugar levels to spike, then plunge, leaving you hankering for more bread (or another cookie or three) soon after. “Essentially, when your blood sugar drops, it signals a need for fuel, even if calories have just been stored,” explains Sass.
A study published in BMC Public Health in 2014 provides another reason to break the white-bread habit: Researchers tracked the eating habits and weight of more than 9,200 Spanish university graduates for an average of five years and found that those who ate only white bread were more likely to become overweight or obese than those who favored whole-grain bread.
Four to five hours apart is about right. If it’s going to be closer to six hours, have a small snack in between, says Ginn-Meadow. “Eating on time allows you to better recognize hunger and satiety cues,” she says. “It also lets your body completely digest complex carbs and protein, which can help maintain a healthy metabolism.” Just make sure your meals are balanced with nutrient-rich foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, dairy, and lean protein.
You scroll through shot after shot of the gorgeous birthday cupcakes your sister-in-law Instagrammed. You know she totally did not bake them herself, and yet your stomach is still grumbling. There’s a reason, according to a scientific review published in the journal Brain and Cognition in 2016: Researchers say that when we see an attractive image of food on social media, blood rushes to the parts of our brain associated with taste. So even if we’re not physically hungry, we want to eat. On the flip side, these social-media tricks can actually help you slim down.
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