Who started this misconception that ‘dieting’ means you must always be hungry? We’d like to have a word with them! A huge part of weight loss takes place in your mind, so this prevailing thought can be detrimental to someone looking to change the way they feel. In Las Vegas alone, there are over 2,300 restaurants which offer a massive variety of cuisines! That’s a lot of tasty options, and your appetite is probably telling you to give as many a try as possible. After all, how do you plan on dodging the onslaught of temptation when your stomach is growling at you? Don’t ignore the hunger; avoiding temptation isn’t about starving yourself. Instead, focus on making better choices that will take care of your hunger pangs and your appetite. To reduce hunger and appetite permanently requires dedication to making consistently good lifestyle changes, just like any weight loss plan.
How hunger and appetite are tied together
To understand how to reduce hunger and appetite, you have to know how they work. Hunger is a physical reaction where your stomach runs close to empty and contracts, causing pain. One of the challenges with tackling hunger is that it is a physical response, so you can’t just turn it off – but other things may cause hunger pains. Dehydration, sleep deprivation, or malnutrition can all cause false hunger pangs. This leads to overeating instead of tackling the underlying issue. Appetite is closely tied to hunger, but a little different. Appetite is a hormonal reaction tied to the satiety in your stomach. Ideally, when you’re hungry your appetite will kick in and you’ll be looking for something to curb the hunger. Unfortunately, all those tempting Vegas restaurants may draw you with alluring advertisements of cheesecake. The important distinction is: appetite can be controlled with a prescription plan, hunger can be tackled through healthy habits.
Changes to food habits can help reduce both hunger and appetite
While starting with a medical weight loss plan which combines natural appetite suppressants, prescription weight loss medication, and a healthy diet is the best way to reduce your hunger and appetite, you can also adjust your diet yourself. Tailoring your existing diet towards foods that keep you satiated for long periods will naturally lower your appetite. The less hungry you feel, the less often you will reach for an unhealthy meal. Look to keep most of your meals centered around high protein, low-calorie foods. Chicken, brown rice, and broccoli is considered the basic trio for weight loss, as you can season it with almost everything and it balances a healthy vegetable, a complex carbohydrate, and meat. This is by no means the only thing you can eat, it’s just an example! Having your meals primarily veggie and protein-based will ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need and keeping yourself full for longer. In turn, this will lower your desire to eat frequently and you’ll drop weight. If you’re a snacker, don’t worry – there are plenty of healthy options such as the protein-packed Proti-Bars.
Keeping your appetite down for the long haul: what to do
As with any working weight loss plan, a lifestyle change is key to reducing hunger and appetite. Going on a diet is all well and good but unreasonable changes aren’t worth doing. If you’re a vegetarian, the meat, dairy, and fat based ‘keto’ diet probably won’t work too well for your lifestyle! The best and safest way to reduce hunger and lower your appetite is to start with a full, medically-approved prescription plan. This will accustom your body to the new way of eating without it leaving you feeling deprived of your favorite things. Once you’ve started to see some serious progress with the prescription appetite suppressants, you can work on tailoring your diet to lean primarily towards lean foods. Remember, splurges are okay! They only become an issue if you’re doing them frequently enough to affect your appetite. If you’re constantly craving sugar, there’s most likely a deficiency in your diet. A weight loss specialist should be able to assist with figuring out the gap. Contact Advanced Medical Weight Loss today and start your journey into a healthy lifestyle.