If you’ve started a weight loss plan or you’ve been on one for quite some time, then you know how hard it may be to control hunger throughout the day. Hunger can happen for a number of reasons.
A sudden drop in calories, not eating enough, lack of good sleep and sometimes being dehydrated can lead to hunger feelings.
Another likely reason why you’re always hungry when you start a diet is hormones.
You see, there are hormones that “talk” to your brain and tell you when you need to eat, or when you don’t.
And when these hormones are unbalanced, it could result in that hungry feeling.
But there is a way to stop this feeling from occurring. And it’s really pretty simple:
It’s to increase your protein intake.
Studies show that when you switch out carbs and fats for protein, it may better control your appetite, therefore keeping those hungry feelings away.
One reason for this is a better balance in your blood sugar levels. More stable blood sugar can cut down on feelings of hunger.
The second-way protein helps is by balancing out your “hunger” (ghrelin) and satiety (leptin) hormones.
Satiety simply means satisfied, and you have specific hormones that help with this.
By increasing these hormones, you could have less hunger feelings and a better overall meal satisfaction.
So, if you’re just starting out on a diet, and you’re feeling hungry all the time, you may need to increase your protein intake.
And you can do this by eating more lean cuts of meat, wild-caught fatty fish, free-range poultry, dairy products like cottage cheese and mozzarella, protein shakes, and also, plant-based protein sources.
If you’re able to substitute some of the fat or carbs in your diet with protein, it may lead to better meal satisfaction, thanks in large part to the increase in appetite-suppressing hormones.
Your coach
Michał
B3&FIT