Have you ever had those days when you felt ravenous for food, and you just couldn’t get enough? Or how about those days when you eat just for the sake of eating and you’re not even hungry? Sure, we’ve all had issues with appetite, but for some people it can be a problem that leads to unwanted weight gain.

Are Medications to Lose Weight Good for You?

Several pharmaceutical prescription medications have gotten a lot of publicity lately because they help people lose weight by controlling their appetite. Unfortunately, these medications come with a whole host of side effects by negatively impacting a variety of body systems including the heart, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, and pancreas.¹

In fact, a large percentage of people stopped taking these prescription medications because of side effects, only to have them put the weight back on.² That’s why it’s worth considering safe strategies if you’re looking to trim down or manage your appetite. 

5 Ways to Manage Weight & Control Appetite

1. Know your hunger level. Think about it—are you actually hungry? Or do you think you’re hungry because you watched an advertisement featuring your favorite snack? If you want to manage appetite control, it’s important to identify the difference. Being aware of when you are hungry by checking in with your body and how you are feeling is a great way to figure out your actual hunger level.³ Then it’s a matter of honoring that feeling by not overeating.
2. Get enough sleep. Research is clear that lack of sleep leads to imbalanced appetite regulation and weight gain.⁴ According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults 18 to 60 need at least seven hours of sleep per night, and people over age 60 need seven to nine hours.⁵ And kids need even more with the CDC recommending preschoolers get 10 to 13 hours and kids over age six get 9 to 12 hours of sleep per night.
3. Fit in some fiber. High-fiber foods are more likely to help you feel full and satisfied.⁶ And if your diet doesn’t have enough fiber, consider adding fiber supplements such as apple pectin.
4. Add some apple cider vinegar. Research shows that the dietary supplement apple cider vinegar may help control appetite and may even help with weight management.⁷
5. Drink more water. Staying well-hydrated has many health benefits and you can add appetite control to that list. A 2016 study showed that adult men who drank 13 to 17 ounces of water prior to their meal ate 22% less food than men who did not drink the water before eating.⁸

Listening to Your Body’s Cues

Controlling appetite can be accomplished through a combination of diet, lifestyle, and can be supported with key dietary supplements like apple pectin and apple cider vinegar. But possibly the best strategy is to learn to listen to your body. How do you feel when you’re hungry? Tired? Happy? Jot these down in a notebook for a few weeks and then analyze it as this may help you identify your body’s needs.

One thing that may be important if you’re trying to control appetite is to look at your blood sugar and how to manage it , as this may be affected with any new routines you’re trying. 

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References

1. National Institutes of Health. Semaglutide Injection. Medline Plus. 2023;Feb 15. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a618008.html
2. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Davies M, et al. Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension. Diabetes Obes Metab. 2022;24(8):1553-1564. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9542252/?report=reader

3.  American Diabetes Association. Get in touch with your appetite. Accessed 2023, May 1. https://diabetes.org/healthy-living/weight-loss/emotions-and-eating/get-touch-your-appetite

4.  Liu S, Wang X, Zheng Q, et al. Sleep deprivation and central appetite regulation. Nutrients . 2022;14(24). https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/24/5196

5.  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How much sleep do I need? 2022;Sept 14. https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html

6.  Poutanen KS, Dussort P, Erkner A, et al. A review of the characteristics of dietary fibers relevant to appetite and energy intake outcomes in human intervention trials. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . 2017;106(3):747-754. https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/106/3/747/4822383

7.  Khezri S, Saidpour A, Hosseinzadeh N, Amiri Z. Beneficial effects of apple cider vinegar on weight management, visceral adiposity index and lipid profile in overweight or obese subjects receiving restricted calorie diet: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Functional Foods . 2018;43:95-102.  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1756464618300483

8.  Corney RA, Sunderland C, James LJ. Immediate pre-meal water ingestion decreases voluntary food intake in lean young males. Eur J Nutr . 2016;55(2):815-819. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25893719/