How to Suppress Appetite

Co-authored by Courtney Fose, RD, MS

Last Updated: October 9, 2022 References Approved

When you're trying to lose weight, there's nothing worse than repeatedly caving to hunger pains, reaching for that bag of chips when you're trying so hard to be "good." It's not you, it's your ghrelin - a hormone that is responsible for regulating appetite in your body and notifies you that you haven't eaten in a while. By eating extra-filling foods, drinking a variety of beverages between meals and keeping stress at bay, you can overcome the hunger and stay on track for speedy weight loss.

If you or someone you know suffers from an eating disorder and you need someone to talk to, see the Additional Resources section at the bottom of the article.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating Filling Foods

1
Start your day with oatmeal. Eating either rolled oats, steel-cut oats or quick oats is a great way to suppress your appetite until lunchtime. Oatmeal is low on the glycemic index. This means that it doesn't cause a hunger-inducing blood sugar spike. Oatmeal is also high in fiber, which slows the rate at which carbohydrates are digested and absorbed by your body.^{[1]
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Research source} Eating a serving size of oatmeal topped with almond milk and some cut apples or grapefruit is a healthy choice for appetite suppression.
- The benefits of oatmeal are counteracted if you top it with brown sugar or maple syrup, which can cause a blood sugar spike followed by a drop in blood sugar. This can make you hungry long before lunchtime.
2
Eat lean protein in the morning. Another great breakfast choice is some sort of lean protein - eggs, lean meat or yogurt. Eating lean protein in the morning will help you stay satisfied throughout the day. Studies show that eating lean protein at other times of day doesn't have quite the same effect, so be sure to eat it for breakfast.
- When it comes to protein, don't go totally fat-free. Eating healthy fats like olive oil and avocados will keep you full longer than eating fat-free meals.
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3
Add grapefruit to your diet. While going on an all-grapefruit diet is a diet fad you want to avoid, having half a grapefruit with every meal has been shown to help people lose weight. One study indicates that grapefruit might have properties that lower your insulin after meals, keeping hunger at bay.
- However, it is very important, if you take medication, to check if it interacts with grapefruit, as it is known to interact adversely with 85 different drugs, 45 of which are very serious.^{[2]
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- Be extremely cautious when considering grapefruit. Do not consume grapefruit if you take drugs for erectile dysfunction, estrogens, statins for high cholesterol, calcium channel blockers, many blood thinners, benzodiazepines, thyroid hormone replacement, certain chemotherapies and immunomodulators, anti-fungal antibiotics and certain other antibiotics, beta-blockers, opiates, and anything else that might be metabolized by the liver and P450 cytochrome family.^{[3]
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- Additionally, pregnancy, breastfeeding or having breast cancer also contraindicate consumption of grapefruit. ^{[4]
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- Furthermore, there is insufficient evidence to scientifically validate the efficacy of grapefruit supplementation, so any supposition is purely anecdotal. ^{[5]
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  Research source} If it works for you, and it's safe, then go for it and see if it helps.
4
Eat fibrous vegetables and fruits. Most vegetables and fruits are high in fiber and water, both of which keep your stomach feeling full. Each of your meals should be mostly composed of vegetables and fruits along with portions of both protein and fat.^{[6]
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- Apples are particularly great for appetite suppression, so go ahead and have one per day.
- Leafy greens are satisfying and packed with nutrients. Choose spinach, collards, mustard greens, kale, or chard over lighter greens like iceberg lettuce.
- Potatoes have a chemical component that counteracts ghrelin. Eat baked, boiled or lightly sauteed potatoes, but avoid french fries and potato chips.
5
Eat nuts. Research shows that people who eat a serving size of nuts, especially almonds, on a daily basis feel less hungry than those who don't.^{[7]
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Research source} They contain a filling combination of protein, fiber, and unsaturated fat.
6
Add raw flaxseeds to your diet. You can sprinkle them on foods like yogurt, smoothies, salads and vegetables. Flaxseeds are high in fiber, which keeps your blood sugar from rising too quickly, thereby suppressing your hunger.
7
Find the good fats, like oleic acid, that slay your hunger. Oleic acid, which is found in peanut butter, avocados, nuts and olive oil, sends signals to your brain to curb your appetite.
8
Enjoy dark chocolate. When you feel a craving for sweets and fruit just won't satisfy, eat a few pieces of dark chocolate. Unlike milk chocolate and other candies, the intensity of dark chocolate's flavor naturally tells our bodies when enough is enough. Try dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao - you'll see it's difficult to consume more than a few squares!
- Make sure you check the label when you buy dark chocolate. Many brands label their chocolate as "dark" when it contains much less than 70% cacao.
9
Eat spicy foods. It's easy to eat more than a serving size of bland, uninteresting food. You keep eating in an effort to satisfy your hunger, even when your belly is already full. Spicy foods, on the other hand, engage the senses such that you're paying more attention to how much you eat, and when you become full.
- Cayenne is an excellent spice to add to your cooking. Sprinkle it on omelets, add it to soup, or add a bit to your avocado for a delicious kick.
- Unlike ketchup, most hot sauces don't have too many calories per serving, so there's no need to stop yourself from using as much as you want. Just check the label first to make sure there's no added sugar.
- Wasabi is another great hot condiment that causes you to feel sated more quickly.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Drinking Healthy Beverages

1
Drink water. You've heard it a million times, but it's true - when you're on a diet, drinking tons of water can be a lifesaver. Drinking water before, during and after meals keeps your stomach full. When you feel hunger pangs, drink a glass of water before grabbing food; it'll help prevent you from eating too much. Here are a few creative ways to drink plenty of water throughout the day:
- Make ginger tea. Adding a few slices of fresh ginger to boiling water and letting the steep for a few minutes before drinking makes for a delicious beverage. Ginger aids digestion and stimulates the metabolism.
- Make cucumber or lemon water. Adding a flavor to your water will make it more interesting to drink and stimulate your sense of taste, which helps you stay full longer. Squeeze a lemon or float some cucumber slices in your water glass.
2
Consider caffeine. Caffeine has mixed reviews when it comes to suppressing appetite. Drinking a cup of black coffee or tea works well to suppress hunger for some, but others experience big hunger pangs once the caffeine rush is gone, negating the positive effect. Try drinking a cup of coffee or black tea (without milk or sugar) and pay close attention to what happens over the next few hours. If you don't feel hungry, even when you no longer feel the effects of caffeine, it may work well as an appetite suppressant for you.
3
Drink vegetable juice. Juicing kale, carrots, spinach, cucumbers, and other vegetables results in a vitamin-filled beverage that will keep you full for hours. The same is not true for fruit juice, though, since fruit contains a lot of sugars.
4
Drink green tea. Green tea has been used as an appetite suppressant for centuries, since it contains EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate), a nutrient that increases production of the hormone that makes you feel satisfied instead of hungry. Drinking green tea on a daily basis also helps prevent fat storage from occurring.^{[8]
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5
Make low-calorie soups or organic broths to suppress your appetite. If you pick a low-calorie chicken noodle soup, you get the added benefit of protein from the chicken, while the broth fills you up.
6
Avoid alcohol, except wine. Most alcoholic beverages - beer, cocktails, and so on - are loaded with calories, and since they lower your inhibitions, you're more likely to break your diet when you drink. Red wine, however, has been shown to help suppress the appetite by making you feel full. Limit yourself to one or two glasses a day.^{[9]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Changing Daily Habits

1
Eat slowly. Rushing through your meals will make you end up eating more, since your stomach doesn't have time to send your brain the signal that it's full. Chew your food slowly and pay attention to what you're eating. Put your fork down in between bites, if that helps you to slow down. Avoid eating in front of the TV or while reading, since the lack of attention to your meal will have you mindlessly overeating.
2
Improve your cardio workout with intervals. By alternating full-force cardio with small rest periods, you maximize your ghrelin level reduction (which will suppress your appetite).
3
Brush your teeth. When a big craving hits, brush your teeth. The flavor tricks your mind into thinking that you ate something, and it puts you off your food for a few hours, since eating right after brushing makes food taste horrible.^{[10]
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- You don't want to go brushing your teeth 5 times a day, though. Brushing too much can wear away the enamel on your teeth. Brush no more than 2 or 3 times a day.
- Chewing minty sugarless gum might be another good way to trick yourself into feeling full for awhile.
4
Get a good night's sleep. Studies show that being sleep deprived causes us to eat more throughout the day, and also increases our affinity for high caloric foods ^{[11]
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Research source}. On the other hand, getting too much sleep can have the same effect. Aim to get 7 or 8 hours of sleep every night to achieve the "sweet spot" necessary to keep your hunger in check.
5
Stay busy. Boredom is a major culprit when it comes to overeating. If you have too much time on your hands, chances are you'll fill it with food. Stay active all day long, whether you're at work or at home. Change things up by taking short walks, meeting with people in person, doing activities that require the use of your hands, and so on. Don't give yourself time to get hungry!
6
Manage stress. Eating because you're sad, angry, or just stressed out is a great way to kill any diet. Stress causes the body to overproduce hormones that make you feel hungry, which is why the idea of reaching for cookies and ice cream to deal with bad news has become a cultural cliché. Manage your problems with meditation, exercise, and therapy so you won't turn to sugar and starch.

Expert Q&A
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Question

What are other good ways to lower cortisol besides food?

Courtney Fose, RD, MS
Master's Degree, Clinical Nutrition, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Courtney Fose is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Nutrition Support Clinician at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She has worked as a Dietitian since 2009, and received her MS in Clinical Nutrition from the University of Arkansas in 2016.

Courtney Fose, RD, MS

Master's Degree, Clinical Nutrition, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

You can read http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Cortisol to find out some ways to lower cortisol through lifestyle and diet changes.

Additional Resources

Organization	Phone Number
National Eating Disorders Association	(800) 931-2237
Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders	(630) 577-1330
Overeaters Anonymous	(505) 891-2664
TeenLine	(800) 852-8336