Whether you are actively trying to lose weight or on an everyday diet, we all come up against hunger and have to decide what to do. It just becomes a lot more important when we're trying to lose weight.

There are two sides to the hunger issue:

One one hand ... when not properly managed it can destroy a diet, whether through constant gnawing hunger or simply feeling too deprived for a long time.
On the other hand ... if you are scared of feeling any kind of hunger, or if you lack enough discipline, your success with weight loss will limited.

This balance is something only you can figure out as you experiment with different strategies compared to the results you are getting.

As a rule, short-term hunger or mild hunger is something you should be able to handle even if it takes some time to learn. But ravenous hunger on a long-term basis is obviously a losing strategy. You could manage it during a short term protocol, if necessary, but not as part of a long-term plan.

Our hunger systems are extremely complex (see Hunger & Appetite). Let's look at some ways of reducing and handling hunger the right way...

Proper Mindset

The way you think about hunger can actually affect how hungry you feel. The right mindset can actually make you feel less hungry. Our thoughts and beliefs have a surprising influence over our physical senses.

Here are some ideas that can help your mindset:

Mild hunger can be healthy. Studies have shown that relatively low-grade hunger is actually good for our health and longevity (longer life). Most of us are used to eating something the instant hunger is felt and thus we constantly have something in the stomach - but this isn't necessarily the most healthy thing for our bodies and certainly does not help us burn off fat.

A Strong "Why". Hunger is easier to manage when you recall your reason for losing weight (your "Why"). Without a strong purpose you're just making yourself miserable. A strong goal or purpose -- something you really want -- can actually make things seem easier! Our limited willpower and ability to exercise self-control are limited, but when you have a really strong purpose, they are much less necessary to keep us on track.

Re-framing. Simple phrases can immediately change the way you are currenting thinking about hunger or cravings and have a very positive effect on your mental state. Try these:

"Hunger is fatness leaving the body" (Tom Venuto). This is literally true; hunger is a sign that your body is burning off fat stores because calories have stopped coming in from digestion.
"Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"
"What's more important to me: eating this food, or losing weight?"

Zen Strategy: Accept the hunger, in a zen-like or meditative manner. Recognize it, accept it, and move on, focusing on other things. Don't give it power by focusing on it, nor give it power by exerting willpower or becoming tense.

More Methods for Managing Hunger

These are not in any particular order. Each has its own reasons for being in this list.

Uniformity Method

This method allows you to eat whenever you are hungry and avoid gaining weight. You can learn more about it here.

Intermittent Fasting

It seems crazy, but fasting is actually a good way to manage hunger. Here's why:

Eating itself can sometimes trigger purely emotional cravings for more; whereas waiting it out completely sidesteps the problem
Surprisingly, some people simply don't experience much hunger with fasting compared to calorie restriction. Especially over time. Your body seems to accept the fasting period and sends you less (or no) hunger signals. It may also have to do with increased insulin sensitivity and hence blood sugar control.
Many people aren't that hungry in the morning, and the initial wave of morning hunger often goes away quickly
Waiting until you are truly hungry (biological) before your first meal is a good learning tool

Fasting isn't for everyone, but you may be shocked at how effective it is for weight loss and it's positive effect on the hunger issue. There are many options to consider and they are explained on the Intermittent Fasting page.

Protein

Research shows it is more filling than either fats or carbs. And it helps blunt hunger both in the short term AND the long term. In other words, eating protein-rich meal helps you get fuller during the meal itself, and feel less hunger later in the day. Eating protein daily also helps reduce gradual hunger increases over time on a diet. A big bonus is that you are less likely to overeat and store excess calories from a high-protein diet of lean (low fat) sources. The key word is lean (like low-fat fish, skinless chicken, and yes, even low-fat red meat). See Protein.

Fiber

Fiber is a powerful macronutrient to help you manage hunger. It slows digestion so you feel full longer. See the Fiber page.

Fat

Research shows that including a moderate amount of fat in your diet improves the chances that you'll stick with it. Why? Like fiber, fat hangs around in the stomach longer, which means you stay full longer. Fat tends to make food taste better, so you're more likely to stick with the plan. Very low carb diets works for some people, but a lot of people get hungry.

How much fat? If you're following a diet you plan to stick with for a long time, consider keeping at least 20% of your total calories as fat calories. For short rapid weight loss programs you could go a lot lower simply because it's not meant to be a lifestyle or long-term diet. See Control Fat Intake.

Whole Fruit (not fruit juice)

For some people including a moderate amount of fruit in their weight loss diet makes them feel much less hungry than if they didn't eat fruit. Why?

- Fruit contains fiber so it fills you up for much less calories than carbs or fat, and it has other highly-beneficial nutrients.
- In addition, if you are on a low-carb diet, your liver glycogen stores become depleted and that's normal but it can send hunger signals to the brain. Fructose (in fruit) restocks glycogen which in turn reduces those signals.
- Fruit can also help reduce cravings for junky sweets.

Meal Frequency

You should choose a meal frequency completely based on your personal preferences. Focus more on what you're eating than how often. Don't fall for the idea that eating smaller meals more often or eating snacks between meals "revs up the metabolism" or helps you be less hungry. Studies show it's probably the opposite, where frequent eating is associated with excess calories. Three meals a day seems to hit the sweet spot for many people. Those meals could be either at traditional times (breakfast, lunch, dinner), or put into a shorter period like 8 hours after skipping breakfast for instance. The idea here is to invest some time into fewer, quality meals (such that you don't need to snack between). Try to eat at roughly the same times each day. Maintaining a regular pattern can help.

Will Breakfast Help?

This may be surprising to you, but there isn't anything magical about eating it every day. Studies about breakfast skippers being overweight are correlational studies, not causation studies. If you combine all the studies that have been done about breakfast you will find there is no strong evidence for or against breakfast. It is quite simply inconclusive. So -- if you are not hungry for breakfast, do NOT force yourself to eat it. On the other hand if skipping breakfast causes you to overeat the rest of the day then you should consider it.

Flexible Dieting and Taking Breaks

Adopting a more flexible dieting strategy and taking breaks of various kinds can help you reduce the onslaught of hunger caused by metabolic slowdown. This means you can deal with a little hunger or deprivation on a short-term basis, knowing that around the corner you have a break. This is a very powerful strategy. See Diet Vacations for details.

Appetite Suppressants

You have two options here:

Prescription drugs can reduce appetite... along with potential side effects. That's not something we cover here but you can ask your doctor about it. If nothing you try is helping it might be worth talking to your doctor about it.
Natural supplements. Check out our Supplement Guide for recommendations.

Exercise

Exercise can help you manage hunger in a few different ways. It helps control and balance hunger hormones. It releases feel-good endorphins which can reduce anxiety-driven eating. It gives you more energy. Exercise helps many people stick with good eating habits. See Role of Exercise.