5 Easy Ways to Ignore Hunger without Being Miserable

Hunger is one of the main reasons most people fail to lose weight. When dieters cut back on calories, they feel hungry all the time, which makes them miserable. To escape the misery, they go back to their old eating habits.

As many know, hunger isn’t just physical. Psychological factors—such as depression, anxiety, loneliness and stress—can make you feel hungry. That’s why we sometimes experience hunger a few minutes after eating.

We also feel hungry out of habit. If you usually eat at 7:00 pm every night, chances are you’ll feel hungry around that time, whether you’re physically hungry or not.

This means you shouldn’t always eat when you feel hungry. Sometimes your body doesn’t need the energy, so eating during those times only expands your waistline.

As you may already know, it’s not easy to ignore hunger. But with a few tricks, you can learn to eat only when your body needs the energy. Below are easy ways to ignore hunger without being miserable.

1. WHAT DOES THE CLOCK SAY?

You need to stop and think before you take a bite. One of the most important questions to ask yourself is “what does the clock say?”

If you ate a good meal an hour ago, the clock says “no,” and this means you shouldn’t eat. You can’t be physically hungry an hour after eating a high-protein meal filled with fiber.

Knowing you’re not hungry can put you at ease and give you the willpower to fight the hunger. Every time the clock says “no”, use the strategies below.

2. WAIT IT OUT.

One of the most surprising things about hunger is that it goes away when you ignore it. Going by the example I gave earlier, you’ll feel extreme hunger for about 30 minutes after skipping your 7:00 pm meal, and then the hunger will slowly subside.

For this strategy to work, you need to learn to delay gratification. You may feel miserable for the next 30 minutes, but you’ll eventually feel good about yourself once the hunger subsides.

3. DISTRACT YOURSELF WITH SOMETHING YOU ENJOY.

If you can’t simply wait out hunger, keep yourself distracted. In fact, if you focus on something you enjoy, the hunger may subside sooner.

For this strategy to work, you need to write down a list of things you’ll do to ignore hunger. It could be going for a walk, learning a new skill or reading. Anything that you can get absorbed in will work.

4. USE APPETITE SUPPRESSANTS.

I know that diet drugs have a bad rap and for many years, I advised people against using them. But I came to discover some are beneficial when combined with dietary changes.

One of my favorites is caffeine. According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine can reduce feelings of hunger and the desire to eat for a short period. 

Note that appetite suppressants won’t be beneficial if you eat processed foods loaded with sugar.

5. DRINK TWO GLASSES OF WATER.

Two glasses of water can make you feel full, especially if you’re dehydrated. In fact, sometimes thirst can make you feel hungry.

Even if you end up eating after drinking the water, you’ll consume fewer calories.

I’d recommend focusing on one or two of the strategies above. Applying all five of them can be overwhelming. Find what works for you, and stick to it.