There’s plenty of ways to hack hunger while fasting and in general, they can be categorized by either decreasing appetite, increase feelings of satisfaction, or distracting yourself.1
However, there’s an easy trick to lower appetite and that’s to drink caffeine in the form of coffee or tea.
Of course, some people prefer to avoid caffeine or may not benefit from the suppressant effects so they may want to explore alternate methods, or a combination of the 15 ways to fight hunger below.
In any case, you don’t have to be miserable while fasting so try out some of the hacks below to reap the benefits of fasting without the downsides of being hungry.
How To Make Yourself Feel Full When Fasting
Perhaps the hardest part of fasting is that empty feeling of foodlessness. This feeling can be uncomfortable, and more often than not, will lead to dieters breaking their fast and eating something to fill themselves up. Feeling hungry can even make dieters more susceptible to cravings, and cause them to undo all their hard work!
Fortunately, various methods can assist in managing hunger and supporting dieters in sticking to their fast, along with other trending diets such as low-carb keto, paleo diets, and low-calorie diets aimed at weight loss.
This makes water fasting, in which a person only drinks water, 24 hour fasting, which includes eating nothing for at least 24 hours, and intermittent fasting, where a person only eats during a small window throughout the day, completely possible and sets fasting dieters up for success.
If attempting to fast, dieters are encouraged to try out any of the easy hunger hacks below, as well as the varying fasting strategies to maximize their fasting adherence. This will help fasters to deal with hunger without eating, and a number of other unforgettable symptoms that comes with fasting for periods of time. Good luck!
#1 Drink More Water To Hydrate & Feel Full
Water is vital for the body’s overall health. But dieters are often unaware that water is a great tool to help with weight loss, too! In fact, it is well researched that drinking more water can aid in weight loss and fat loss for dieters trying to lose extra pounds.2
Furthermore, drinking more water is a great tool for dieters who are fasting. This leaves dieters to be more hydrated, leading to better health outcomes as the body needs water to function.
Source: BGStock72 via Canva.com3
As an effect of drinking more water, dieters will also feel more full during their fast. This makes fasters less susceptible to cravings, making them much less likely to break their fast. Adding more water into one’s diet can also give the stomach something to digest. This makes dieters less likely to have cramps, bloat, or feel nauseous due to their lack of food.
There are even some techniques such as water fasting, where a dieter only consumes water for the entirety of their fast. It’s not recommended to do this for a lengthy period of time as the body needs food for overall health. But engaging in water fasting can be helpful to eliminate toxins and clean out a diet’s bodily system.
#2 Eat Fiber To Survive a Fast
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that is very important to the body for health and weight loss, and can really aid dieters who are attempting to fast for longer periods of time. When fasting, dieters are eating much less and as a result, have little to digest. This can lead to slower digestion, and might even cause bloating or constipation in some individuals.
This is where fiber comes in handy. Because fiber is well known to help aid in digestion, eating fiber while fasting can lead to additional weight loss and can prevent some of the symptoms of fasting listed above.4
Try adding high in fiber foods such as vegetables, fruits, or whole grains when breaking a fast. This will help dieters to get important vitamins and nutrients needed for general health, while also supplying lots of rich fiber without too many calories.
#3 Replace Simple Carbs for Complex or Wholesome Carbs
Complex, wholesome carbohydrates are much healthier than simple, refined carbohydrates. They are known to provide more energy throughout the day, and have a number of vital nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids that are often stripped away during the processing of simple, refined carbohydrates.
Their nutrient dense nature helps dieters to feel full for much longer, and aids in weight loss and decreased rates of obesity.5 This makes for the perfect food to break a fast with, as it will provide more energy for fasters and help dieters to fast for longer periods of time.
Whole grains like wheat, rolled oats, barley, and quinoa are examples of complex carbohydrates, which explain why quinoa is beneficial for weight loss and often regarded as a superfood. It’s a wholesome carbohydrate that is a staple for dieters and fasters everywhere.
#4 Consume More Protein To Feel Satisfied
Protein is a necessity when it comes with weight loss and muscle building. This essential macronutrient not only aids in fat burning and muscle hardening, but also prolongs satiety by taking longer to digest, leaving dieters feeling fuller and more satisfied compared to consuming simple refined sugars or saturated fats.
Dieters who are fasting may struggle to find a high in protein, low in carbohydrate and low in fat food. For those looking to boost their protein intake, incorporating protein shake diet plans is advised to ensure sufficient protein consumption for weight and fat loss goals.
As an additional benefit, fasters will not only feel full for longer and more satisfied after meal times; dieters who use protein shakes will have additional muscle building and increased metabolism effects.
#5 Adjust Meal Timing & Frequency To Manage Satiation & Insulin
Most dieters do not know that insulin, the hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar, follows a 24 hour internal cycle known as the circadian rhythm.6 More simply put, this 24 hour cycle of insulin regulation leaves people to be hungrier and fuller during certain times of the day.
Fasting dieters should be aware of their insulin cycles to better adjust their meal timing and frequency. This can require trial and error seeing as everybody is different with varying dietary needs. But as a general rule of thumb, insulin often spikes in the morning and evening times.
Dieters attempting to fast should make their fasting window to incorporate these two time frames in order to help combat their body’s natural spike and resulting hunger.
Ways To Curb Your Appetite While Fasting
While eating filling foods is important, sometimes that’s just not enough and finding ways to lower your appetite can be beneficial. However, one word of caution is to always stay hydrated while fasting, and especially so if using appetite suppressants.
#6 Appetite Suppressants for Intermittent Fasting
Many dieters looking for ways to hack hunger while fasting might find themselves struggling with their appetite, especially when engaging in intermittent fasting that calls for only eating during a participle window of time frame. This is where appetite suppressants can come in handy!
Don’t worry, appetite suppressants can be all natural and safe to use. In fact, various appetite suppressants are among the best intermittent fasting hunger tips to combat extreme hunger and lead to engaging in a successful fast!
#7 Drink Coffee or Tea To Fight Fasting Hunger Pangs
Coffee and tea are high in caffeine, which is a well known appetite suppressant. It has been well researched that drinking coffee with a meal will reduce food consumption, leading to less calories being consumed and greater weight loss effects.7
In fact, caffeine can help improve overall energy and increase metabolic rate, further helping fasting dieters to stay active and lose more weight.
Source: eggeeggjiew via Canva.com8
Drinking coffee or tea can help aid in the digestion by giving the stomach something to do. Because the stomach is busy digesting these liquids, coffee and tea can help prevent hunger pangs that are often associated with fasting.
Coffee specifically is well known for its appetite suppressing effects. In part, this is due to the high caffeine content. Additionally, coffee has a bitter taste that acts as an appetite suppressant in most people. So enjoy a cup of coffee instead of breakfast, and try it black to make sure the drink is fasting friendly and minimal calories.
#8 Try Sparkling Water To Combat Hunger When Fasting
Sparkling water is like water with a bit of a kick. This drink of choice is carbonated, which helps fasting dieters to feel more full after drinking and even reduce appetite too. This is an especially useful way to hack hunger while fasting if a dieter enjoys drinking soda and is attempting to kick the bad habit.
Sparkling water can even come in a variety of flavors. This helps fasting dieters to reduce their hunger and cravings, allowing them to feel more full and decreasing their likelihood of breaking their fast due to a desire for a tasty treat. Plus, sparkling water can be delicious, while also providing the body with the hydration that it needs.
#9 Use Apple Cider Vinegar To Reduce Hunger While Fasting
Apple cider vinegar has mixed research when it comes to healthy benefits. However, some studies have found that vinegar can aid in weight loss, fat loss, and even help lower cholesterol in some population groups.9
As an additional bonus to fasting dieters, apple cider vinegar has a very strong taste. Because of its acidity, dieters who incorporate this ingredient might feel appetite reducing effects, leading to a decrease in hunger and more successful fast.
If attempting to drink apple cider vinegar, remember to only limit oneself to 1 to 2 ounces of the product, and make sure that the ingredient is listed “with the mother” to maximize the amount of nutrients the body is getting!
How To Ignore Hunger When Fasting
As many fasting dieters are already aware of, ignoring hunger is probably the most difficult aspect of successfully completing a fast. Luckily, there are still many more tips and tricks to aid dieters in adhering to their fasting practices, whether it be for weight loss or religious reasons such as Ramadan.
So try out any of the ways to manage hunger while fasting listed below for an effective fast!
#10 Use Distractions as a Way To Hack Hunger While Fasting
Even for the most experienced fasters, mastering techniques to divert attention from hunger can be challenging. Luckily there are a number of hunger hacks while fasting to help dieters to obtain their weight loss goals. This can include giving the brain something to do that requires a lot of focus, so that it won’t think about food or the hunger it may be experiencing.
Keeping busy with easy distractions can help too, such as cleaning or reading a book. In fact there are a number of effective ways to manage hunger during fasting; being creative and keeping occupied are key to successfully using this strategy.
#11 Chew Gum To Ignore Your Tummy Growling
Sometimes fasting dieters may be craving the sensation of eating rather than eating itself. This is why chewing gum can be an easy and successful hack to help dieters adhere to their fasting regime.
Gum can provide a lot of flavor on top of the chewing or mastication sensation that the body often associated with eating food. This can help to trick the body into thinking that it is eating food, and can help ease hunger pains, decrease appetite, and even aid in long term weight loss.
#12 Take a Walk Around the Neighborhood To Get Your Mind Off of Food
Remember, distraction often works when it comes to tricking the body during a fast! And one way to distract the body is to put it to work. Taking a walk around the neighborhood or in a local park is a great way to be active and remove oneself from the presence of food.
Furthermore, walking is a great way to burn additional calories and to stay healthy, not to mention the associated fat and weight loss with moderate amounts of step taking per day.10 Indeed, many dieters employing this approach often question whether they can lose weight by walking 2 miles a day.
The answer, unsurprisingly, is yes! Especially when pairing the additional steps with fasting and a lower calorie diet plan!
Other Ways To Hack Hunger While Fasting
Don’t worry, there are still more ways to hack hunger while fasting that most dieters do not know about! Listed below are some additional lifestyle changes that can help dieters to adhere to their fast in order to maximize weight and fat loss. Not only should these hacks help dieters to complete a successful fast, they are a great way to improve overall health too!
#13 Get Adequate Sleep
Sleep is so important when it comes to a person’s health and quality of life. It is well researched that improved quality and quantity of sleep aids in not only weight loss, but maintenance of said weight loss too.11
Getting more sleep can also be used as a tool to maximize the length of a person’s fast, and prevent nighttime eating for individuals who wake up for a midnight snack. So fasting dieters should adjust their sleep schedule and do everything they can to get enough sleep at night!
#14 Adjust Your Fasting Window
Fasting can look different for every dieter, depending on their overall weight loss and health goals or religious reasons for fasting. So with this in mind, a dieter’s fast can be tailored to each individual and their fasting window can be adjusted for successful outcomes.
For example, some dieters might be wanting the benefits 24 hour fast, and may have success timing their fasting window from noon to noon.
That way they are able to utilize sleep as a way to help their adherence to their fast. Some dieters may find greater success with alternate day fasting vs OMAD (one meal a day). And some dieters might be best at intermittent fasting, which is limiting food for a certain period of day such as 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Oftentimes, intermittent fasting hungry at night side effects keep dieters from their fasting goals. So alternating their fasting window is critical for intermittent fasting success!
It all depends on the individual’s unique preferences and dietary goals for fasting. So with this information in mind, dieters should not be afraid to adjust their fasting window and try various forms of fasting before sticking to just one!
#15 Cut Out Alcohol & Other Drugs
Drugs and alcohol, in general, are bad for the body and overall health. Alcohol specifically has been documented to be bad for long term health, and excessive drinking has been reportedly linked to weight gain and higher risks of obesity.12
In addition to this unfortunate side effect of drinking, alcohol can also lead to dehydration and sleep dysregulation, both of which can severely impact a person’s fast in a negative way.
Source: Andrii Zorii via Canva.com13
If a dieter is attempting a fast, regardless of which type of fasting technique is being used, they might find benefits in limiting their alcohol and drug usage to a minimum, or better yet, cutting these vices out all together. Not only will this produce better weight loss results, it will increase overall health and leave fasting dieters to feel healthier each day.
While fasting presents challenges for dieters worldwide, this comprehensive list can assist those who are tired of being fat in fasting effectively for successful weight loss. So try any number of the ways to hack hunger while fasting listed above to have not only a successful fasting experience, but also great fasting outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are the Healthiest Ways to Hack Hunger While Fasting?
In terms of health, there are a number of positive ways to curb hunger while fasting! This includes drinking more water to stay hydrated and full, eating more protein for longer lasting energy, improving sleep quantity and quality for good health outcomes, and of course, walking more to increase activity and distract oneself from hunger.
How Do I Deal With Hunger Before Bed?
Dealing with hunger before bed can be tricky, as hunger pains can keep dieters up at night and cause difficulty falling asleep. Fasting dieters should alter their fasting window to eat a few hour before bed so that they still feel full when they plan to go to sleep. Drinking a lot of water, and eating complex carbs and high protein meals can also aid in feeling full for longer and prevent night time hunger.
References
1Estradaanton. Canva. Accessed 16 April 2023. <https://www.canva.com/photos/MADZ2h7BNi4-young-unhappy-slim-model-touching-cookies-on-table-in-kitchen-she-look-at-junk-food-side-of-table-healthy-meal-on-left-side-alone-and-sad-/>
2Stookey, J. D., Constant, F., Popkin, B. M., & Gardner, C. D. (2008). Drinking water is associated with weight loss in overweight dieting women independent of diet and activity. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 16(11), 2481–2488. <https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.409>
3BGStock72. Canva. Accessed 16 April 2023. <https://www.canva.com/photos/MACnQXn4TNY-beautiful-sports-woman-drinking-water/>
4Akbar A, Shreenath AP. High Fiber Diet. (2022). High fiber diet. Stat Pearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; Available from Web: <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559033/>
5Ferretti, F., & Mariani, M. (2017). Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrate Dietary Patterns and the Global Overweight and Obesity Pandemic. International journal of environmental research and public health, 14(10), 1174. <https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101174>
6Boden, G., Ruiz, J., Urbain, J. L., & Chen, X. (1996). Evidence for a circadian rhythm of insulin secretion. The American journal of physiology, 271(2 Pt 1), E246–E252. <https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpendo.1996.271.2.E246>
7Gavrieli, A., Karfopoulou, E., Kardatou, E., Spyreli, E., Fragopoulou, E., Mantzoros, C. S., & Yannakoulia, M. (2013). Effect of different amounts of coffee on dietary intake and appetite of normal-weight and overweight/obese individuals. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 21(6), 1127–1132 <https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.20190>
8eggeeggjiew. Canva. Accessed 16 April 2023. <https://www.canva.com/photos/MADWr3ct6jI-woman-drinking-coffee/>
9Kondo, T., Kishi, M., Fushimi, T., Ugajin, S., & Kaga, T. (2009). Vinegar intake reduces body weight, body fat mass, and serum triglyceride levels in obese Japanese subjects. Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry, 73(8), 1837–1843. <https://doi.org/10.1271/bbb.90231>
10Kleist, B., Wahrburg, U., Stehle, P., Schomaker, R., Greiwing, A., Stoffel-Wagner, B., & Egert, S. (2017). Moderate Walking Enhances the Effects of an Energy-Restricted Diet on Fat Mass Loss and Serum Insulin in Overweight and Obese Adults in a 12-Week Randomized Controlled Trial. The Journal of nutrition, 147(10), 1875–1884. <https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.117.251744>
11Thomson, C. A., Morrow, K. L., Flatt, S. W., Wertheim, B. C., Perfect, M. M., Ravia, J. J., Sherwood, N. E., Karanja, N., & Rock, C. L. (2012). Relationship between sleep quality and quantity and weight loss in women participating in a weight-loss intervention trial. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.), 20(7), 1419–1425. <https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2012.62>
12Sayon-Orea, C., Martinez-Gonzalez, M. A., & Bes-Rastrollo, M. (2011). Alcohol consumption and body weight: a systematic review. Nutrition reviews, 69(8), 419–431. <https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00403.x>
13Zorii, Andrii. Canva. Accessed 16 April 2023. <https://www.canva.com/photos/MAEW9RILaM0-young-woman-refused-alcohol-drink-concept-of-alcoholism-womans-alcoholism-/>