Appetite, Satiety, and Weight Loss: What's the Connection?

First things first, what do we mean when we’re using these terms:

Appetite refers to the desire to fulfil our body’s need for food. Even if we’re not feeling particularly hungry, we can have an appetite for something we’re craving.

Satiety is basically the opposite of hunger. It’s used to describe the feeling of fullness following a meal. If you find yourself wanting to snack shortly after a meal, it’s a strong sign the food wasn’t satiating for your body.

The satiety of the foods we’re choosing can have a massive effect on our long-term weight loss efforts. Take breakfast for example, “the most important meal of the day” is often the first place we can go wrong.

Refined sugars aren’t satiating. We might feel like we’ve had enough breakfast after a bowl of cereal, but the added sugars quickly increase our blood sugar before leading to a crash, usually only a few hours after we’ve finished our morning bowl.  

Choosing a breakfast of wholegrain toast and poached eggs, high in complex carbohydrates, protein, and fats, on the other hand, can leave us feeling fuller for longer. Although this choice has more calories than the quick bowl of cereal, we are far less likely to start snacking by mid-morning and have a better balance of macronutrients.

To support healthy weight loss, the goal should be to make our meals more satiating so we can feel satisfied until our next meal and avoid the need for mindless snacking.

Hormones are chemical messengers that play a vital role in our appetite, hunger, and satiety.

Ghrelin is the hunger hormone. It’s there to increase our appetite and let us know when our body needs more fuel. Restricting our calories as part of a weight-loss diet often leads to an increase in Ghrelin, making sustained weight loss a challenge.

Leptin tells us that we’re feeling full and it’s time to stop eating. Leptin resistance is associated with obesity, but it’s cause is unclear.

GLP-1 is a fullness hormone too, it also helps to keep our blood sugar stable.

Peptide YY is a hormone in our guts that decreases our appetite.

It's widely accepted that obesity is caused by overeating, underexercising or a combination of the two. We’re taking in more calories from our diet than we’re expending through exercise, so the key to weight loss is to eat less. Simple, right?

But it's not that simple, obesity and weight gain is linked to our hormones. Diets fail because we can only sustain eating less for a short while... eventually our hunger hormones win over because we're not giving ourselves the fuel we need.

There are a few lifestyle changes that have been shown to help support healthy weight loss and appetite, along with a balanced diet and regular exercise.

Mindful eating – You might have heard this term before. It’s a simple theory that’s a bit harder to follow in practice! The idea is that paying close attention to your food during mealtimes helps to give your body and mind the time it needs to understand it’s sufficiently full. It can take up to 20 minutes for our appetite to catch up, so taking extra time to focus on exactly how your meal tastes and smells could make a big difference.

Balance out your meals – Macronutrients matter and finding the right balance in your meals can help make them more satisfying and satiating. Think about the breakfast cereal analogy when you're preparing your meals: Is there protein to keep you fuller for longer? Are the carbohydrates complex or refined? Is there any fibre in your food? Have you included a source of healthy fats?

Listen to your body’s signals – If you’re beginning to feel full, listen to what you’re being told! You don’t have to clear your plate just because there’s food left. When you start paying attention to when your body is telling you it’s satiated, you’ll quickly learn the portion sizes that feel right for you and can adjust accordingly.

Consider a weight loss aid – We’re obviously going to suggest a supplement! However, it’s important to make the right choice if you do feel like you’re in need of some extra support from a dietary supplement.

Many of the appetite teas and weight loss products that are sold as dietary supplements are dehydrating or produce a laxative effect. Although the number on the scale is decreasing, it could be at the expense of your health.

Curb is a weight loss aid that contains only natural ingredients which have been studied for their effects on appetite and weight management.

It contains Yerba Mate leaves which are widely used in South America to reduce hunger and fatigue. Research has also shown it helps to prevent the development of new fat cells. Guarana seeds are made into a drink in Brazil and are a natural ingredient in energy drinks. It’s similar to coffee and contains natural caffeine to help release more fat into the bloodstream to be used as fuel. Damiana has been shown to improve mood and could help to manage emotional eating. B vitamins help to convert the food we eat into energy,

Curb also contains B3 and B6 to support this process and your metabolism.