Hunger suppressants and the false security they provide in the war against weight loss.

It has startled me over recent months with the increase in fad diets promoting hunger suppressants as a form of healthy weight loss. Promising the world in a cup or a pill, powder and even more recently a lolly pop?!

Promoted and endorsed by the genetically selected individuals who promise you can look just like them. And truth is you probably could with thousands of pounds worth of plastic surgery, tanning products and contouring makeup and perfectly selected wardrobes by style specialists; And that is not to mention the computer photographic and video technicians carefully editing images to perfection. It is true you could be finding yourself paying out somewhere near that for these magic potions, however what you are likely to find the of bottom of that mug will be nothing but disconnection from your body’s natural signs. Resulting in increased weight gain, muscle wastage, and an unhealthy relationship with food, digestive issues and disappointment, long after the cup is empty.

What is a hunger suppressant?

Hunger suppressants are drugs or chemicals that work on the brain to fool it into thinking that you are not hungry. They act primarily on the neurochemical transmitters of the central nervous system to reduce your appetite and subsequently – food intake. In short the normal sensors in your body that tell you brain you feel something, in this case hunger, are inhibited; This means that the message doesn’t reach your brain. It does not mean that you’re not hungry and that your body is in need of food, it just means that your brain won’t tell you that’s the case.

Diet pills can control hunger pangs or make you feel full faster on less food, but as a result you take in fewer calories and lose weight, it has always been a weight loss concept:

Less calories = weight loss.

So what’s the problem? Hunger suppressants (even those prescribed by a GP in exceptional circumstances) are designed for short term use, a maximum of 12 weeks only. I bet they never told you that on the back of the tea packet? No? shock!

I guess it wouldn’t be conducive to a monthly prescription they’ve signed you up to?

It is also important to know and understand, that these suppressants do not work on their own!

Studies show that weight loss medication, including appetite suppressants, work best when you’re also making healthy changes to your eating and exercise habits at the same time. This is because sustained weight loss in not about just cutting the calories until you reach goal weight, but its about sustaining a healthy diet and exercise regime which is evolutionally designed to help sustain and maintain your new goal weight.

Too many times we’ve seen people chew down on the hunger suppressants to get to their goal weight fast. But as soon as they have reached their goal, they feel they have pushed through the finish line to a life of health and happiness so they stop the suppressants and they are left with a large appetite due to the increase in lupin now being produced as you’ve lost body fat – for more information see my blog on yo-yo dieters

Now you feel flat lined, you’ve spent months eating nothing but suppressant pills and apples and you’ve got an appetite you cant control, a waist line ever increasing and zero energy to get yourself motivated to workout.

This is why many people continue to over use of hunger suppressants, but this is both dangerous and risky. Resulting in many not being able to understand why their relationship with food is so bad; And why actually taking time to listen and understand what your body actually needs helps in addressing and disassociating any emotional eating habits to your confusion with hunger.

It wouldn’t surprise you to know then that extend use of hunger suppressants – whether through “natural ingredients” or through the latest advertisement on social media often leave many with common side effects these include:

• Constipation.

• Cough.

• Dizziness.

• Dry mouth or change in sense of taste.

• Fatigue.

• Headaches.

• Increased blood pressure or heart rate.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Sleep problems or insomnia.

But everywhere sells them, so they cant be that bad, right?

The diet business is a multi-billion pound industry, driven by the social desire to address the imperfections we ridicule ourselves for. So yes, they are more readily available; I mean who wouldn’t want a slice of that pie?

Sold in health shops, online and even fitness sites can often lead you to believe that these little supplements are almost healthy.

However it is important to know that suppressants do serve a purpose; for example when your cutting for competition, or when you are prescribed them by a GP or other medical profession, AS PART OF A HEALTH PROGRAM. But the unregulated and misunderstood use of hunger suppressants is causing an increase in quick fix weight loss diets, aimed at seeing weight loss quickly rather than addressing the natural balance of a healthy lifestyle. Often leading to people becoming yo-yo dieters, with an unhealthy relationship and lack of understanding about health, and food. It is also not addressing the true reason or nature of the reason we are over eating. – often this is not even hunger at all, but due to emotional eating, which can not be fixed through a hunger suppressant pill as the underlying issue will still be present long after to pot in empty.

Let me put the suppressants into context for you.

Imagine your body is a car, when the fuel light turns on we know that it is time to fill up with more fuel, and if we don’t we could be leaving ourselves stranded. Your body works in much the same way, when your body starts to run low of required nutrients and energy it will send you a signal often through a rumble in the tummy, or a hunger pang. And just like your car this is when we need to be refuelling.

If we leave the car empty and try to run on the fumes, we will start to have the wonderful little warning sign flash and scream at us, highlighting the urgency. Again, our body working in the same way; It increases the hunger warning signs, headaches, leathery, dizziness and nausea.

Now, if we were to buy pass our little fuel warning gauge how would we know we needed to refuel? Surely it would be too late and the next thing we would know we would be calling the little knights in their shining vans to come and rescue us, whilst they look amusingly at us with the “you plonker” expression and your embarrassment swells.

So I ask, why would you do this to yourself? Why would you cut of the warning signs to your body which are telling you, you need to eat. And by cutting this off and for an extended period of time you leave yourself at risk of a hypoglycaemic attack – this is where the body starts to shut down as there isn’t enough energy to support your whole body. Long period of hypoglycaemic yo-yoing can leave you susceptible to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Almost risk of other issues such as digestive sensitivities, reduced BMR, increase in Leptin making it difficult to manage your appetite and weight.

Leptin is a hormone released from fat cells in adipose tissue. Leptin signals to the brain, in particular to an area called the *hypothalamus. Leptin does not affect food intake from meal to meal but, instead, acts to alter food intake and control energy expenditure over the long term. Leptin has a more profound effect when we lose weight and levels of the hormone fall. This stimulates a huge appetite and increased food intake. The hormone helps us to maintain our normal weight and unfortunately for dieters, makes it hard to lose those extra pounds!

*Why is this significant? Because the part of the brain that is receiving signals from the leptin (the hormone that is control by the loss of fat, and states that we need to eat) is also the part of the brain, that is responsible for sending us signals. The hypothalamus responds to a variety of signals from the internal and external environment including body temperature, hunger, feelings of being full up after eating, blood pressure and levels of hormones in the circulation. It also responds to stress and controls our daily bodily rhythms such as the night-time secretion of melatonin from the pineal gland and the changes in cortisol (the stress hormone).

Ever wondered why when we are stressed we seek out food?

It is often because we are not able to interpret the signals being sent to us, often mistaking symptoms of emotional stress produced by the cortisol hormone; headache, irritability, fatigue as also symptoms of hunger despite having only eaten breakfast about an hour ago (I will do another blog on the effects of stress on our diet)

So what can we do instead?

Take a moment to ask yourself what is it you really want?

Do you want a quick fix which may get you to your destination in quick time, but one that will inevitably result in a weight gain post goal, a continuation of bad eating habits, an inability to understand your body’s signals and an even bigger broom to help sweep those emotional eating habits under the carpet?

Or are you looking for a weight loss which is supported by good nutrition, healthier eating habits, physical health and an increase in your understanding of your relationship with food?

If it is the latter you are seeking, then there are a number of things that you can do.

1. Understand yourself. – Are you carrying extra weight because you are over eating? Or maybe eating the wrong things? Understand you eating patterns and what is driving you to seek food.

2. Seek support – If you have been battling for some time with your weight, whether it be your familiar with the yo-yo dieting concept or whether it has just been an uphill struggle for you then positive support will be an important part of your journey. It can sometimes also be the hardest part of the journey, it is sometimes difficult to admit to ourselves we have a problem, let a lone sharing it with anyone. But remembering that most people have been in the same if not similar situation as yourself before are often the best ones to seek advice from. Having ridden that wave from rock bottom they are often full of helpful tips and advice. Support to address, both your nutritional intake, but also any hidden emotions which you have been carrying around or trying to supress with food. It is often the ability to address these underlying issues which smooth the road ahead on your journey to a healthier you. Friends and family are a great place to start, many people can be the rock you need when all you want to do is reach for the biscuit barrel. Seek support in like-minded people, join a support group in needed, or speak to a medical practitioner or a nutritionist for more specialised support. Especially when our emotional habits are often heavily linked to our eating.

3. Take a breath of fresh air – the first step to a healthy diet and a healthier happier you, is to step out into the open accept what has been and focus on your journey ahead. We all know how good and motivated we feel after actually completing that spring clean, after we have been promising ourselves we will have a deep clean over the new year, but never actually got around to doing it. Well consider this as taking a breath of fresh air, bringing out all your cooped up hang up, your negative through process and throw them away. Invest in a positive attitude and one that will support you in achieving your goal, rather than one that is set to sabotage you. Clear out all the old unhealthy habits, and food storage holes you may have or foods which are your comfort blanket. Replace these with healthier alternative, or discard them completely.

4. Eat food designed to nourish and fill you up. Too often we will hunt our and find quick refined carbs such as biscuits and crisps yet moments later we are still hungry yet have consumed a tone of calories but have nothing to show for it. Rather than running of the quick fix look for foods that will really fill you up. Look for wholemeal or natural fillers such as potatoes, and wholegrain pastas. These are known as whole foods and not only will they keep you fuller for longer due to the fibre within them, but the are actually providing your body with essential nutrients required to support your body. Too often we have seen Carbs being labelled as the enemy when actually they are far from this. Carbs are required for a number of functions within our body, nut not least of all containing high levels of fibre which are responsible for good gut health, reducing cholesterol and also slowing down and controlling sugar being released into the blood; which in turn keeps us fuelled with energy for longer periods and also reduces our risk of type 2 diabetes. It is not carbs that should be frowned up to but more refined carbs. These refined carbs can be found in things such as biscuits, crisps, white bread, white pasta and pastries. These carbs have been through quite often more than one process of milling or bleaching and due to this they have lost most of if not all of their fibre as well as a considerable amount of their original nutrients. Leaving your body not only buzzing on sugar but also filling your with empty calories which are on little or no nutritional value. Instead look for things such as raw root veg, humours, wholemeal products and potatoes, natural grains such as quinoa, barley, couscous, rice and lentils are all great sources of nutrients for your body as well as designed to keep your hunger at bay.

5. Get moving. It has never been a mystery that keeping active promotes health and strength within your body. Research as shown that even as little as a 20 minute walk every day can reduce your chance of heart disease and strokes by up to 30% – now that is not to be sniffed at. I’m not suggesting that you have to run marathons, or hurl yourself into a 5 day a week weigh training exercise regime from sitting on the couch post lock down, but slowly increasing your exercise weekly will not only improve your physical being but also improve the positive feeling and decreases depression and support a good mental health. So if your sat there thinking that I really don’t want to get out and I can really be bothered to move, remember once you’ve achieved something you’re likely to feel so much better about yourself. And well if nothing else it will at least get you away from those kitchen cupboards. Recent studies have also found that increasing you activity levels has a direct impact on your diet as well. Showing a huge increase of 40% of individuals who have started to embark on a regular activity start to eat healthier, choosing better options of sustainable foods and clean eating compared to those binge watching Netflix.

6. Get in those pints. No, I am sorry I am not talking about the beers or cider or wine if that is your preference I am talking about water, the good old H2O, the drink of life. With our bodies being made up of 60% water is it any wonder that without the liquor of life that we are often left with nutrients and processes within our body unable to function to full capacity when we are dehydrated? Without the appropriate amount of water in our body it impacts not only our digestion but also our transfer of nutrients into our body tissues and organs. Resulting in a number of symptoms such as confusion, slow repair, headaches, reduced motor functions, slow digestion, and unable to regulate our own body temperature. Recent studies have show a glass of cold water before breakfast increased the nutrient absorption s it stimulates the stomach. It also awakens the mind and improves focus.