#weightloss - foods that make you hungrier

White bread & white pasta

In a recent Spanish study, researchers tracked the eating habits and weights of more than 9,000 people and found that those who ate two or more servings of white bread a day were 40% more likely to become overweight or obese over a five-year period compared to those who ate less of it. Eating white bread spikes insulin levels, causing hunger.

Juices

These "healthy" drinks contain all the sugar of your favorite fruit, but none of the fiber-containing pulp or skin. That means drinking a glass of juice can shoot your blood sugar levels up—and then back down again—bringing on hunger. Your better bet: blend a smoothie using whole fruit instead, and mix in a scoop of protein powder or nut butter to help balance your blood sugar and boost satiety. 

Salty snacks

There's a reason why you crave something sweet after polishing off a bag of potato chips. Chips, pretzels, and salty snack mixes are little more than quick-digesting simple carbs, which can spur insulin highs and subsequent lows. And since your taste buds and brain link fast-acting energy with sweet foods, it's common to have a craving for something sweet once you finish your salty nosh. 

Fast food

Pretty much every ingredient behind a fast food counter is designed to make you supersize your meal. For instance, trans fat inflames the gut, potentially impairing the body's ability to produce appetite-controlling neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin. Meanwhile, the GI tract absorbs high fructose corn syrup (commonly found in buns, condiments, and desserts) quickly, causing insulin spikes and even bigger hunger pangs. 

Alcohol

Alcohol doesn't just lower your healthy-eating resolve, it downright makes you hungrier: According to research published in Alcohol & Alcoholism, just three servings can slash your body's levels of leptin—a hormone designed to squash hunger and keep you feeling full—by 30%. Alcohol can also deplete your body's carbohydrate stores (called glycogen), causing you to crave carbs in order to replace what was lost.

MSG

MSG (aka monosodium glutamate) is a flavor-enhancer best known for being added to Chinese food, and may also be found in other foods including canned veggies, soups, processed meats, and even beer and ice cream. One animal study from Spanish researchers suggests the chemical triggers a 40% increase in appetite, and according to research published in the journal Obesity, people who consume the most MSG are nearly three times more likely to be overweight than those who don't eat it at all. The effects of leptin (a "satiety hormone" made by fat cells) may be blunted by the damaging effects of MSG on the hypothalamus.

Sushi rolls

If you don't eat anything else, sushi rolls are fairly rapidly digested and emptied from the stomach without a high level of satiating properties like fiber or protein, considering that rice is their main compound.

Artificial sweeteners

Whether they are in your diet soda or sprinkled in your coffee, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, and others) excite your brain cells, making them think they are about to get a sweet serving of energy (aka calories), and then let them down—hard. The upshot: You may crave—and eat—more sweets throughout the day, trying to make up for the letdown. Besides, it has been proposed that artificial sweeteners cause insulin spikes just like real, calorie-packed sugar.

Kids' cereals

White flour with a generous dusting of table sugar, these morning starters may cause blood sugar and insulin swings causing hunger sensation. Cereal can be a smart way to start your day—look for whole grain or bran cereals that contain at least 5 grams of fiber and less than 5 grams of sugar per serving.

Pizza

You know you can't eat just one slice—no matter how big it is. That's because your favorite pizza joint's combination of white flour dough, hydrogenated oils, processed cheeses, and preservatives can throw off your blood sugar levels, production of satiety hormones, and hunger-regulating regions of the brain. That said, if you make pizza at home with whole-wheat dough and top it with lean meat, lots of veggies, and just a sprinkling of cheese, then you'll have a fiber- and protein-packed meal that's less likely to have you reaching for more food in an hour.