The question of how CBD impacts our appetite and our weight is something we hear quite often. Even though you might know that CBD and weed are not the same thing, you may still wonder if CBD will give you the munchies. And rightfully so: if you are at all focused on eating healthy or managing those late-night cravings, the last thing we would want is for you to ruin all that hard work with a late night TV session binge eating a bag of Cheetos. On the opposite end, you may be one of the people who has heard that CBD can help you lose weight. So which one is it? 

In this article we explore the topic of CBD and hunger/food. Does CBD make you hungry? Is it good for weight loss? How can CBD hemp oil help you reach your fitness goals? Keep reading to find out!

CBD and hunger: does CBD make you hungry?

As you probably know already, all of our CBD is derived from hemp. And although they are different plants, both hemp and marijuana (along with the main active ingredients they contain: CBD and THC) belong to the same family, so it is only natural to wonder if they share the same appetite-stimulating effects. 

Unlike the hemp plant which contains only trace amounts of THC, marijuana is packed with CBD’s psychoactive cousin. After years of genetic manipulation, today’s marijuana strains are more potent than ever. But beyond simply getting you high, THC also increases your appetite by stimulating your CB1, releasing a hormone that causes your brain to make you think you are hungry. 

Think of it like having too much screen time before bed—it might be midnight and you might feel more tired than ever, but all that screen time tricks your brain into thinking it is still daytime. THC has a similar impact on hunger. Instead of your hypothalamus telling you that you are full, the increased levels of ghrelin effectively flip a switch and tell your brain (and your stomach) that it is time to eat! 

Hemp on the other hand, which contains a high proportion of CBD but only a negligible amount of THC, does not make you hungry. That is because the CBD in the hemp plant antagonizes your CB1 receptors, suppressing appetite and leads to less binge-eating. 

So does CBD make you hungry? The simple answer is no.

CBD for weight loss: can CBD help me lose weight?

Further research is still required, but current studies suggest that CBD could aid in weight loss. By antagonizing your CB1 receptors, CBD can help reduce your appetite and control your weight. As well, its impact on mood can also help prevent overeating as research has shown a strong correlation between depression and overeating. 

CBD can also help alter the type of fat in your body. Not all fat is bad, and the "good fat" (brown fat) helps your skin look firm and makes you look younger. On the other hand, the white fat in your body is the main type of fat that insulates your body. It is also the form of fat where the junk food you eat is stored. Studies have shown that CBD could help convert the white fat into brown fat, which work to burn off energy as heat (ie. burning calories) and help the body break down fats more efficiently. 

Other ways to convert white fat into brown fat include exercising (CBD can help with that too, see below!), exposing your body to cold temperatures, and getting more sleep. CBD can help boost the quality of your sleep by interacting with receptors in your brain, which helps reduce stress, allowing you to fall asleep faster and stay sleeping longer. So not only does CBD directly impact your weight, but it also has several ancillary benefits that help turn white fat into brown fat, thus further controlling any potential weight gain.

Lastly, all our products pair CBD with coconut derived MCT oil which has been shown to increase satiety and reduce food intake. The combination of CBD and MCT oil could potentially help you lose weight by boosting your metabolism and promoting appetite control.

CBD and exercise: can CBD help me reach my fitness goals more quickly?

CBD can help boost your exercise routine in many ways, so you can lose weight and/or get toned more quickly. If you take oral CBD before you start exercising, CBD will act to help relax your blood vessels during your workout, improving blood flow to your muscles. That means they get a continuous supply of oxygen, and you can work out for a longer period of time before getting sore and fatigued!

CBD can also help reduce post-workout pain and aches by reducing the transmission of signals to the brain. It is great for muscle spasms: apply a CBD balm to the affected area to calm the spasms and the pain associated with them. A topical CBD hemp oil balm can also help relieve the inflammation that your muscles develop due to the workout, which can boost the healing of the tiny tears caused by exercise.

Lastly, as we mentioned previously, CBD hemp oil can help you get a good night’s sleep, which can boost recovery and help you burn fat. Sleeping is an important part of your body’s natural healing process. By boosting your sleep quality, CBD not only impacts your weight, but also provides a boost to your bodies post-workout recovery.which can boost recovery. Sleeping is an important part of your body’s natural healing process. By boosting your sleep quality, CBD could therefore significantly boost post-workout recovery.

In short, if you want to supercharge your workout, try CBD! We recommend you use a combination of topical and oral CBD. Take an oral dose an hour before you start exercising–our Curcumin softgels are perfect for that, and apply a CBD healing balm on any sore areas of your body after your workout. The oral CBD hemp oil will take care of inflammation throughout your body (especially when it's paired with anti-inflammatory curcumin!), whereas the topical form will help soothe pain in specific problem areas. Thanks to this dynamic duo, you're likely to be able to train for a longer time than usual, and to recover more quickly, which makes your goals much easier to reach!

TL;DR: CBD does NOT make you hungry, THC does! On the contrary, CBD can help you lose weight in many ways. It aids in preventing overeating, converting "bad fat" into good, and can also boost your exercise routine. With CBD, you can work out for longer and recover faster, especially if you use a combination of oral and topical CBD. Now your fitness goals seem much more attainable, don't they? :)

Yesterday offers a full-line of hemp derived CBD oil, containing broad-spectrum hemp extract and zero THC. Feel free to check out our full selection of oils and softgels to help bring a sense of calm to your daily life. To learn more about the CBD basics, we recommend reading more from our CBD 101 articles, available here.