Appetite control is essential for weight management. Any time you eat more calories than your body burns, you gain weight. On the flip side, eating less calories than you burn promotes weight loss. Whether you're trying to shed or maintain weight, there are several tricks that can help you tame your appetite naturally.
Eat Breakfast Every Day
Breakfast is an important part of a balanced diet and plays a role in appetite suppression. Often, dieters sacrifice this meal to cut calories. However, skipping breakfast can cause you to become hungry and overeat later on, according to the American Council on Exercise. Skipping breakfast also increases your chances of reaching for unhealthy fare. Your best option is to eat something as soon as you get up. A cup of yogurt mixed with berries and seeds is a quick and easy fix.
Drink Water
Water flushes toxins from your system and hydrates your body, but it can also have an impact on your hunger. Right before you eat a meal, drink a glass of water. This will make you feel full and reduce your appetite. To further promote weight loss, replace the sweet or high-calorie beverages in your diet with water.
Include High-Fiber Foods in Your Diet
Dietary fiber creates bulk in your stomach. This in turn fills you up and keeps you satisfied for an extended period of time. Include high-fiber foods, such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and whole-grain derivatives, with all of your meals.
Prepare Snacks Between Meals
You might think snacks are forbidden with a weight-loss program, but that's far from the truth. By incorporating snacks into your meal plan, you'll actually keep your hunger under control and your energy levels high. This strategy also gives your metabolism a nice lift. The key thing is to keep your snacks small. A banana with peanut butter spread across the top is a healthy option.
Eat an Apple a Day
If you eat an apple a day, you'll keep your appetite away, as well as the doctor. The key is to eat your apple about 15 minutes before a meal. This will help fill you up and cause you to consume fewer overall calories. You might also choose a small bowl of fruit salad, or a cup of soup.
Increse Your Protein Intake
Foods high in protein take longer for your body to break down, which keeps your hunger stabilized. They also help fill you up. Include healthy sources of protein in your diet, such as egg whites, chicken breasts, lean beef, turkey and low-fat dairy products.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Don't Skip Breakfast to Cut Calories
- The Diet Channel: Top 4 Benefits of Drinking Water; Michele Silence, M.A.; October, 2006
- MayoClinic.com: Dietary Fiber; Essential for a Healthy Diet; Mayo Clinic staff; November, 2009
- "Shape": Healthy Snacks=Weight Loss
- USATODAY: Apple a Day Keeps the Calories at Bay; Nanci Hellmich; October, 2007
- "Women's Health": Healthy Appetite Suppressant Tricks; Loren Chidoni; April, 2011
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