Appetite and hunger are not the same thing -- hunger is a physical need for food while appetite is an interest in or desire for food. When you have a craving for sweet or salty foods, this is your appetite talking, which can deter you from losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Your appetite doesn't always betray you. Sometimes appetite and hunger work together to ensure you have food for energy. By learning how to suppress your appetite when needed, you can eat to live -- not live to eat.
Eat Mindfully
Eating mindfully means simply to be aware of what you are eating. You may eat more or more often than you realize -- while talking on the phone, watching television or when you are bored. To suppress your appetite, you must really think about what you are eating and eliminate outside distractions. If this is difficult for you, make it a habit to eat only at a dinner table, not on your couch, at your desk or any other place that can be distracting.
Smaller Plates, Smaller Portions
The visual and emotional cues related to appetite mean you typically will eat what you are served or what is in front of you. If you make what is in front of you smaller -- such as by eating off a smaller plate -- you can effectively suppress your appetite. This will help you use smaller serving sizes when you do. Portion control is another key to appetite suppression. By eating smaller amounts of foods you enjoy, your appetite will be satisfied, yet you will have not taken in as many calories.
Switch Up Your Thinking
Sometimes it's difficult to tell the difference between your appetite and hunger, but there's one method you can employ. Women's Health magazine suggests that when you are craving something sweet, you should think about eating something that's not similar to a dessert, like a steak. If eating the steak still sounds good, you are hungry. However, if eating something like this does not, your appetite could be leading you to eat sweets because you want them -- not out of hunger.
Try Some Water and a Handful of Nuts
For a natural appetite suppressant, Dr. Michael F. Roizen, a physician interviewed in "Reader's Digest," recommends drinking two glasses of water and eating an ounce of nuts -- about six walnuts and 12 almonds or 20 peanuts. This combination signals the hormones in your body that you are full and have eaten, helping to reduce cravings and suppress your appetite.
References
- The Diet Channel; How to Curb Hunger; Krista Scott-Dixon, PhD; January 2008
- "Time"; Health: How to Curb Your Cravings; June 2006
- "Women's Health" magazine; 7 Ways to Stop Craving Junk Food; Adam Campbell; May 2011
- Health.com: How the Pros Curb Food Cravings; Kate Stinchfield
- "Reader's Digest"; 10 Ways to Control Your Cravings; Paula Dranov
Member Comments