Hunger is one of the second-highest barriers to losing weight, outweighed only by not seeing results fast enough. That's why learning to manage your appetite is so important, says registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association and author of "The Flexitarian Diet." She offers several tips that can help.
Step 1
Eat foods with a high water content to feel full. This is more important than having lots of fiber and protein, Jackson Blatner says. Fruits and vegetables both have high water content. Soup is another high-water food. Start your meals with broth or tomato-based soups.
Step 2
Eat more mindfully. Only eat if you have a table, plate and chair. You never get as satisfied by grazing in the kitchen, in your car or on your couch. When you have a meal scheme, you are likely to get full with less food. Also, limit distractions, because you'll eat far more when they're present.
Step 3
Exercise to help decrease appetite. When you feel extra-hungry or feel like you're not getting enough to eat, try some activity. This is one of the most surprising ways to cut your desire for more food.
Step 4
Put your appetite in check by grabbing a glass of water. "Sometimes when people feel hungry it may just be thirst," Jackson Blatner says.
Step 5
Watch your alcohol consumption. It's not necessarily the calories in the glass that are the problem---alcohol stimulates bad decision-making when it comes to eating.
Step 6
Decrease the variety of foods you eat to help regulate appetite. For example, at a party, instead of choosing a little of everything and thinking you're doing a good job, pick just three items to eat. Or, choose one dessert and stick with that. Different flavors stimulate the appetite. This is called sensory specific satiety, and there's a law of diminishing returns that goes like this: The first bite is fantastic, the second pretty good and the third just OK. As you eat more, you get taste bud fatigue.
Step 7
Chew more slowly and chew more times with each bite. A 2008 study published in the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" revealed that people who ate 29-minute meals chewing slowly---15 to 20 times per bite---versus people who ate nine-minute meals ate 70 fewer calories than the faster group. The study concluded you can save around 210 calories just by eating slowly.
Step 8
Trick your eyes. Decrease the size of your plates and bowls. Cut pizza party style instead of into wedges, so you get more pieces. "These little tricks really end up paying off," Jackson Blatner says. "Your eyeballs play a huge role."
Step 9
Choose fiber, protein and a little bit of healthy fats at mealtime. This combination helps things stay in your stomach longer, acting like a time-release vitamin.
References
- American Dietetic Association
- McGraw Hill: The Flexitarian Diet
- Interview: Dawn Jackson Blatner; spokeswoman; American Dietetic Association
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