Control your appetite in 8 easy steps
Monday 14 June 2010
When it comes to dieting, one of the biggest downfalls can be the lust for naughty foods like pizza, curry or pasta.
Your head knows that if you want to drop a few pounds successfully you have to stay away from the fat- and sugar-laden treats, however, that doesn't mean that your appetite has been told!
One of the hardest part of a diet is that slightly annoying problem when your stomach begins to rumble. Apparently, the scientific reason for this is that your body senses that food is in short supply and it goes into panic mode, which makes you want to cram as much food as possible into your mouth!
And with 70% of dieters saying that hunger is their biggest obstacles, we all know how difficult it can be to shed those extra pounds.
So to help you stay away from the 'appetite trap', we have compiled a number of tips and tricks that will silence that rumbling tummy once and for all.
Keep your appetite and cravings at bay
Are you REALLY hungry?
We’re more likely to stuff ourselves depending on external stimuli - what time it is, how much is left in the package, if we're bored - than what our gut is telling us. Use this scale to rate your hunger and only eat when you’re in the 3-4 range. At 1 or 2 you don’t need to eat and by 5 or 6 you’re likely to over-eat.
1: You don’t feel hungry.
2: Food sounds good, but you couldn’t eat a whole apple.
3: Your stomach feels empty.
4: Your stomach is growling.
5: Your stomach and head hurt.
6: You are irritable and can’t focus. Eating feels like an emergency.
Get a personalised meal plan
It works for the A-list, so why not get your own tailor-made meal plan. At www.closerdiets.com you can choose from 16 delicious diet plans, all designed to benefit your health and help you drop the pounds.
If you are prone to hunger pangs and snacking between meals, we reccommend the Closer Diets GI plan, that will help you to lose weight without feeling hungry, stabilise blood sugars and banish cravings whilst following a healthy and satisfying diet.
Start your day the protein way
Nutritionists are always ranting and raving about lean protein and its benefits; they keep you fuller than other nutrients and also take your body more time to digest and absorb. However, recent research has found that when you eat it also matters. Eating the protein at breakfast is the best time of day as it keeps you satisfied for longer than if you were to have it at any other time of day.
Potato, Potato
Atkins and other no-carb diets made out that the trusty spud was our number one enemy, but this is not always the case. Potatoes actually have the power to fill you up for hours. Because potatoes take a while to break down, they stay in your intestine longer, delaying the onset of hunger pangs. So have a spud at lunch or dinner (a medium sized one is only 100 calories) or have a yummy potato salad with vegetables. Just make sure you choose a healthy filling, like low-fat chilli con carne or tuna for a jacket potato, and stay away from the fatty mayonnaise for a spud-based salad.
Have a fat day
This is not an excuse to stuff your face with ice cream - we are talking about the ggod kind of fats! Cutting out all fat from your diet can actually backfire. Oleic acid, an unsaturated fat found in olive oil, nuts and avocados can help squash hunger, according to a study. But despite its benefits, you still have to monitor your portion sizes; unsaturated fats should make up about 20 per cent of your total calorie intake. You could try snacking on two tablespoons of natural peanut butter, an ounce of nuts, or a quarter of an avocado.
Get hot and sweaty
Going to the gym not only burns calories but they also stop you from consuming more of them! Studies have found that 60 minutes of high-intensity exercise can reduce your appetite for up to two hours afterwards. To maximize the anti hunger effect; make your cardio more intense by adding intervals (short bursts of speed with periods of rest in between).
Gobble the grapefruit
Once upon a time everyone was doing the Grapefruit Diet, but then Atkins came along and stole the crown – but now the grapefruit is fighting back! In a recent study carried out in San Diego, people who ate half a grapefruit with each meal lost an average of 3.6llbs in three months. The fruit is also credited as a top cellulite-busting food, so tuck in!
Taking a whiff
Smelling food can trick your brain into thinking you’ve eaten. Smelling a banana, a green apple, peppermint or vanilla can all trick your mind and tum into thinking that you’ve already consumed the food in question and even squash sweet cravings. And the more often you sniff these aromas, the more weight you’ll lose! Stash some vanilla scented candles in your snack drawer or cupboards. Another handy hint is if you tend to eat more when you’re stressed, hold your left nostril closed and sniff through the right one to activate the side of your brain where emotions are processed. It could help reduce your anxiety and your appetite. Bonus!
By Laura Atri
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