It doesn't just happen to you after eating Chinese food - it always happens to you. An hour later you are hungry again! What to do? With some useful tricks and stocking up on the right foods you can avoid this problem! Keep reading.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Eating to feel full
Step 1. Drink some water
To start activating your stomach, precede your meals with a glass or two of water. So when the food arrives, your stomach will tell you earlier when you are full. If you don't know, water contains zero calories. A victory across the board.
- In fact, drinking more water can accelerate weight loss. Studies show that two glasses of cold water accelerate metabolism by up to 30% for the hour following their consumption. If you follow this advice regularly, you can lose 2.5 kg in a year just by drinking water.
- Also drink during your meals! This way you will feel full and stop eating earlier. It is also useful advice for your hair, nails and skin!
Step 2. Eat fruit or vegetables
Wasn't the glass of water enough? Then eat fruit or vegetables made almost entirely of water, like an apple or any green or orange vegetable. The texture and flavor will quench your appetite without making you eat too many calories. Having a snack can be good for you, as long as it's really a snack!
A nice crunchy bite can give you a lot of satisfaction. Apples will fill you up much more than apple sauce or juice. So if you decide to eat something, choose a food that you will need to chew (like carrots). Research shows that even grapefruits can stop your appetite
Step 3. Rely on protein
This is because they can literally communicate to your brain that you are full. What Happens When You Eat Two Donuts for Breakfast? An hour later, your brain wonders where the real food is - the one that contains protein. While fats can put you off the urge to eat, protein does a better job than carbohydrates and fats, because they make you feel full for longer.
- Eggs, legumes, nuts, and fish are all excellent sources of protein. If you snack, make sure the handful of dried fruit isn't covered in sugar and doesn't turn into a whole jar!
- A high-protein breakfast can lead to you eating less throughout the day. You might think about cutting calories if you skip it, but you will subconsciously recover by eating more in the following hours. Multiple studies show that those who eat breakfast weigh less than those who don't!
Step 4. Choose the fibers
Fiber is also great for feeling full. They only contain 1.5-2.5 calories per gram (few when compared to fats and carbohydrates, which contain 9 and 4 respectively) and, moreover, most foods rich in fiber require chewing and slow down the movement of foods in your digestive tract. Foods high in fiber won't cause insulin levels to go up, and will keep you from craving that ice cream before bed.
Include more legumes, whole grains, oats, unpeeled fruits and vegetables (those 6 grams of fiber can make you feel like you've ingested 260 calories!) In your diet
Step 5. Enjoy fat
Of course, you probably don't want to hear "eat some fat to feel full". And even if that's not what we're saying, in a way it is. You need some good fats to feel full - otherwise you'll want it all week. So instead of showing up to work with a dozen donuts for your "coworkers", eat some healthy fats and be done with it.
What are the good fats? Avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil are all great choices. Olive oil doesn't have to be an excuse to eat a one-meter bruschetta, but it is (along with the other foods mentioned) a great healthy substitute for some ingredients that will make you feel less full
Step 6. Look for foods specifically aimed at satisfying your appetite
The science is wonderful: it has been able to find a number of foods that produce particular effects on our brains. Here are some of them:
- Potatoes. When you cook them healthily, they can satiate your appetite throughout the day. The reason they fight hunger is the starch they contain. Eat them without peeling!
- Vinegar (or a vinaigrette) and cinnamon regulate blood sugar well after meals and prevent its imbalance from causing you to feel hungry again.
- Blueberries. It is believed that they fight the accumulation of fat without losing the feeling of satiety. If you can't get fresh ones, you can also eat them frozen.
- Grapefruit. It reduces your insulin levels (reducing fat metabolism!) And helps you burn calories. This explains the grapefruit trend in the 1980s.
- Almonds. As mentioned earlier, almonds are an excellent source of healthy fats. It takes the body about half an hour to register their consumption, but after this time you shouldn't have any problems. Try not to consume more than 80g per day.
- Greek yogurt. Its very dense texture deceives our brain, but it is a food rich in nutrients, which makes us feel more satiated. Try using it instead of sour cream!
Step 7. Get busy
Recent studies have shown that if you have to work to eat, you will eat less. For example by shelling pistachios or removing the seeds from a pomegranate.
There is some research that also shows the effectiveness of seeing the fruits of your labor. So if you leave the pistachio shells or chicken bones in a pile next to you, you will stop before you have thrown them right away. The same goes for candy cards
Step 8. Use the consistencies in your favor
Consistency has been shown to play an important role in the feeling of satiety. Particularly viscous - or sticky - foods will make you quit before eating. Virtually the opposite of fries!
Try eating porridge, oatmeal, and soup. Studies have shown that the same ingredients but in soup form leave those who eat them full for much longer. So get your pot out now
Part 2 of 3: Tricks to Fool the Brain
Step 1. Use aromatherapy
Can smelling a candle really make you stop eating? Well yes. Peppermint, banana, green apple, and vanilla are all flavors that significantly reduce appetite.
The same goes for very fragrant dishes. When your cio smells strong, you will generally take smaller bites and eat less
Step 2. Chew gum
Not only will chewing gum contain your appetite, but they will also work your mouth muscles! So in addition to keeping calories off, you can also burn 11 calories per hour. In the end, the little things can make a difference!
It also turns out that tires can relax you, reduce your stress levels, and make you more alert. Just avoid making too much noise when you chew them
Step 3. Use smaller plates
Here is a brief scientific interlude: There is something called "conditioned satiety". This basically means that we decide when we are full in our mind and not in our stomach. What is a key aspect to know when we are full? When the plate is empty. By using a smaller plate that can hold less food, you will still feel full when finished, but you will have eaten less.
- A small blue plate is ideal. The blue color is able to reduce appetite. That's why many restaurants don't use it!
- The same basic idea applies to when you eat from a bag or the refrigerator. When you don't see the end of your portion, you can continue eating indefinitely. So be sure to portion your food! When you see you're done, your belly will understand it too.
Step 4. Eat alone
This advice hardly needs to be explained. How many times do you find yourself surfing the internet all day alone, perhaps eating just a plate of pasta? Then your friends go back to town and all of a sudden there are chips, pizza, beer and trips to McDonalds. If you want to eat less, eat alone. It is much less fun.
A recent Dutch study showed that people generally eat at the same time as the people they live with. If the person in front of us eats, we feel compelled to eat. In some cases even if we are not hungry
Part 3 of 3: Developing Good Habits
Step 1. When you eat, eat
Doing two things at a time means being less careful about what you do. Eating when you're on the phone or watching TV can make you eat up to 20% more! By focusing only on food, on the other hand, you will be able to taste it better and consequently feel more satiated.
Sit down. Do not eat while standing. When we are on our feet, we are more in a hurry. We don't relax, we don't commit and we rush - so do your appetite a favor and when you eat, relax and sit down. Make yourself comfortable. Enjoy your meal
Step 2. When eating, chew slowly and take smaller bites
Your body needs about 20-30 minutes to let you know it is full. To avoid gorging yourself before your body realizes it, chew slowly and take smaller bites. If you are in a group of people, observe who eats slower and try to keep up with them.
Try taking voluntary breaks, especially if the temperature isn't important to your food. You may find that you are no longer hungry halfway through the course
Step 3. Eat often
Do you remember that day when you skipped lunch because you didn't have time and were happy with your business? What you may not remember is that you were so hungry at dinner that you ate a pan of lasagna by yourself. This is the worst thing you can do. Instead of putting yourself in a position to binge eat, eat often. 5 small meals a day may not make you feel hungry.
This doesn't mean you should eat more. Instead of sitting down and having a big dinner, grab a snack at 4:30 pm and a small meal at 8pm. Thanks to your afternoon snack, you won't feel the need to gorge yourself at dinner
Step 4. Turn your fork backwards
Remember the advice on struggling to eat? Can you follow it even when using cutlery? Try using these tricks to slow down and eat more carefully:
- Turn the fork backwards. If you can't use it as a spoon, you will be forced to skewer all the bites. A. Chicco. At the. Time.
- Hold the fork with the other hand. Using your non-dominant hand will slow you down a lot. It will also help you focus on food!
- Use chopsticks. Unless you are already an expert in using them.
Warnings
- Never try to replace a meal with water or juice.
- Never work out if you feel full; wait 20-30 minutes and then start with light activity.
