There are many people who do not know how to say enough with food.. When this happens, these people are usually overweight. They would like to lose weight but they really feel a sense of hunger that they have a hard time coping with.
Starting a meal and wanting more or snacking between meals are clear symptoms of difficulty controlling food. The most obvious consequence is overweight, and no doubt these people would like to eat too much. They do not know how to do it, but there are ways to feel full of food and eat less.
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8 ways to not overeat and feel satiety sooner.
The feeling of satiety is very important to not overeat. There are many people who have uncontrolled hormonal system that regulates the feeling of hunger, so they overeat.
Here are some of the best ways to feel full and keep hunger at bay. Not eating too much depends on a series of behaviors that are acquired with good eating habits, and these in turn depend on proper knowledge.
At the beginning it is difficult because it is not possible to change everything from one day to the next, but it is worth it. Our health will thank you for it.
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1. Reduce the most calorie-dense foods.
One of the biggest problems to fight obesity is to consume foods with a high caloric density.. This means that in very little product weight we are going to have a high amount of energy.
What happens is that the volume that these foods occupy in our stomach is very low. In this way, our receptors send signals informing us that we should eat more. In other words, we are still hungry.
2. Eating micronutrient-rich foods
High calorie-dense foods can be rich in micronutrients, such as nuts. This means that they have vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to our health.
However, in most cases this is not the case. The high energy intake of calorie-dense foods is not usually accompanied by good micronutrients..
Even if we have eaten enough, our body may still need certain micronutrients and we may be driven to eat more to try to get them.
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3. Consume more food and less food products
Actually, in the previous point we should differentiate between foods and food products. Food is apples, eggplants, nuts, meat, milk, … food products are cookies, sweets, frozen pizzas, ice cream or cakes.
Food products usually contain a series of ingredients with a nutritional profile that is not the healthiest available.. They are not bad in themselves, but the food industry often uses them as it pleases to make costs profitable.
Thus, the global trend is to use a lot of refined sugar, refined flour, palm oil, etc. instead of using other healthier ingredients.
4. Take more fiber
Fiber foods are very filling and make you feel satiated.. This is great news, because foods that contain fiber tend to be the healthiest. Their supply of micronutrients is excellent for our body’s needs.
For example, vegetables and fruits are foods that contain a lot of water and fiber. They do not have a very high calorie intake, so we can also eat much more than other more caloric foods (such as potatoes, rice, bread, etc.).
- Related article: “10 foods rich in fiber (to fight constipation)”.
5. Eating with conscience
Eating without putting the “automatic mode” helps us to feel satiated in a proper way for different reasons.. First of all, portioning is very important. Eating one chicken thigh is not the same as eating two chicken breasts.
On the other hand, it has been scientifically proven that chewing food well helps to avoid problems related to satiety. When we do not chew enough, we tend to eat more and have more digestive problems.
6. Take our time, do not eat too fast.
Eating quickly is counterproductive to feel adequate satiety.. While we are eating, receptors located in our stomach are warning our brain that it is getting full. When we are satiated, the brain stops sending the hunger signal.
If we eat too fast our body does not have time to do all this process and reduce the hunger signal. That is why, while we are eating without any peace of mind, we still feel hungry. After a few minutes, once the meal is over, we may feel that we have eaten too much and regret it.
We should eat calmly, savor the food and enjoy the company. This is the only way our brain will release satiety hormones at its own pace.
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7. Drink enough water
Staying hydrated throughout the day is essential for the proper functioning of the organism.. Sometimes we confuse hunger with thirst, so drinking regularly throughout the day is sometimes very important to reduce excessive feelings of hunger.
On the other hand, during the meal it is appropriate to drink some water. It is also a good strategy to fill the stomach in a healthy way to eat soups. Liquid foods trigger better satiety signals than solid foods.
8. Take protein every time we eat
Protein is a vitally important macronutrient for our body. We do not have a large store in our body as in the case of carbohydrates and fats, so we must take in very frequently.
If we do not take enough protein, our body will release a series of hormonal responses that will induce us to be hungrier and eat more.. Eating protein in adequate amounts regulates hunger and satiety.
- Related article: “What is the Paleo diet? Discover its main ideas”