Healthy ways to downsize my appetite
August 10, 2013 9:46 AM Subscribe
How do I manage my appetite?
Hey mefites, I am trying (and kind of succeeding) in losing weight but my problem is that my appetite doesn't stop even when I've had enough food!! How do I downsize my appetite to healthier lower levels so I don't feel compelled to overfeed myself?
Thanks!
Hey mefites, I am trying (and kind of succeeding) in losing weight but my problem is that my appetite doesn't stop even when I've had enough food!! How do I downsize my appetite to healthier lower levels so I don't feel compelled to overfeed myself?
Thanks!
Is it physical or mental hunger? I find that if I eat something, even though I've had enough, I'm still looking for more food for about 10 minutes afterwards. I'm not physically hungry - indeed I'm so greedy I'm generally stuffed - but I'm still standing in front of the fridge with the door open.
Doing something distracting for a short while after eating really helps. Unsubstantiated theory time: our ancestors needed to eat while there was food available, so our brains are wired to get food while it's going. When our brains realise that there isn't any more, they quit their whining.
I did the 5:2 diet for a while, lost a lot of weight and learned a lot about my eating habits. Your stomach asking for food feels very different to your brain asking for it, I found.
posted by Solomon at 9:54 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Doing something distracting for a short while after eating really helps. Unsubstantiated theory time: our ancestors needed to eat while there was food available, so our brains are wired to get food while it's going. When our brains realise that there isn't any more, they quit their whining.
I did the 5:2 diet for a while, lost a lot of weight and learned a lot about my eating habits. Your stomach asking for food feels very different to your brain asking for it, I found.
posted by Solomon at 9:54 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
When I was losing a crap-ton of weight, one thing I noticed is that as I ate less, my stomach shrank. So when I tried to eat meals that previously I had no problem with, I couldn't finish.
So drinking water and filling your tummy with veggies helps you lose weight, but ultimately eating less helps you keep it off.
(also, usual advice to see your doctor if you're concerned--it seems like some sort of legal boilerplate but is actually really good advice)
posted by infinitewindow at 9:55 AM on August 10, 2013
So drinking water and filling your tummy with veggies helps you lose weight, but ultimately eating less helps you keep it off.
(also, usual advice to see your doctor if you're concerned--it seems like some sort of legal boilerplate but is actually really good advice)
posted by infinitewindow at 9:55 AM on August 10, 2013
You could talk to your GP about leptin therapy.
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 10:03 AM on August 10, 2013
posted by These Birds of a Feather at 10:03 AM on August 10, 2013
Are you eating quickly? If so, slow down! I tend to bolt my food down, and I'll still feel hungry right after eating a lot of food that way. It's tempting to go get more food at that point, but I don't need it. So I have to make a conscious effort to not do that. When I eat more slowly, I find that I am sated at the end of eating about the same amount.
posted by thelonius at 10:04 AM on August 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 10:04 AM on August 10, 2013 [3 favorites]
If your problem is specifically that you eat more food in one sitting than you should, you need to slow down when you eat. Make sure your meal consumption time exceeds 20 minutes, and sub-divide your portions so you have to actually get up and get more. Chew each mouthful for longer. If you don't have someone to talk to while you eat, find something interactive to do with your hands so you distract yourself (solitaire with actual cards is good) frequently during the meal. Do not do something mindless - TV, for example - where you can just power-feed without paying attention.
There is hang-time between actually having had enough food and your nervous system registering that you have had enough food. Slowing down will allow that process to happen.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:04 AM on August 10, 2013
There is hang-time between actually having had enough food and your nervous system registering that you have had enough food. Slowing down will allow that process to happen.
posted by Lyn Never at 10:04 AM on August 10, 2013
This is a problem I have.
1- You just have to get used to the idea that you can't eat until you feel satisfied. This is the hardest part. It really only lasts 5 or 10 minutes, but it's a rough few minutes. Once it passes, you are fine. One thing that helps me is to reassure myself that I can have more of what I am eating next mealtime.
2- It gets easier once you get into the groove of it. Maybe this isn't true for everyone, but I certainly have the issue where blood sugar fluctuations make me hungrier. (These are made up numbers, but close enough.) If your resting blood sugar should be 80, when it drops 10 points you get hungry. However, if you overeat for a while, your average blood sugar level ends up being higher than what it should be. So if you are walking around with a blood sugar of 100 all the time, you get hungry when it goes down to 90. You still have plenty of energy available, but your hunger is erroneously triggered.
3- Eat smaller amounts of heavier (but healthful) foods. 150 grams of straight chicken breast will satiate you much better than 150 grams of chicken fingers.
posted by gjc at 10:10 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
1- You just have to get used to the idea that you can't eat until you feel satisfied. This is the hardest part. It really only lasts 5 or 10 minutes, but it's a rough few minutes. Once it passes, you are fine. One thing that helps me is to reassure myself that I can have more of what I am eating next mealtime.
2- It gets easier once you get into the groove of it. Maybe this isn't true for everyone, but I certainly have the issue where blood sugar fluctuations make me hungrier. (These are made up numbers, but close enough.) If your resting blood sugar should be 80, when it drops 10 points you get hungry. However, if you overeat for a while, your average blood sugar level ends up being higher than what it should be. So if you are walking around with a blood sugar of 100 all the time, you get hungry when it goes down to 90. You still have plenty of energy available, but your hunger is erroneously triggered.
3- Eat smaller amounts of heavier (but healthful) foods. 150 grams of straight chicken breast will satiate you much better than 150 grams of chicken fingers.
posted by gjc at 10:10 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
1) Drink a lot of water before your meal. Or something else suitably low-calorie and filling (like veg or miso soup). It will fill up your stomach so that you won't feel as hungry for the rest of the meal. Don't start with bread (like in most restaurants!) because you'd be stuffing yourself with the worst kind of energy (simple carbs).
2) Start your meal with the vegetables and fibre. Same thing - they will fill you up before you get to your main meal. I also find that cooked vegetables fill me up and is more satisfying than salad.
3) Eat slower. This is something I really struggle with but is probably the most important. Drink lots during your meal, and if needed, put your knife and fork down after each mouthful. Cook fiddly foods that can't be wolfed down. This may also just be me, but I eat quickly because I love my foods piping hot and I want to eat it before it gets cold. If you have the same problem, perhaps try going for foods that are made to be eaten at room temperature, or are still great when a little cool.
4) End with the same thing each time. In Japanese izakaya (a kind of pub with lots of tapas-like food), we always order substantial carbs, or "shime" (literally meaning to close off), last, to signify that the meal has ended and we're putting the lid on the meal. It's partly to do with how filling the carbs are, but I also think it's to do with the ritualistic mental act of eating the same thing at the end, after which you're not allowed to eat any more. Maybe you can have something similar, like coffee or cheese or yoghurt or whatever, to remind yourself that the meal is 'over'?
posted by pikeandshield at 10:21 AM on August 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
2) Start your meal with the vegetables and fibre. Same thing - they will fill you up before you get to your main meal. I also find that cooked vegetables fill me up and is more satisfying than salad.
3) Eat slower. This is something I really struggle with but is probably the most important. Drink lots during your meal, and if needed, put your knife and fork down after each mouthful. Cook fiddly foods that can't be wolfed down. This may also just be me, but I eat quickly because I love my foods piping hot and I want to eat it before it gets cold. If you have the same problem, perhaps try going for foods that are made to be eaten at room temperature, or are still great when a little cool.
4) End with the same thing each time. In Japanese izakaya (a kind of pub with lots of tapas-like food), we always order substantial carbs, or "shime" (literally meaning to close off), last, to signify that the meal has ended and we're putting the lid on the meal. It's partly to do with how filling the carbs are, but I also think it's to do with the ritualistic mental act of eating the same thing at the end, after which you're not allowed to eat any more. Maybe you can have something similar, like coffee or cheese or yoghurt or whatever, to remind yourself that the meal is 'over'?
posted by pikeandshield at 10:21 AM on August 10, 2013 [6 favorites]
It helps me to eat more frequent, smaller meals. (This was on the advice of a dietitian.) I find that keeps my blood sugar on a more even keel, and I don't get to the point of getting so ravenously hungry by mealtime that I gorge myself.
If you can't eat smaller more frequent meals, try having a light, protein-intensive snack (like string cheese or a piece of chicken) between meals. The key is to keep yourself from getting REALLY hungry. I find that I eat a lot less when I don't allow myself to get famished in the first place. This means smaller, more frequent meals, a light snack if I feel hunger pangs coming on and I know it will be a while until mealtime, and eating more protein, fiber and fat and fewer carbs.
Drinking lots of water also helps.
If you feel you are really out-of-control hungry, go to your doctor and get a blood panel and blood sugar test. I was on a medication (Seroquel, for sleep) that wreaked havoc with my blood sugar levels. I could eat until my stomach ached, and still have hunger pangs. The Seroquel was giving me pre-diabetes. So I flushed the Seroquel, will never take it again, my appetite is back to nomal, and I'm losing weight. I'm telling you this because you should know that there are certain medications that do have hunger as a side-effect (and Seroquel can cause diabetes. IMO it's dangerous to prescribe it off-label just for sleep).
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:35 AM on August 10, 2013
If you can't eat smaller more frequent meals, try having a light, protein-intensive snack (like string cheese or a piece of chicken) between meals. The key is to keep yourself from getting REALLY hungry. I find that I eat a lot less when I don't allow myself to get famished in the first place. This means smaller, more frequent meals, a light snack if I feel hunger pangs coming on and I know it will be a while until mealtime, and eating more protein, fiber and fat and fewer carbs.
Drinking lots of water also helps.
If you feel you are really out-of-control hungry, go to your doctor and get a blood panel and blood sugar test. I was on a medication (Seroquel, for sleep) that wreaked havoc with my blood sugar levels. I could eat until my stomach ached, and still have hunger pangs. The Seroquel was giving me pre-diabetes. So I flushed the Seroquel, will never take it again, my appetite is back to nomal, and I'm losing weight. I'm telling you this because you should know that there are certain medications that do have hunger as a side-effect (and Seroquel can cause diabetes. IMO it's dangerous to prescribe it off-label just for sleep).
posted by Rosie M. Banks at 10:35 AM on August 10, 2013
Have you been doing this for very long? It took about two months for me to get used to eating less. How many calories are you cutting out? 1-2 lbs weight loss a week is considered healthy, but honestly, I cannot maintain that. I am aiming at 0.5-1lbs a week, which means it will take longer, but I also want this to stick as part of a long term healthy lifestyle. Last, do you ever have heartburn? The ravenous hunger feeling is a heck of a lot like the I need to eat something to settle my acid stomach feeling.
posted by florencetnoa at 10:42 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by florencetnoa at 10:42 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is also a problem I have and it was terrible when I was actually (healthily!) losing weight. A few things that helped
- drinking water and generally staying hydrated with healthy stuff
- some sort of tasty very low-cal always available snack (carrots and humus, cough drops, celery, rice cakes) that I kept track of but allowed me to "snack"
- fiber, making sure my diet included things that were good for me but also I could eat a LOT of (squash, carrots, salad greens, beets) and making sure I started the day with this
- watching out for blood sugar, I had a hard time differentiating what was a blood sugar crash brought about by eating/drinking something earlier and what was actual I-need-fuel-for-my-furnace hunger. I got better at mixing things like beer/candy/starchy stuff with higher protein stuff to keep the spikey blood sugar stuff more regulated. Even small amounts of beer makes me feel famished later, so I mostly don't drink it.
- goals - don't not eat the stuff but have reasonable goals for when you can. For me this was all about exercise offsets. Having some sort of dessert (even if it was only 100 cals of dark chocolate) was only okay if I'd walked at least four miles that day
- staying busy - it's sort of easy to screw around in the kitchen and notice that there are tasty things to eat there, same with online time etc. I tried to find things to do that just got my mind off of being hungry
I also made a few adjustments to my diet. When I was eating low cal if I had an early dinner, I'd be really hungry before bed and couldn't sleep so I built in a snack right before bed, just apricots or some almonds but it really helped with pangs that were distracting.
posted by jessamyn at 11:12 AM on August 10, 2013
- drinking water and generally staying hydrated with healthy stuff
- some sort of tasty very low-cal always available snack (carrots and humus, cough drops, celery, rice cakes) that I kept track of but allowed me to "snack"
- fiber, making sure my diet included things that were good for me but also I could eat a LOT of (squash, carrots, salad greens, beets) and making sure I started the day with this
- watching out for blood sugar, I had a hard time differentiating what was a blood sugar crash brought about by eating/drinking something earlier and what was actual I-need-fuel-for-my-furnace hunger. I got better at mixing things like beer/candy/starchy stuff with higher protein stuff to keep the spikey blood sugar stuff more regulated. Even small amounts of beer makes me feel famished later, so I mostly don't drink it.
- goals - don't not eat the stuff but have reasonable goals for when you can. For me this was all about exercise offsets. Having some sort of dessert (even if it was only 100 cals of dark chocolate) was only okay if I'd walked at least four miles that day
- staying busy - it's sort of easy to screw around in the kitchen and notice that there are tasty things to eat there, same with online time etc. I tried to find things to do that just got my mind off of being hungry
I also made a few adjustments to my diet. When I was eating low cal if I had an early dinner, I'd be really hungry before bed and couldn't sleep so I built in a snack right before bed, just apricots or some almonds but it really helped with pangs that were distracting.
posted by jessamyn at 11:12 AM on August 10, 2013
Best answer: I cut out bread, pasta, and most sources of wheat. Not because I am into trendy low carb diets, but because those kinds of food spike your blood sugar and then leave you feeling famished a few hours later.
Trust me, I LOVE pasta, bagels, bread, cookies, etc. But I noticed a huge difference when I stopped eating things like cereal and bagels for breakfast and started eating high protein foods like eggs. Before, I would eat breakfast and then be starving two hours later. Now I can eat an omelette and go almost the entire day without feeling hungry, and when I do get hungry it's not that OMG NEED FOOD NOW, it's hm, maybe I should eat since it's been 7 hours. And I was never the person who "forgets" to eat; I'm usually the person who starts thinking about what I want for lunch as soon as I finish breakfast.
posted by thank you silence at 11:13 AM on August 10, 2013 [12 favorites]
Trust me, I LOVE pasta, bagels, bread, cookies, etc. But I noticed a huge difference when I stopped eating things like cereal and bagels for breakfast and started eating high protein foods like eggs. Before, I would eat breakfast and then be starving two hours later. Now I can eat an omelette and go almost the entire day without feeling hungry, and when I do get hungry it's not that OMG NEED FOOD NOW, it's hm, maybe I should eat since it's been 7 hours. And I was never the person who "forgets" to eat; I'm usually the person who starts thinking about what I want for lunch as soon as I finish breakfast.
posted by thank you silence at 11:13 AM on August 10, 2013 [12 favorites]
Best answer: These things that have helped me feel less hungry:
1. Eat breakfast as late as you can stand to. I find if I eat breakfast first thing in the morning, I just feel hungry all day. Now I have a couple of cups of coffee with milk, and that usually carries me till about 9 or 10 (I wake up at 6).
2. Try to avoid most carbs before dinner. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, sugar--not even whole grains. I have unsweetened yogurt and fruit for breakfast and a big green salad with beans or chickpeas or cheese for lunch. Afternoon snack is a handful of almonds.
3. Exercise daily, before dinner. I take my dog for a 2.25-mile walk every day that it's not raining. It's not a particularly strenuous walk--not hilly, takes about 35-40 minutes. I do this when I get home from work before dinner. I'm usually feeling peckish but not starving and will almost always find I am less hungry afterward than I was before. I will occasionally have a piece of fruit or a granola bar if those almonds just aren't doing the job.
By then, I find I don't overeat at dinner. (and if I do, well, then I skip dessert. I almost always have dessert, though.)
I am not magically thin or anything--still about 10 lbs overweight, by the usual charts, but it's what works for me.
posted by elizeh at 11:15 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
1. Eat breakfast as late as you can stand to. I find if I eat breakfast first thing in the morning, I just feel hungry all day. Now I have a couple of cups of coffee with milk, and that usually carries me till about 9 or 10 (I wake up at 6).
2. Try to avoid most carbs before dinner. Bread, rice, pasta, potatoes, sugar--not even whole grains. I have unsweetened yogurt and fruit for breakfast and a big green salad with beans or chickpeas or cheese for lunch. Afternoon snack is a handful of almonds.
3. Exercise daily, before dinner. I take my dog for a 2.25-mile walk every day that it's not raining. It's not a particularly strenuous walk--not hilly, takes about 35-40 minutes. I do this when I get home from work before dinner. I'm usually feeling peckish but not starving and will almost always find I am less hungry afterward than I was before. I will occasionally have a piece of fruit or a granola bar if those almonds just aren't doing the job.
By then, I find I don't overeat at dinner. (and if I do, well, then I skip dessert. I almost always have dessert, though.)
I am not magically thin or anything--still about 10 lbs overweight, by the usual charts, but it's what works for me.
posted by elizeh at 11:15 AM on August 10, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Are you looking for a certain flavor or mouth feel satisfaction? For me, I crave spicy, creamy, crunchy and salty. I just realized last night that I could satisfy that craving by a giant iceberg salad that had yogurt, sea salt and a spicy spice (insert whatever combo works for you). I must have eaten 40 calories or so, and was completely satisfied. I have also eaten a large greasy unhealthy meal, but if it wasn't spicy enough, I wasn't satisfied at all in the end, and found myself still "hungry".
posted by Vaike at 12:05 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Vaike at 12:05 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Savor your food. Chew slowly and enjoy every bite. No watching TV while eating.
posted by BillyAnne at 12:12 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by BillyAnne at 12:12 PM on August 10, 2013
No matter what you think of low carb/paleo-type diets, they are right that high-protein and high-fat foods keep you feeling fuller and more satisfied longer (at least in my case), so I'd step up your protein (and optionally, your fat) and focus on working more of that into your diet and cutting back on carbs even if you're not going full low-carb/paleo.
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 12:14 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Ghostride The Whip at 12:14 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yeah, while I'm guessing this won't work for everyone given the wide range of body types and metabolisms, I've gone the route that thank you silence and Ghostride the Whip mention. I didn't do it for weight loss-- I decided to try dropping (for the most part) "white" foods (bread, pasta, rice, potatoes-- all things I've always loved) to see if it would impact my rather severe IBS. It did-- I feel immensely better most days. The side effect is that I've dropped some pounds, and though I'm not overweight, I was happy to see them go.
In fact, I tried this because someone here mentioned it casually in another thread: basically "eat more proteins and fats and eat green things instead of white things".
An example: instead of burritos, now, I eat taco salad-- I pile it with avocados and sour cream (two of my favorite things!) and it's just way more satisfying, extremely filling, and I'm not hungry for the rest of the night- not even right away in the next morning. When I want a snack I don't go for peanut butter on bread like I used to, I lazy-chop an apple and eat it with sharp white cheddar. WAY better and just as easy. The best part about dropping the white foods is that I actually get to eat more of the proteins and fat-- the stuff that actually tastes good-- without feeling bad. I just substitute green foods for white ones (most days and most meals, it's not a hard and fast rule) and it would seem for me, at least, that I'm rarely hungry and easily satisfied by the healthy stuff.
posted by mireille at 12:52 PM on August 10, 2013 [4 favorites]
In fact, I tried this because someone here mentioned it casually in another thread: basically "eat more proteins and fats and eat green things instead of white things".
An example: instead of burritos, now, I eat taco salad-- I pile it with avocados and sour cream (two of my favorite things!) and it's just way more satisfying, extremely filling, and I'm not hungry for the rest of the night- not even right away in the next morning. When I want a snack I don't go for peanut butter on bread like I used to, I lazy-chop an apple and eat it with sharp white cheddar. WAY better and just as easy. The best part about dropping the white foods is that I actually get to eat more of the proteins and fat-- the stuff that actually tastes good-- without feeling bad. I just substitute green foods for white ones (most days and most meals, it's not a hard and fast rule) and it would seem for me, at least, that I'm rarely hungry and easily satisfied by the healthy stuff.
posted by mireille at 12:52 PM on August 10, 2013 [4 favorites]
Eat slower! a simple hack: Put your fork (or your sandwich) down while you're chewing.
posted by Tom-B at 12:57 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by Tom-B at 12:57 PM on August 10, 2013
Another thing about eating less and more often. I lost a shit-ton of weight eating sandwiches made of these and as much of this as I felt like putting on the sandwich. With just a little mayo and mustard to taste. The only restriction was that I could only eat one at a time.
I would also eat a couple of eggs and a little bacon in the morning.
Snacking was fruit and vegetables the occasional handful of Wheat Chex.
Also, not eating before bed. If I was feeling ravenous, I'd have some Chex, but it is really hard to eat too much of them when you are eating them raw without milk.
posted by gjc at 1:26 PM on August 10, 2013
I would also eat a couple of eggs and a little bacon in the morning.
Snacking was fruit and vegetables the occasional handful of Wheat Chex.
Also, not eating before bed. If I was feeling ravenous, I'd have some Chex, but it is really hard to eat too much of them when you are eating them raw without milk.
posted by gjc at 1:26 PM on August 10, 2013
On the topic of increasing dietary protein: protein powders are a nice way of staving off hunger. Some of them have thickeners like xanthan gun, which mean they're thicker and more pudding-like—so quite filling, even though they're low-calorie.
posted by henryaj at 3:08 PM on August 10, 2013
posted by henryaj at 3:08 PM on August 10, 2013
Best answer: My trick is setting a timer on my phone. (I feel pretty lame doing this sometimes since I'm a grownup and ought to have more self control but whatever.) If I suspect my hunger is in my brain and not my stomach, I'll set a timer for even just 15 minutes. Most of the time, I'm distracted enough by that time that I don't eat more. Good luck and thanks for posting this question - lots of other good advice I can use, too!
posted by Beti at 9:24 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Beti at 9:24 PM on August 10, 2013 [2 favorites]
Nthing those who've found dropping 'white foods' to make a huge difference. I cut out potatoes, rice, pasta, bread at the end of May and have been amazed at the difference it's made to my weight and appetite.
In part, I think it's boredom – I can't eat enough of anything else to get the tummy-hug feeling I got from pasta, say – but I'm satiated and happy, and I never feel as hungry or empty as I did before.
posted by carbide at 8:46 AM on August 11, 2013
In part, I think it's boredom – I can't eat enough of anything else to get the tummy-hug feeling I got from pasta, say – but I'm satiated and happy, and I never feel as hungry or empty as I did before.
posted by carbide at 8:46 AM on August 11, 2013
Join me to the chorus of people who managed hunger by managing carbs. When I'm eating truly nothing but meat and vegetables every day, I feel remarkably satiated and energetic on startlingly few calories. But if I eat, say, a single cookie? Then in 20 minutes I am RAVENOUS. I have insulin resistance issues, so I have even more reason to manage my carbs. (Interestingly. the carbohydrates in legumes don't seem to screw me up the same way.)
Oh, and exercise! If I get up after a meal and walk briskly for ten or fifteen minutes -- or frankly even five -- it takes me MUCH longer to get hungry again.
posted by KathrynT at 9:50 AM on August 11, 2013
Oh, and exercise! If I get up after a meal and walk briskly for ten or fifteen minutes -- or frankly even five -- it takes me MUCH longer to get hungry again.
posted by KathrynT at 9:50 AM on August 11, 2013
Nthing those who've found dropping 'white foods' to make a huge difference. I cut out potatoes, rice, pasta, bread
Just a question for the folks who do this-- does that mean cutting out all rice and pasta, or are brown rice and quinoa pasta OK?
posted by Rykey at 11:16 AM on August 11, 2013
Just a question for the folks who do this-- does that mean cutting out all rice and pasta, or are brown rice and quinoa pasta OK?
posted by Rykey at 11:16 AM on August 11, 2013
I wasn't one of the people who specifically mentioned "white foods" but for me, I had to cut all starchy carbs entirely -- no brown rice, no wholemeal bread, no quinoa -- as well as all refined sugar (including sugars refined by bees and trees, so no maple syrup, no honey.) IOW, I was getting all my carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables, legumes, and some dairy. It was a giant pain in the ass, which is why I fell off the wagon, but the difference to my physical and mental health was extraordinary.
posted by KathrynT at 11:27 AM on August 11, 2013
posted by KathrynT at 11:27 AM on August 11, 2013
I'm a former low-carber who now eats carbs, including white carbs like potatoes and white rice. However, my appetite has drastically reduced in the last several years. One major reason for this shift has been adherence to something similar to a "low reward" diet.
Neurobiologist/obesity researcher Stephan Guyenet talks about this idea in detail on his blog.
The short version: certain combinations of food flavors and textures cause a drug-like response in the brain. This response short-circuits the hypothalamus' ability to regulate appetite via leptin signaling, and makes you remain hungry even when you've had enough food.
"Food reward" has two effects: in the short term, it makes you more likely to overeat, because your fullness circuitry has been broken; in the long term, it raises your body's "set point," causing your body to defend its increased weight, even if you reduce how much you eat. That is, you might try to eat less (perhaps even an appropriate amount for your health), but remain ravenously hungry anyway.
Guyenet's recommendation is not merely to reduce calories, nor to reduce specific macronutrients (like carbs or fat, etc.). Instead, reduce the "food reward" factors in your diet. Eat all the white carbs you want, just don't season them or combine them in ways that make them extra-tasty. Think: plain white rice, plain steamed potato. Plain, plain, plain. You'll be surprised how filling they become! Analyze your diet for the foods which you eat for pleasure, and make them less pleasurable to yourself.
Now, you might hear this and think that it will make eating extremely boring and depressing. It can do that. But it's extremely effective, and you can experiment to try to dial in exactly how much "rewarding" food you can afford to keep in your diet. Seriously, it will shock you how easy it is not to overeat when your food is plain.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 2:07 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
Neurobiologist/obesity researcher Stephan Guyenet talks about this idea in detail on his blog.
The short version: certain combinations of food flavors and textures cause a drug-like response in the brain. This response short-circuits the hypothalamus' ability to regulate appetite via leptin signaling, and makes you remain hungry even when you've had enough food.
"Food reward" has two effects: in the short term, it makes you more likely to overeat, because your fullness circuitry has been broken; in the long term, it raises your body's "set point," causing your body to defend its increased weight, even if you reduce how much you eat. That is, you might try to eat less (perhaps even an appropriate amount for your health), but remain ravenously hungry anyway.
Guyenet's recommendation is not merely to reduce calories, nor to reduce specific macronutrients (like carbs or fat, etc.). Instead, reduce the "food reward" factors in your diet. Eat all the white carbs you want, just don't season them or combine them in ways that make them extra-tasty. Think: plain white rice, plain steamed potato. Plain, plain, plain. You'll be surprised how filling they become! Analyze your diet for the foods which you eat for pleasure, and make them less pleasurable to yourself.
Now, you might hear this and think that it will make eating extremely boring and depressing. It can do that. But it's extremely effective, and you can experiment to try to dial in exactly how much "rewarding" food you can afford to keep in your diet. Seriously, it will shock you how easy it is not to overeat when your food is plain.
posted by overeducated_alligator at 2:07 PM on August 11, 2013 [1 favorite]
I manage my hunger while losing weight by eating a lot of vegetables. Usually my goal is at least a pound of vegetables a day. If I'm making frozen broccoli with dinner, I eat the whole bag. If I'm making a salad, I am using the biggest mixing bowl I have.
Avoiding carbs and making sure you are getting plenty of protein & fat like others have mentioned, is also solid advice. When I'm sticking to my plan, I swap out rice, bread, pasta, and other carbs for vegetables. Even if you aren't on a low-carb plan, you can eat a LOT more cauliflower "rice" for the same amount of calories as brown rice.
posted by inertia at 8:11 AM on August 12, 2013
Avoiding carbs and making sure you are getting plenty of protein & fat like others have mentioned, is also solid advice. When I'm sticking to my plan, I swap out rice, bread, pasta, and other carbs for vegetables. Even if you aren't on a low-carb plan, you can eat a LOT more cauliflower "rice" for the same amount of calories as brown rice.
posted by inertia at 8:11 AM on August 12, 2013
Best answer: I feel embarrassed every single time I bring this up, but I have to bring it up because it totally changed my food-life. Paleo. Once I started eating along Paleo-lines (lots of meat and lots of vegetables and lots of fat, and very little grain), I *stopped* being insanely hungry all the time. I spent 35 years being hungry *all* the time, panicking about getting enough food, dreading being out and about in the city because I'd always waste tons of money on food, etc. Now, I am almost always full and relaxed, eating just a little bit fills me up, I am eating way healthier than I ever have, and as a totally unintentional side benefit, I'm looking pretty great. But the number one benefit was the serious drop in pointless/frantic appetite. I attribute this almost entirely to the regulation of my blood sugar in a system of lots of fat and protein. No more carbohydrate-sugar swings, etc. Oh, and I drink tons of whole milk and eat tons of butter, which isn't strictly 'Paleo' (which is, anyway, just a word, and I don't buy into any of the schmaltzy pseudo-history!)
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 12:09 PM on August 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by thegreatfleecircus at 12:09 PM on August 12, 2013 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by carsonb at 9:52 AM on August 10, 2013 [4 favorites]