Control Appetite - Some Tricks We All Could Do

Any way we can cut down on our portion sizes is a way to calorie reduction, and therefore giving us a better shot at losing weight. It seems like it can be a losing battle, because as soon as we get hungry, our body sends out ghrelin, the hunger hormone to get us to eat. Science tells us that our stomach is not biologically programmed to be anti-diet, but when it senses food is in short supply it's programmed to get us to eat. Our objective will be to trick it into believing the situation isn't so dire.

Here are a few of the things you can do to psychologically throw your appetite off base:

1. Don't see what you want to eat. For much of the world food is so prevalent that it is exposed to us on a continual basis. Usually these are not fruits and vegetables, but unhealthy snack items that are much easier to pick up and eat when we feel hunger pangs rolling in. So if we keep it in hard to get at places or not in the house at all, we are much more likely to turn to whatever is available. Make that an apple, banana or other fruit, or whatever your favorite healthy snack item is.

2. Eat more lean protein. We all know that it keeps you feeling fuller for longer, because it takes longer to absorb and digest. But a recent study also found that it keeps you satisfied longer when eaten earlier in the day. Therefore, always plan for lean protein to be included with breakfast.

3. Add more fiber to your diet. Like protein, fiber is another healthy filler food. Vegetables and whole grains are excellent sources, there are many more.
.
4. When you eat, keep your focus on your food. Studies have shown that people eat more when they mindlessly devour it, rather than take time to savor it. We have probably all had the experience eating mass amounts of popcorn while watching a movie, and we wondered when we were done where all the popcorn went. Pay attention to what you eat.

5. Smelling certain foods. This may seem surprising, as we always thought that smelling foods triggers the appetite. But a study found that the smell of certain foods leads to appetite reduction, and also by surprisingly large amounts. The test used peppermint scent every two hours, and they consumed an average of 2700 calories a week less than normal. Other scents that have similar effects are banana, vanilla and green apple.

6. Eat with chopsticks. It makes you eat slower, and it has been found that you can save about 70 calories be eating a meal in one-half hour as opposed to ten minutes. Personally, if I ate with chopsticks all the time I would hardly eat at all.

These are just a few of the ways to trick yourself into curbing your appetite. Some of them are just part of a good diet, and others are maybe out-there a little. But if something works for you, what difference does it make if it's out-of-the-box thinking. Try them and see if they help.

The ability to control one's appetite is a key to weight loss. One way is to put it into the expert's hands by going with a meal delivery program. We have a lot of information on it on our website http://losethatbellyfat.info/. Click here to find out more about how to calculate your caloric intake. Rich Carroll is a writer and health advocate living in London.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Carroll