Drinking Water Can Curb Mistaken Feelings of Hunger

Although drinking a glass of water may not change your appetite, it can curb mistaken feeling of hunger that were really signs of thirst. Moreover, if you consume healthy amounts of fiber, hydration will trigger satiety signals. Natural feelings of hunger plays a major role in achieving effective weight loss but ravenous hunger can cause a host of problems, like slowing your metabolism, compromising your immune system, and triggering binge eating.

The stress hormone cortisol is released when you need to deal with your fight-or-flight mechanisms. Unfortunately, it most often triggers an appetite for high fat or sugar laden foods and drinks as an errant hunger signal. If you recognize yourself as someone who copes with life by indulging in unhealthy foods, it is crucial to learn how to control your emotional appetite as well as how to correctly manage true hunger pangs.

Regardless of why you want to lose weight, at some point you are going to feel hungry or feel the urge to satisfy unwanted food cravings. Although it is important to know the difference between the two, it is more important to apply some of the tips below to better manage your pursuit of pleasure:

• Stay Hydrated – Anyone who has ever been on a diet is familiar with the gnawing feeling of hunger that occurs when you cut back on eating, but did you know that drinking a glass of water can often fill you up.
• Protein & Fiber Snacks – Always keep small containers of portable foods at home and the office. This is an easy way to get nutrition that will not impact your appetite before the next meal.
• Reduce Sugar Intake – A sugar high is all fun and games until the crash occurs. That’s why reducing your sugar intake can help stabilize blood sugar levels. When you need to snack, eat healthy protein and fiber treats.
• Eat Slowly – Appetite is more complex than hunger, which makes losing weight much harder. Nonetheless, eating slowly and chewing your food more thoroughly will give your body enough time for you to experience pleasure and satiety.
• Add Spices – There’s a reason many process foods also keep flavors on the mild side. Overwhelming flavors tend to tell your brain much quicker when it is time to stop eating. Spice can help prevent overeating or mindless snacking.

While there isn’t much hard evidence to support the claim that 95% of people who lose weight will gain it back, it is true that many weight loss plans do fail. Nonetheless, with the right strategies, you can keep the weight you lose off for longer periods of time. Since you will usually fill up before you’ve overconsumed calories, it is generally okay to eat as much fresh fruit and non-starchy vegetables as your appetite desires, but never fried or coated with sugar.

A temporary return to old eating habits does not have to mean failure. Identifying negative situations and personal difficulties quickly can allow you to discover alternative methods for coping rather than relying on overeating. By taking charge of your food environment for when you eat and how much you eat as well as what foods are easily available, you set yourself up for weight control success. Contact MRC to learn more about our personalized menu plans.