Add Spice to Keep Hunger at Bay

If you are watching what you eat, it is likely that your body is adjusting to stricter fasting rules between meals. This can trigger natural signals may result in feelings of real hunger. However, appetite sensations can occur any time, even when you’re not hungry. 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.

Most food gets turned into glucose and circulating as blood sugar can be converted to fat that your body can use later. Unfortunately, quick sugar spikes can lead to increased insulin production that results in unwanted fat storage. Natural feelings of hunger a few times a day are natural cues for your body to manage the food you eat more effectively. Controlling appetite impulses can be tricky until you can distinguish between true hunger and appetite sensations.

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:

• Add Spices – Chia seeds are chock-full of fiber and adding them to your food as a topping can make for a natural appetite suppressant. The seeds swell in your stomach to keep you feeling full longer.
• Stay Hydrated – Staying hydrated is often overlooked but it can be a huge part of the weight management equation. Studies have shown that people who consume a glass of water before meals tend to eat less.
• 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 – Food cravings are most often a frustrating side effect of changes in your blood sugar levels. Reducing sugar intake when you snack can help add real nutrients and fiber that will satiate feelings of hunger.
• 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.

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. Permanent weight loss requires healthy changes to your lifestyle and the food choices you make. For the support and education you need for weight management, contact the pros at a Metabolic Research Center near you.