8 ways not to overeat and feel full
There are many people who do not know how to say enough with food. When this happens, these people are usually overweight. They wish they could lose weight but they really feel a hunger sensation 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 being overweight, and these people would undoubtedly want or eat too much. They don't know how to do it, but there are ways to feel full from food and eat less.
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8 ways not to overeat and feel full sooner
The feeling of fullness is very important to avoid eating too much. There are many people who have uncontrolled the hormonal system that regulates the sensation of hunger, so they eat more than necessary.
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 in turn these depend on adequate knowledge.
At first it is difficult because in a matter of habits you cannot change everything from one day to the next, but it is well worth it. Our health will appreciate it.
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1. Reduce foods with higher caloric density
One of the great problems to combat obesity is consuming foods with a high caloric density. This means that in very little product weight we will 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. I mean, we're still hungry.
2. Eat foods rich in micronutrients
Foods with a high caloric density 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 foods with high caloric density is not usually accompanied by good micronutrients.
Even if we have eaten a lot, our body may need certain micronutrients and push us 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 food and food products. The foods are apples, aubergines, nuts, meat, milk,... the food products are cookies, sweets, frozen pizzas, ice cream or cakes.
Food products usually have a series of ingredients with a nutritional profile that is not the healthiest there is.. They are not bad in themselves, but the food industry often uses them at will to make costs profitable.
Thus, the global trend is that it uses a lot of refined sugar, refined flour, palm oil, etc. instead of using other healthier ingredients.
4. Take more fiber
Foods that contain fiber fill us up a lot and make you feel full. This is great news, because fiber-rich foods tend to be the healthiest. Its contribution of micronutrients is excellent for the needs of our body.
For example, vegetables, greens, 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.)
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5. Eat with conscience
Eating without putting the “automatic mode” helps us to feel satisfied in a suitable way for different reasons. First of all, rationing your portions is very important. Eating a chicken thigh is not the same as eating two breasts.
On the other hand, it has been scientifically proven that chewing food well helps avoid problems related to satiety. When we don't chew enough, we tend to eat more and have more digestive problems.
6. Take our time, don't eat too fast.
Eating quickly is counterproductive to feeling adequate satiety. While we are eating, some receptors located in our stomach warn our brain that it is filling up. When one is satiated, the brain stops sending the hunger signal.
If we eat too quickly, 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, after the meal is finished, we may feel that we have eaten too much and regret it.
We must eat calmly, savor food, and enjoy company. Only then will our brain 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 body. 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 a little water. Soups are also a good strategy to fill your stomach in a healthy way. Liquid foods trigger better signals of satiety 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 it very frequently.
If we do not eat 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 feelings of fullness.
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Bibliographic references
Berridge, K.C. (nineteen ninety six). Food reward: Brain substrates of wanting and liking. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 20 (1), 1–25.
De Araujo, I.E., Gutierrez, R., Oliveira-Maia, A.J., Pereira, A.J., Nicolelis, M.A. and Simon, S.A. (2006). Neural ensemble coding of satiety states. Neuron, 51 (4), 483-494.
Schwartz, M.W., Woods, S.C., Porte, D.J., Seeley, R.J. and Baskin, D.G. (2000). Central nervous system control of food intake. Nature, 404 (6778), 661-671.