5 Tips For Great Appetite Control, (Without Using Diet Pills/Shakes)

1-17pm

1. Think About What You Are Actually Feeling.
The process of eating begins in the mind. Your stomach sends your brain a message interpretting the empty feeling you are getting as hunger. But sometimes you may find yourself thinking you want to stretch for food when in fact you are not hungry and not needing food. If you are thirsty, no amount of snacking is going to satisfy you. If you are bored, the same applies. Food won’t sort out your boredom – finding something of interest to do will help that. If you are feeling anxious, tired or stressed, it’s a huge temptation to reach for comfort food (usually carbs) to try and dull the struggle you are going through. The outcome of that is only bad – carbs are addictive and you will not be satisfied. You may fill up temporarily and think you are satisfied, but because they are addictive, the moment your stomach has started to process the food and there is space for more, you will want more. Sugar and carbohydrate laden snacks such as potato chips hit the addictive centre in your brain. The more you eat the more you want. Think about what you are actually feeling and what you really need.

2. Eat Foods That Satisfy.
Eating foods that are high in protein and fat are the answer to hunger satisfaction. The are no addictive & are filling, so what happens is that when you are full, you don’t want any more and your mind is no longer on food. When you fill up on carbohydrates such as bread, cereal and refined sugar laden pastries, you may feel full but that soon wears off and you can find yourself snacking all – day – long. Make sure you start your day with high protein and high fat foods. These include eggs, bacon, sausage, berries, full cream, double thick natural Greek yoghurt, avocado. Toss toast, have cream in coffee. You will be full and that breakfast will sustain you to lunchtime and beyond. For later in the day, have a wedge of cheese, a dozen raw almonds or half an avocado pear and you will be satisfied until dinner time. Make dinner meat/grilled fish with salad including olives, feta cheese, avocado or vegetables such as brocolli, cauliflower, courgettes, small amount of butternut – in fact any vegetables grown above the ground. Leave off the menu overt carbs such as rice, potatoes, pasta & bread. Replace sweet dessert with strawberries and cream. If you want chocolate have a small amount of 85% cocoa. Avoid sugar.

3. Get Rid of Temptation.
One of the biggest challenges to controlling appetite is food cupboards & fridges stocked with tempting treats, guaranteed to ambush any attempt at resistance. If it’s there, you will eat it. Get rid of the high carb, high sugar items in your home – biscuits, rusks, ice cream, sweets, cake, chocolate bars. Don’t buy the stuff in the first place. Don’t go shopping when you are hungry – that also leads to temptation of buying a quick snack to curb your hunger pangs. Replace the carbs in your home with options you can eat – salad ingredients, cheese, olives, raw nuts, biltong sticks, berries, cream. But bear in mind, that you must eat when you are hungry, and not when you are bored, stressed, thirsty or tired.

4. Keep Occupied.
If you are busy with a project that takes up time, energy and interest, you’ll find food suddenly takes a secondary place in your life. Instead of constantly thinking about food, you’ll start thinking about something else. Find your passion and start working on it. It may be people, or music, or writing or it may even be food! If food is your passion, start researching the healthy side of food. If you find yourself bored and needing something to do to prevent yourself from eating for the sake of having nothing else to do, go for a walk, do a puzzle, read a book, visit a friend.

5. Stay Hydrated.
Replace fizzy drinks & alcohol with water. You don’t need to drink soda to be refreshed. Carry a bottle of water with you and drink to thirst. If you have water handy, you won’t be tempted to eat if it’s fluid you need. Some say to drink a glass of water before eating also helps prevent overeating at a meal.

Employing these tactics will help you feel more in control of your eating.

As I’ve been reading through the Bible, I’ve been noticing more references to food than I ever have before. This morning, I read another one about honey…

Proverbs 25:27

“It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honourable to seek one’s own honour.”

Makes you think!

God bless you!

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂