Eat Less, Feel Full – How? Part 2

If only we could eat just a little and feel full – we often feel – this would be the solution to our weight loss goals. To this end a number of pharmaceutical products are available – that will make you feel full and make you eat less.

However before tying out the pharma solutions, try and understand the mechanics of eating and feeling full so that you can avoid overeating.

It is important to understand that overweight people – when they start to diet – the level of the hunger hormone Ghrelin increases and makes them feel less sated. However there are ways to trick your body into feeling fuller with less food:

Eat foods that quell hunger more easily than others:

A recent study found that foods that contained a fiber called inulin – found to be present in onions, bananas, artichokes, garlic and raisins were able to make a person feel fuller.

These foods are more effective than artificial appetite suppressants found in the market. Starting a meal with a high satiety food such as an apple is a great idea – eating apples produces a hormone called GLP-1, which signals satiety to the brain, so that you will eat less at the actual meal

Pay attention to the texture of the food:

Glutinous or viscous food textures give more satiety while eating than to others. Notice how full soup will make you feel, for instance because of its thick or viscous consistency.

Studies have found that eating a certain amount of food will not make you feel as full or for as long – as if you had pureed the food into a soup.

Don’t expect drinks to fill you up the way that soup will:

Though drinks – particularly the sugary kind will contain lots of calories, these will neither fill you up nor give you a sense of satiety. You can end up consuming a lot of calories needlessly without feeling any of the satisfaction that should come with it.

Eat alone:

Eating as a social activity with other people present will distract you and make you eat more because it is difficult to keep track of what and how much you are eating.

You end up eating automatically, which leads to overeating. The same applies to eating while watching TV – which is also a big no-no.