The feeling of the need for food is a signal that a person should maintain an energy balance with food. But sometimes hunger also occurs when there is no objective need for food. This phenomenon can be attributed to improper diet or strict diets. How to control appetite? Many are interested in this question. The article discusses different ways to reduce hunger.
Are the strict restrictions justified?
Almost everyone who follows the diet achieves good results.
The problem is that this effect is short-lived. After severe restrictions, the body requires more nutrients. As a result, excess pounds are returned again. It is no coincidence that many are worried about the question of how to learn how to control appetite. There are a wide variety of pills available to reduce hunger. However, medications do not give a long-term effect, and their uncontrolled use has a bad effect on the body. Experts say that in order to lose excess pounds, you should not set strict restrictions. After all, they force a person to eat more than is necessary to maintain a normal weight.
How to control appetite on your own, without the help of pills? First of all, you should eat at the same time. Regularity of the diet is important to maintain optimal blood insulin concentration. With its sharp decrease, a person feels the need for food. Slowness while eating is also a great way to control the volume of food. This recommendation is explained by the peculiarities of physiology. The signal of satiety enters the central nervous system about half an hour after eating.
In order not to succumb to unnecessary temptations, for example, the desire to try a beautiful cake in a cafe, you should try to eat at home. When setting the table, it is recommended to use dishes of cold colors, as bright plates arouse the feeling of hunger. A quarter of an hour before a meal, you need to drink 400 milliliters of water, juice or low-fat yogurt. It should be eaten often (up to 6 times a day), but in small volumes.
The effect of sleep duration on hunger
Rest is another way to control your appetite.
In its absence, a person feels weak and lack of energy, which he seeks to replenish with food. Usually, a lack of sleep leads to the desire to eat desserts, chocolate, flour products, that is, foods containing a lot of carbohydrates. The result of such a diet is various pathologies. During proper rest, the body produces a substance that is responsible for the breakdown of lipids and a feeling of satiety. Accordingly, its lack increases appetite.
To make the process of getting rid of excess pounds safe and easy, you should avoid eating foods that promote active production of gastric juice. These are alcoholic drinks, spicy, pickled and salty dishes, smoked meats, sauces.
How to control appetite by choosing the right food? First, you should regularly consume fresh fruits and berries (figs, pineapples, cherries, oranges, pears, grapes). As vegetables, zucchini, potatoes, various types of steamed cabbage, as well as salads and greens are suitable. If you want to enjoy a dessert, you should give preference to dark chocolate bars. Another tip on how to control appetite is to eat foods containing iodine (seafood, kelp, fish).
Foods that contain serotonin (cheese, nut kernels, oatmeal, bananas) and chromium (liver, wholemeal baked goods, yeast) are useful. An excellent substitute for cakes and pastries would be honey or dried fruit. You can add them to the porridge, and then it will become even tastier. A decoction of ginger root, curdled milk or yogurt, green tea, the first course of meat, vegetables or fish will help to get rid of the obsessive hunger.
Other methods
The use of oils from various plants also helps control appetite. It is enough to inhale their aroma several times, and the feeling of hunger disappears. This remedy serves as an excellent option to refrain from excess food or unnecessary snacks. To combat increased appetite, oil of anise, orange, grapefruit, lemon, caraway seeds, sage, laurel is used. The smells of chocolate, peach, vanillin or coffee will help get rid of the feeling of hunger.
Today there is a wide range of remedies, taking which, a person consumes much less food. However, drugs that control appetite should not be consumed frequently and in large quantities. They serve only as an auxiliary method. Before taking the pills, you need to read the instructions, because there are conditions in which such medications are prohibited. Popular drugs include:
- "Reduksin" (allows you to reduce the amount of food consumed).
- Garcinia Forte (reduces the need for desserts).
- "Liquid chestnut" (reduces food cravings, normalizes metabolism and myocardial function).
- Multivitamin complexes.
- Microcrystalline cellulose.
Feelings of hunger as a result of emotional instability
Today, there is a lot of stress in the life of every individual. One of the easiest ways to deal with it is with your favorite foods. The dishes that a person often ate when he was a child, in a stressful situation, allow him to relax, feel as comfortable as in the parental home, where he was cared for.
Many individuals in a state of emotional overload are faced with the problem of overweight. They ask: "If I cannot control my appetite, what should I do in this situation?" In this case, you should find another source of positive impressions, not related to food. It can be a hobby, favorite songs, baths with aromatic oils, sports, walks, communication. If you want to please yourself with a delicacy, you should not completely abandon it. It is necessary to slowly and calmly eat a small portion of the dessert.
Appetite during gestation
Constant hunger is normal for expectant mothers. It is associated with the fact that the body changes the balance of hormones. In the early stages of gestation, a woman loses her appetite. But a little time passes, and she begins to experience a constant craving for food. Good nutrition is essential for the expectant mother and child. Although in this case there is a risk of gaining excess pounds, which are reflected in health. How to control appetite during pregnancy? Many people notice that during such a period they want unusual combinations of products. This is due to the fact that a woman lacks certain substances.
The following tips will help you cope with your strong appetite:
- Dessert cravings can be eliminated if you consume enough proteins (meat, eggs), berries, cereals, fruits.
- Limit salty foods. It is better to give preference to fresh cucumbers, fish fillets.
- Eat low-fat yogurt instead of ice cream.
- As a substitute for confectionery, rye bread with jam, croutons with added fruit, dried fruits, dark chocolate bar are suitable.
- It is worth giving up soda in favor of natural juice or mineral water.
- Should be eaten often, but in small quantities. You need to steam the food. Boiled, stewed or boiled dishes are also useful.
Severe hunger before critical days
Many are interested in how to control appetite during PMS.
Indeed, during this period, the balance of hormones changes. This leads to instability of the emotional background, the desire to cope with anxiety with food. In order not to gain excess pounds, you need to remember the following rules:
- Instead of desserts, include fresh and dried fruits, cereals, fruit juices without sugar in the menu.
- Add vegetables to the diet (potatoes should be limited), herbs, rye flour baked goods, pasta, and cereal dishes (oatmeal, boiled rice).
- Reduce fluid intake. Exclude drinks containing ethyl alcohol, caffeine.