Hunger and appetite for two different states. Hunger alarms the body that it is running out of nutrients. Appetite is the persistent thought that you want to eat something. Both hunger and appetite are the enemies of effective weight loss, that is, the treatment of overweight and obesity. What is hunger and what is appetite? How to tell them apart? We suggest tricks that will help reduce your appetite and hunger.

Hungerandappetite- these words are often used interchangeably, but wrongly, because they mean two different states. However, both of them are the bane of overweight people and patients withobesity,who are on a reduction diet, i.e. lose weight.

How to reduce your appetite and hunger: what is hunger?

Hunger, also known as craving, is a primary and purely physiological feeling. How is it made? In a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, there are two centers of hunger and satiety. The first is controlled by a hormone called ghrelin and the second is controlled by GLP1.

When the concentration of any nutrient in the body decreases, that is:

  • proteins
  • fat
  • carbohydrates
  • vitamins
  • mineral s alts,

the hunger center sends the signal " feed the body because it needs energy supplies! ". And when you provide all the ingredients in such an amount that it can continue to work properly, the satiety center speaks and orders: " stop, do not eat, the body is already full !"

When hunger occurs, it means that the digestive system (mouth, stomach, pancreas, liver and small intestine) already has enough enzymes ready to absorb, process and distribute new nutrients to the cells.

It is worth adding here that the "order" to stop eating the body receives thanks to ghrelin. And disruptions in the secretion and work of ghrelin may be the cause of obesity of the third degree, the so-called enormous. Ghrelin can activate the hunger signal continuously. Then the sick person constantly feels hungry, which he must satisfy. And then the most effective method of obesity treatment are bariatric surgeries, which consist in excluding from the activity of the part of the stomach where the cells that produce ghrelin are located.You can find everything about bariatric surgeries on the website : Obesity under a scalpel!

Starving yourself is not a method of losing weight!Without food, a person can survive on average2-3 weeks, and only 7 days without water. Starvation leads to weight loss, but also slows down and stops vital functions, i.e. death. The hungry body begins to reach for more energy reserves, and finally uses them to the end. The instinct to satisfy hunger is so strong that depriving a person of food and water has been and is one of the most effective tools of torture, confession and obedience.

How to reduce appetite and hunger: what is appetite?

Appetiteis a sudden urge to eat a product. They say about him: a whim, a taste for something. Although the appetite is also born in the head, it is not related to any physiological mechanisms, but is psychologically conditioned.

It is your appetite that prevents you from eating only when you want to "fuel" your body, but for many other reasons. Most often to suppress emotions, especially negative ones - sadness, regret, disappointment, loneliness. This type of appetite is also known asemotional hunger .

Your appetite also makes you eat because:

  • food is on hand,
  • you are in the company - e.g. with a friend for a coffee with a cookie, with a friend for a beer with peanuts,
  • stimulated by a tasty smell or attractive appearance of a given dish,
  • when you remember the taste of a product, or even its advertisement.

It happens quite often that the appetite for specific products is a symptom of a deficiency of a very specific ingredient, e.g. the desire to eat a lot of tomatoes indicates that the body may need more potassium.

Regardless of the reasons, it is through the appetite, our body, which has coded the accumulation of reserves for the so-called. worse times, stores extra calories in the form of body fat.

How to reduce appetite and hunger: recognition of hunger and appetite

If it were easy, millions of people would not be overweight and obese. To distinguish between hunger and appetite, you must learn to observe and analyze your eating behavior. However, there are some features that can help you recognize whether you are hungry or hungry.

Hunger:

  • appears about 2-3 hours after a meal, but also less regularly, at different times,
  • you can feel it for a long time without the urge to satisfy it quickly,
  • does not come suddenly, but increases gradually,
  • is accompanied by physical symptoms - stomach rumbling, intestinal cramps, malaise, irritability, headaches and hand tremors, but these sensations disappear after eating a meal,
  • may also be the result of hormone disorders,
  • after satisfying your hunger you feel contentment and peace.

Appetite:

  • appears suddenly, no matter if you ate 15 minutes or 3 hours ago,
  • demands quick satisfaction,
  • applies to the selected product - usually fatty, sweet or s alty,
  • appears under the influence of e.g. the smell of a product / dish, or when you see someone eating or listen to someone talking about food, and it may be accompanied by persistent images of the product / dish in your head, and you can even feel its smell around you ,
  • may be a result of mood disorders and depression,
  • persists despite feeling full,
  • after satisfying your appetite, you often feel overeated, overcrowded, and feel guilty about eating outside of me altime.

How to reduce appetite and hunger: eating tricks

  • Eat products with a low glycemic index(below 70), which will satisfy your appetite and hunger for a longer time, e.g. plums, strawberries, almonds.
  • Eat vegetables all year round- raw, steamed or in a soup - do not provide many calories, but they satisfy the need for food.
  • Do not eat foods that contain a lot of artificial additives(fluffers, dyes, preservatives) that may make you hungry more often.
  • When you have a "taste" for sweets , use fruit instead of cookies, candies or chocolate. If you can't control your appetite for your favorite sweets, eat them once or twice a week. If you learn to be moderate, 2-3 bars of chocolate a day shouldn't make you gain weight. Unless you are on a reducing diet. Then consult a dietitian for the daily dose of sugar.
  • When you feel that you just need to eat something, reach for the lettuce . Eating different types of lettuce before the main meal is one of the traditions of, for example, the Swiss. Lettuce fills your stomach and makes you eat less with your main meal. But also lettuce with the addition of other vegetables and, for example, vinaigrette sauce, will be a quick snack between meals, when you have an appetite. Prepare a bowl of salad mix in the morning and reach for it when you feel an appetite.
  • Arrange small portions on small plates, but so that they look plentiful- e.g. add a lot of ruffled lettuce and next to it a piece of meat or fish divided into smaller bites.
  • Don't eat fast.Slowly, thoroughly chew each bite (up to 30 times), grinding it into a pulp.
  • After each meal, wait15 to 20 minutesbefore you reach for more - this is when your brain receives a signal that your stomach is full.
  • Drink plenty of mineral water between mealsor suck ice cubes.
We recommend

Author: Time S.A

An individually selected diet will allow you to easily lose weight, eat he althy and tasty, and at the same time avoid the pitfalls of "miraculous" slimming diets. Use JeszCoLisz, the innovative online dietary system of the He alth Guide and take care of your he alth and well-being. Enjoy the perfectly selected menu and the constant support of a dietitian today!

Find out more

How to reduce appetite and hunger: organizational tricks

  • Do not shop when you are hungry , because you will buy more food than you actually need and you will certainly eat it out of savings, explaining to yourself that you cannot waste food.
  • Make purchases only with the list and stick to itbecause you will buy more than planned.
  • Purchaseddivide the products into mealsand do not keep more servings in the refrigerator than for one day, because you will also eat additional portions for fear that they will be wasted. Appetite also arises when you are idle, for example when you watch TV.
  • Find an activity for your hands , such as crocheting, playing solitaire with the classic deck of cards. Then you will eat snacks less often or not at all.
  • When you feel a sudden urge to eat something apart from a meal,occupy your mind with something, give your body physical exertion , e.g. in the form of an intense walk, and you will forget about your appetite sooner.
  • Consult a psychologistto find methods other than food that are beneficial for you to deal with stress and negative emotions, and to reward yourself for success in ways other than by eating your favorite products.
  • 25 products that accelerate weight loss
  • Diet for weight loss: 10 rules for losing weight wisely
  • 6 spices to help you lose weight
See the gallery of 9 photos

Category:

Slimming