Losing weight is probably right up there with the many wishes and yearly resolutions made by millions, if not billions, of people all over the world. That may sound like an exaggeration, but it’s most likely true. I mean, people have transitioned from eating to live to living to eat. Some get to control their appetite; for others — not so much.
Fret not: there are still plenty of ways to curb your appetite and no, you won’t starve, and that’s a promise. All you have to do is trick your body into eating less. We’ve gathered the 10 of the best little things you can do to hack your hunger hormones.
1. Drink more water.
This is probably the easiest hack. Water has plenty of health benefits and one of them is its ability to make us feel full. The best way to go about it is to drink 4–6 glasses of water 15–30 minutes before a main meal (breakfast, lunch, or dinner) so your stomach would only have space for the food you have to eat. The best part? Water contains NO CALORIES. Awesome, right?
2. Use smaller plates.
Many people think this trick doesn’t work, but we say they’re just not trying. The hack in this is conditioning your body into thinking it’s eating a whole plate of food. People have a tendency to fill up their plates the moment they see a food source, so why not make the plate smaller and still end up full?
3. Keep away from the source.
Seeing food is enough to make us want to eat even if we’re not really hungry. This is quite troublesome when it comes to parties or buffets where food is literally about to spill from the tables. What you can do is pick the food you want to eat and step back and walk away. It’s like a mantra: see no food; eat no food.
4. Chew your food more.
Our stomach isn’t a good appetite sensor and takes a while before it signals us to stop eating. By the time it does, we’ve already consumed half the pizza. Chewing your food more lets you spend more time eating one bite before going for the next. This allows our stomach to properly notify our body if it’s full without overeating. So not only do we eat less, but there’s more pizza for everybody!
5. Eat vegetables first.
Vegetables are a good source of all that is healthy and good in the world. One of those healthy and good things is fiber, and fiber happens to be a great appetite suppressant. It works like water since fiber makes us feel full even if we only eat a few bites of it. It’s good for digestion too, if you know what I mean.
6. Don’t buy snacks or sweets.
The mere sight of snacks and sweets make us go “I want food” and we can’t help it. Snacks and sweets are visually attractive and salivating and the more we see them, the more we eat them — but they’re pretty high in empty calories. Removing them from your fridge or food cabinet will make you control your appetite more.
7. Talk to people.
Talking to people while eating helps curb appetite. Just like the “chew” hack, talking allows the passage of time and makes our stomach properly detect if we’re still hungry or already full. By the time you finish discussing the latest “Game of Thrones” episode, you’ll be full enough to take your leftovers and store it in the fridge for another day.
8. Stack up on fruits.
This is the exact opposite of buying snacks and sweets. If you have to eat something, at least choose a fruit. Not only are they healthier for you, but they also make you feel full faster.
9. Portion, portion, portion.
Plan your meals as far as a week ahead if you can. Pack the food you need to eat daily in small containers and remove one for each day. This way, not only do you get to control the amount of food you eat, but you also get to save money by sticking to your budget. Two birds with one stone!
10. Eat when you need to eat.
The last hack is all about mental discipline. Before you open up a bag of potato chips or pop open a can of soda, ask yourself: “Am I really hungry? Am I going to let this snack get the best of me?” Sometimes you just have to fight with yourself, but so long as you keep an eye on the finish line, you’ll always make the right decision.
Got anymore little hacks to keep the food out? Tell us more in the comments section.
Featured photo credit: weheartit via weheartit.com
