How to: Lower appetite?

[BarnabySchmidt]

if you eat less at meals, progressively over time, your appetite will get smaller.

 

[EJFan]

do tell how a high carb diet does not fill you up?
im not saying, eat a grain of sugar and your belly is full for the next 6 hours.

the Sweets of sugars, and fiber of bread products serve as fillers to stop a persons appitite. No, this isnt going to fill you up as if you ate a 12 course meal, but they give you a feeling of being full and stave your appitate.

its not really a medical thing, its more of a psychological thing.

and besides, carbs are not as unhealthy as most people portray. but then again, a high intake of any single thing is unhealthy.

1. there's no psychological aspect to satiety. if there is, we're not talking about a physiological issue... we're then talking about an emotional issue. fullness is a biological state of being.

2. carbs aren't bad for you, but high GI carbs (sugar, white flour, etc.) cause an insulin spike. with the exception of exercise recovery (for an otherwise healthy individual) this is not a good state to be in.

3. sweet and salty foods actually CAUSE cravings and hunger.

4. carbs are necessary for energy... eat them... but you're suggesting that sugar promotes satiety. that's simply not true.

5. you've been admonished at least once to provide supporting documentation for advise that isn't in agreement with conventional thinking. nutrition isn't a game... what legitimate source suggests that sugar quells hunger?

the fact of the matter is that, if anything, fat promotes satiety because it's 9 kcals/gram... versus 4 kcals/gram in carbs. they both have their place in the average diet, but sugar and high GI carbs should be limited for health sake and not relied upon for satiety.

 

[NaiveOne]

Having recently gone to a nutritionist, I can say that, first, there is no evidence that drinking that much water will benefit you. She said as long as you drink when you are thirsty, you'll be fine.

She also kind of gave me a plan for my meals:

Breakfast
I hate breakfast. But if you don't eat it your metabolism slows down. So I started. I drink a slimfast and eat a piece of fruit or cup of yougurt.

Lunch
Two peices/servings of fruit or veggies
a small portion of leftovers or those healthy choice entrees
yogurt or lowfat pudding for dessert

Dinner
Half of your meal should be veggies or fruit, including a glass of milk
1/4 should be meat
1/4 can be your starch/grain


I can honstly say that following this guideline helped me. I've never been a snacker, so I liked that she worked with my eating-style. A by-product of this was that I became a healthy snacker because my metabolism increased. When I followed these guidelines I lost about 15 pounds in 3.5 months, which is very healthy. I need to do this again...

I'm not saying that this plan is for everyone, but it helped me to have a guideline of the proportion of foods to eat.

Good luck!

 

[Eilan]

Another problem I forgot to mention is that I am also diabetic, therefore really need to keep the weight down & eat right.

also, my secret is to ingest high amounts of sugar. no this is not healthy for you. but sugars mixed with breads will fill you up and make you eat next to nothing. i eat on avarage 2 meals a day. but i drink about 6 cans of soda and 20l. bottles a day (depending)
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the Sweets of sugars, and fiber of bread products serve as fillers to stop a persons appitite. No, this isnt going to fill you up as if you ate a 12 course meal, but they give you a feeling of being full and stave your appitate.
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either drink coca-cola, or eat Tootsie rolls/bigred gum.

Um, Paul, are you seriously telling a diabetic to eat like this? I'd like to think that kpooh's smart enough to ignore you.

 

[Kpooh]

Having recently gone to a nutritionist, I can say that, first, there is no evidence that drinking that much water will benefit you. She said as long as you drink when you are thirsty, you'll be fine.

She also kind of gave me a plan for my meals:

Breakfast
I hate breakfast. But if you don't eat it your metabolism slows down. So I started. I drink a slimfast and eat a piece of fruit or cup of yougurt.

Lunch
Two peices/servings of fruit or veggies
a small portion of leftovers or those healthy choice entrees
yogurt or lowfat pudding for dessert

Dinner
Half of your meal should be veggies or fruit, including a glass of milk
1/4 should be meat
1/4 can be your starch/grain


I can honstly say that following this guideline helped me. I've never been a snacker, so I liked that she worked with my eating-style. A by-product of this was that I became a healthy snacker because my metabolism increased. When I followed these guidelines I lost about 15 pounds in 3.5 months, which is very healthy. I need to do this again...

I'm not saying that this plan is for everyone, but it helped me to have a guideline of the proportion of foods to eat.

Good luck!

If I ate that much food in a day....I WOULD look like the good year blimp! LOL

A typical days meal...
No breakfast
No lunch
3pm full meal of meat, starch & veggie
5-9pm snacking on chips, dips, etc. etc.

A typical DIET day meals...
Breakfast=a slice of toast or 1c. cereal
Lunch= a salad w/ L.F. dressing & a piece of fruit Or a sandwich & fruit
Dinner= a full meal of meat, starch & veggie
7-8pm= popcorn or pretzels

I know if I stick to this I will lose the weight again. But in between those meals I snack, sometimes on fruits/veggies, sometimes on chips, etc.
It is all in my willpower I think...something I dont have much of! LOL

 

[Kpooh]

Um, Paul, are you seriously telling a diabetic to eat like this? I'd like to think that kpooh's smart enough to ignore you.

I am a little smarter than that!

 

[Eilan]

I am a little smarter than that!

I thought so!

 

[SweetErika]

Kpooh, if you want to cut down on the chips and less healthy stuff, have you considered not keeping them in the house, or kind of hiding them from yourself?

I do well with the idea that I can go to the store and get anything I really want at any time, but the reality is I generally won't go to the trouble of going out to the store. Also, I've found "out of sight, out of mind" really works; if it's not in easy reach and I don't see it, I won't eat it. It can be helpful for the things you have to have on hand for family, recipes, or company, but don't want to eat a lot of yourself.

 

[CopyCarver]

According to cousin-MD and girlfriend-RN, diabetes makes weight control both more essential and, paradoxically, more difficult since insulin swings have major impact upon the metabolism of food. It could well be that calories alone aren’t the culprit.
Gf insists that I should extol the virtues of zero-calorie or 1-calorie diet cola. As several people have already pointed out, liquids aren’t very filling per se, but (ostensibly, at least) the carbonated drinks release enough carbon dioxide gas to make you feel fuller than you are. (Might also produce 1982-Buick-like backfires, but…) The sugar-free soda shouldn’t pose problems for a diabetic, but some of the artificial sweeteners are suspected carcinogens.
The popcorn you mention might be a very good thing—relatively low-cal, filling, and nutritious—so long as you don’t drench it with butter or use lots of sugar to make the caramelized variety.
Good luck. Although I’ve avoided both diabetes and weight problems my entire life, I have several friends who are grappling with both. It looks like a tough fight.

 

[TBKahuna123]

do tell how a high carb diet does not fill you up?
im not saying, eat a grain of sugar and your belly is full for the next 6 hours.

the Sweets of sugars, and fiber of bread products serve as fillers to stop a persons appitite. No, this isnt going to fill you up as if you ate a 12 course meal, but they give you a feeling of being full and stave your appitate.

its not really a medical thing, its more of a psychological thing.

and besides, carbs are not as unhealthy as most people portray. but then again, a high intake of any single thing is unhealthy.

You're right, carbs aren't as unhealthy as it's made out, but that's more of a dietary fad thing. The trick is balance. You have to combine a protein with a carb to balance it and slow the absorption of those carbs into your body. How does a hi carb diet NOT fill you up? It's called Syndrome X(or something like that). What happens is the body takes those carbs and sugars and it causes your insulin level to spike to control it. This brings your blood sugar down, which in turn causes you to feel hungry again sooner than if you ate the same amount of protein. It's not psychological, it's biological.

Going to the other extreme has other side effects. When I started playing hockey a few years ago, I did lots of research on nutrition, because I needed it! I intially went low carb, high protein as I tried to build muscle and get into shape. Not Atkins crazy low carb, but I cut out things like pasta, breads, and got my carbs from fruits and vegatables, high fiber, etc. THis worked really well and I lost a ton of weight, but I had no energy stores. Hockey is an andurance sport, and if you go high protein, low carbs, your body doesn't produce stores of glucogen in the muscles. This kills your muscular endurance. What I learned is that the key to weight loss is moderation, staying away from sugars and highly processed carbs (pasta, bleached flours, etc) and going toward whole grain foods is the best solution.

This is even doubly important for a diabetic. As I've posted before, my wife has PCOS, and this makes her body insulin-resistant and she has trouble losing weight. It basically stops the body from reacting to insulin, so sugars are not burnt, but stored as fat. This is a pre-diabetic condition, so she's seeing a diabetic nutritionist. As I said before, they told her the key is not eating 3 big meals, but 6 times per day. The trick it to get your metabolism balanced out and super charged, so to speak, so that it is constantly on and burnign fat. It makes the body run more efficiently. This is of course in addition to a balanced low fat/low sugar/high whole grain diet.

Now something else I stumbled onto is a diet called the Zone Diet. This is a LOT like the diabetic diet that my wife was prescribed. What's cool is that the info is available on their site and you don't HAVE to buy any of their products to follow the diet. I found it because I use their energy bars when I play hockey. I've found that with my schedule it's a little tough to follow because it takes some planning, but it certainly allows you to eat just about anything. It's just a matter of how much you can eat.

I'm tellin ya, the best way to control your appetite is to get your metabolism up. You'll crave less because your blood sugar won't drop as drastically and will stay at a constant level.

 

[Flora]

Kpooh, if you want to cut down on the chips and less healthy stuff, have you considered not keeping them in the house, or kind of hiding them from yourself?

I do well with the idea that I can go to the store and get anything I really want at any time, but the reality is I generally won't go to the trouble of going out to the store. Also, I've found "out of sight, out of mind" really works; if it's not in easy reach and I don't see it, I won't eat it. It can be helpful for the things you have to have on hand for family, recipes, or company, but don't want to eat a lot of yourself.

That's what I have to do too since I have no will power. Can't have any of it in the house. I just had to give away left over halloween candy because it was there and I couldn't stop myself eating it. I meant to only have a couple hersheys kisses and the next thing I knew I'd eaten half the bag.

 

[Kpooh]

You're right, carbs aren't as unhealthy as it's made out, but that's more of a dietary fad thing. The trick is balance. You have to combine a protein with a carb to balance it and slow the absorption of those carbs into your body. How does a hi carb diet NOT fill you up? It's called Syndrome X(or something like that). What happens is the body takes those carbs and sugars and it causes your insulin level to spike to control it. This brings your blood sugar down, which in turn causes you to feel hungry again sooner than if you ate the same amount of protein. It's not psychological, it's biological.

Going to the other extreme has other side effects. When I started playing hockey a few years ago, I did lots of research on nutrition, because I needed it! I intially went low carb, high protein as I tried to build muscle and get into shape. Not Atkins crazy low carb, but I cut out things like pasta, breads, and got my carbs from fruits and vegatables, high fiber, etc. THis worked really well and I lost a ton of weight, but I had no energy stores. Hockey is an andurance sport, and if you go high protein, low carbs, your body doesn't produce stores of glucogen in the muscles. This kills your muscular endurance. What I learned is that the key to weight loss is moderation, staying away from sugars and highly processed carbs (pasta, bleached flours, etc) and going toward whole grain foods is the best solution.

This is even doubly important for a diabetic. As I've posted before, my wife has PCOS, and this makes her body insulin-resistant and she has trouble losing weight. It basically stops the body from reacting to insulin, so sugars are not burnt, but stored as fat. This is a pre-diabetic condition, so she's seeing a diabetic nutritionist. As I said before, they told her the key is not eating 3 big meals, but 6 times per day. The trick it to get your metabolism balanced out and super charged, so to speak, so that it is constantly on and burnign fat. It makes the body run more efficiently. This is of course in addition to a balanced low fat/low sugar/high whole grain diet.

Now something else I stumbled onto is a diet called the Zone Diet. This is a LOT like the diabetic diet that my wife was prescribed. What's cool is that the info is available on their site and you don't HAVE to buy any of their products to follow the diet. I found it because I use their energy bars when I play hockey. I've found that with my schedule it's a little tough to follow because it takes some planning, but it certainly allows you to eat just about anything. It's just a matter of how much you can eat.

I'm tellin ya, the best way to control your appetite is to get your metabolism up. You'll crave less because your blood sugar won't drop as drastically and will stay at a constant level.

TBK....Do you have their website? Or do I just search for Zone Diet?

 

[SweetErika]

TBK....Do you have their website? Or do I just search for Zone Diet?

Zone Diet or google 'Zone diet.'

I've known many people who have also done well on South Beach or google 'south beach (diet).'

I've looked into both of them, and while they both seem reasonable, South Beach may be a little easier to follow than The Zone. At any rate, they're far healthier than "no carb" diets and stress a healthy lifestyle over dieting, which means they'll be easier to stick with long-term. I'm not diabetic. but I think something like South Beach, with whole grains, fruits, and veggies, would be great for that.

 

[Eilan]

I've looked into both of them, and while they both seem reasonable, South Beach may be a little easier to follow than The Zone. At any rate, they're far healthier than "no carb" diets and stress a healthy lifestyle over dieting, which means they'll be easier to stick with long-term. I'm not diabetic. but I think something like South Beach, with whole grains, fruits, and veggies, would be great for that.

Though I'm not following the diet, I bought the South Beach Diet book and cookbook because I'd heard some really positive things about the recipes. I've enjoyed the ones that I've tried.

South Beach really isn't a "diet" per se, though it does have "phases" that are similar to Atkins (minus the ultralow carb intake and unlimited consumption of fatty foods). I know a lot of people see it as one of those fad diets, but there's no attempt to eliminate a food group/macronutrient. It's more about the "right" carbs (whole grains instead of refined stuff) and the "right" fats (olive oil instead of Crisco).

 

[gypsy4191]

eh, my partner hides all the unhealthy (yummy foods) when we get home after shopping before i even get through the door, that helps!!!
Have you tried atkins?
*eek runs and hides in corner before someone belts me over head*

 

[KarenDee]

Many of the problems with carbohydrates is too much of the ones that are high on the glycemic index. They trigger your insulin level and cause it to spike abruptly. What you want is a steadier level throughout the day.

The best "non-diet" advice I can give is this: EAT A BIG BREAKFAST! I can't stress that enough. In the morning your blood sugar levels are extremely low. There is an old saying that goes like "Breakfast like a King, Lunch like Prince, Dinner like a Pauper." Start big and taper off through the day with 4 or 5 meals of smaller portions instead of just a huge dinner and nothing else. Moderation is the key!