s e m o n i a n

Lets expand a little more about the feeling of being full and satisfied with our meals. Besides eating slowly, there are other ways to help curb our hunger.

Eating nutrient-rich foods will satisfy the body’s many nutritional needs. Many times that “hungry” feeling is due to a vitamin or nutrient deficiency. Our body tells us to eat to satisfy this imbalance, and will continue to send the hungry signal until we have the appropriate levels needed. Only in extreme deficiency cases will certain food items become more appetizing or appealing to our senses. But, if we are unaware of what our body needs, we will keep eating to satisfy the hunger signal our brain is sending.

Satisfying our desire to be full may be as simple as adding more veggies and other nutrient-dense foods. One study done in 2007 showed participants who consumed more nutrient-dense foods, including eating more fiber, were more satisified, slowed down digestion and absorption in the GI tract, stablized blood sugar, controlled weight loss, consumed MORE food by weight (yummy!), and felt less hungry. That’s right, eating MORE food can lead to weight loss!

Carbs bad? More than any food group or nutrient, carbs get a bad rap. This is so unfair, because pastas and breads and sugars are so delicious! News Flash: It’s not the carbs that make you fat, but how much of them you eat. Regardless of where calories come from - carbs, proteins, or fats - calories eaten are converted to energy or stored in the body, and unless we use them, they’ll settle on our frame as fat.

While eliminating carbs will more than likely reduce the calories you intake, tipping the energy gap in your favor, this is a short-term solution. A study in 2009 by The New England Journal of Medicine showed the results of a low-carb diet over time. While the first 6 months showed a great fat loss, at the 1- and 2-year marks, caloric intake and weight loss were similar across all participants, regardless of macrronutrient composition. All weight loss during the initial 6 months was regained, or plateaued at best. Think of all the fantastic foods the participants deprived themselves of during this type of diet!

Change your drinking habits. This is a quick and easy way to tip the calorie expenditure in your favor. Reducing the amount of calories we get from liquids - like sodas, Snapples, smoothies, coffees, alcohol, etc. - can be a simple way to reduce your daily grams of calories consumed by the 100s. Liquid diets are also very popular, but there is a danger with them as well. It is better to eat rather than drink the majority of your calories. This allows the body to feel full. Stick with water, unsweetened tea or coffee to control calorie intake.

Small changes add up. The energy gap is the degree of change that is needed in the energy balance in order to reach desired body weight goals. Having an energy gap of about 100 calories a day (that is either less intake or more energy expended) will PREVENT weight gain in most adults. To maintain weight loss, a 220-pound person losing 10% of body weight would do best to have an energy gap of 200 calories a day. That’s a 60-minute jog/walk combined with one less soda EACH day, easy to do! Small steps in increasing energy gap add up to big gains and permanent success in weight management.

Making small daily adjustments, slowing down your eating, adding high nutrient dense fooods, choosing water, and going for a walk will melt the pounds away and keep them off.

Enjoy Your Exercise. Enjoy Your Day.