Sun Nov 13, 2005 2:45 am   Reply with quote      

It's a common complaint: how can you lose weight if you're hungry all the time? The solution may be easier than you think. Many acts of overeating, in fact, may have less to do with appetite than the sheer amount of food we have on our plate, says Dr. Barbara Rolls, a nutrition expert at Penn State University and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan.

Super-size filling foods
Fruits and vegetables contain a lot of water and fiber, which can quickly fill you up. Better yet, they are low in calories. Ross suggests super-sizing these foods much like you would fast food. "Rather than cutting back, just eat more fruits and vegetables instead," she says.

Try a variety to a keep your diet interesting. Corn or strawberries may prove more appealing than Brussels sprouts or grapefruit for some, so don't give up on all of these foods if you don't care for a few.

Eat your protein
A high-protein, low-carb diet is believed to be unhealthy over the long term, but the latest diet craze has helped reveal a little-appreciated detail: protein-rich foods are possibly more filling. In a recent study, Dr. David Weigle of the University of Washington School of Medicine followed 19 people who kept to a 2,000-calorie diet for several months.

At first, they got 15 percent of calories from protein. Then they upped their protein to 30 percent. The men and women ate the same percentage of carbohydrates throughout, while cutting back on fats. Compared to the weeks they ate less protein, volunteers reported feeling more full when they ate 30 percent of their calories from protein. They also lost more weight.

No one has studied whether a juicy steak is more filling than fruits and vegetables, at least calorie by calorie, says Rolls. But as long as the protein is lean, she says that including such foods in your diet may help you eat less and lose weight.

Limit fatty foods, can the soda
Cakes and other fatty foods pack a lot of calories without adding much substance. A recent study on mice found that high-fat diets seem to override a hormone that tells the body when it's full. Foods laden with sugar and fat may taste good, but they do little to fill you up.

Indeed, researchers at Tufts University found that nearly two-thirds of adults got more calories from soft drinks than any other specific food. As a whole, they were also more obese than those who stuck to fruit juice and low-fat milk.

Snack "smart"
A little snacking may not only keep your hunger in-check between meals, but may also leave you less tempted to overeat at dinner. Indeed, some research suggests that snacking throughout the day instead of sitting down for regular meals may lead to greater weight loss.

Keep in mind that this does not apply to what we think of as traditional snacks, such as cookies or chips. Nibbling on nuts or cheese, which are high in protein, may leave you fuller than snacking on foods that are high in carbohydrates or calories. To make sure snacking doesn't become just another big meal, try picking out different foods that are low in calories and keep them handy for when hunger strikes.

Eat until you're hara hachi bu
Translated from Japanese, this literally means "eat until you're 80 percent full." Residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa, who are among the oldest and healthiest people on the planet, have perfected this practice over the years.

In general, Okinawans eat 10 percent to 40 percent fewer calories than Americans. Try eating until you feel mostly full, then wait 20 minutes. Research suggests that many people are satisfied after following the 80 percent rule, even though they eat less.

SOURCE: Chicago Sun-Times

Tue Nov 15, 2005 5:59 pm   Reply with quote      

Good post!

It seems to me that diets are coming round more and more to eating normally!

So much for all the fake fad diets of years gone by!

I eat what I want, when I want & remain slim & trim, qithout even needing to exercise. (although I do most the time for a living).

But how can that be? Well, if you had to eat what I eat, and when I eat, and do the work I do, you'd also be as slim as me. And you will be able to eat whatever you want.

My secret? I don't want to eat everything that exists, and I don't want to be stuck sitting in traffic for hours, followed by sitting stuck in an office for more hours, followed by sitting on the couch watching tv for hours, followed finally by lying down sleeping for hours!

Does this make any sense?

Mon Mar 06, 2006 7:27 am   Reply with quote      

Yeah, that's pretty important. Eating should be enjoyable.

Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:56 pm   Reply with quote      

Couple more tips:

1) Drink lots of water

2) Eat/chew slowly

Aaron

Fri Mar 10, 2006 4:29 pm   Reply with quote      

This I should really try. I think I drink too little water, although I do get quite a lot of other fluids in. And I tend to almost swallow now and chew later!!!
I mean, watching me eat macaroni resembles a school of salmon rushing upstream!!!

Fri Mar 24, 2006 12:52 am   Reply with quote      

plenty of protien, monosaturated fats and fiborous vegtables will keep you full without stacking weight on. Avoiding carbohydrate which and high glycemic index is esential.

Fri Mar 24, 2006 9:03 pm   Reply with quote      

Meat rulz with me!

Wed May 10, 2006 12:32 am   Reply with quote      

I have stuck to a one plant per meal plan and it has worked out well for me. I only eat whats on my plate and then I call it quits. When I first started this,, it was tough. Now I can't hardly eat mroe then a plate if I try.

Sat May 13, 2006 12:02 pm   Reply with quote      

A person's stomach expands and shrinks to the regular amount of food it takes in, doesn't it? So when you normally eat a lot, there's a load of space to fill. With lessenning the intake, it shrinks so that it takes much less for you to feel full. Isn't that how it works?
Or is that merely an old wives' tale?

Tue May 16, 2006 10:09 am   Reply with quote      

Thanks for that information. Since I recently start back working out and trying to change my eating habbits. This is a nice post.

Sun May 21, 2006 7:28 am   Reply with quote      

Good luck with your new slim & trim lifestyle!