Smart ways to reach satiety & consume less food

It’s not a secret that a lot of us are obsessed with dieting, and keeping ourselves healthy with the right diet and exercise. No matter what kind of diet you choose or plan to start, the bottom line remains your calorie intake. Even if you follow the healthiest diets and eat the healthiest foods, as long as you eat more calories than what you are burning, you will not lose weight. Caloric balance is the key.

Calorie Counting might be hard

One of the ways for a healthy weight loss is to cut 500 calories/day to lose about 0.5 kg/week. This process is accelerated when joined with regular exercise. Still, it is very difficult to count calories constantly. It can be done in the beginning until you reach your target. Once your new diet habits are established, you can stop from regular counting as long as you remain conscious of your food consumption. Even that can be difficult for some people. In that case, simply try to reduce your caloric intake when possible, instead of counting.

Eliminating a small portion of your daily calories without counting them can have a big effect later on.

Here are some tricks you can try to reduce your daily caloric intake:

•Start your meal with a salad and drink a glass of water before the meal to help  reduce your appetite.
•Use smaller plates and bowls as well as smaller eating and serving utensils.
•Snack regularly, such as small quantities of healthy nuts, to reduce your appetite.
•Share a meal with a friend when you go out; it not only saves calories but also your hard-earned money.
•Eat slowly: It takes 20-30 minutes for your brain to tell your body it’s full.
•Stay away from the tempting side dishes and appetizers and order your dressings on the side so you can control the portion.
•Clean your cupboards and pantry of all the junk.
•Skip the dessert, the buffets and all-you-can-eat places because you would try to eat to get your money’s worth.
•Use some familiar reference points to determine your portion sizes. For example, a baseball or clenched fist would amount to about 1 cup, a light bulb or large egg would be about half a cup, the tip of your thumb would be 1 teaspoon, a poker chip would be about 1 tablespoon and a golf ball is about 30 g.
•Add a small quantity of onions or garlic to your dishes or salads because in addition to their amazing benefits, their taste will help you feel satisfied and will increase the feeling of satiety.
•Fiber: Stay away from white bread, rice, and refined pasta. Replace them with products made of whole grain flour or cereals. This type of food is rich in fibers and won’t raise blood sugar in a quick way.
•Low Carb: Don’t start your meal with foods high in carbohydrates since these foods tend to raise quickly the blood sugar level, hence accelerating your appetite and delaying the feeling of satiety and satisfaction.
•Protein: Consume enough protein during each of the 3 meals, since protein enhances the feeling of satiety and will help you avoid consuming big quantities of food.
•Cinnamon: Add a bit of cinnamon over the piece of fruit you are having because in addition to its many benefits, it is characterized by its special flavoring that can help you enjoy your meal and consume a moderate quantity of food.
•After each bite of food, put your fork back in your plate and don’t touch it until you have totally finished chewing whatever you’re having.
•As soon as you start feeling full wash your mouth and teeth thoroughly with water. This will eliminate the taste of the food you were eating and therefore will lessen your need for more.
•Light up some candles scented with vanilla or cinnamon oil. It shows that the sense of smell, especially for such kinds of aromas, can have an effect on the sensation of satiety and can help in decreasing your desire for overeating.

Christelle Bedrossian
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Beirut, Lebanon