Do you feel like you're always hungry? Trying to curb your appetite for certain foods? Appetite is different than hunger. Hunger is that physiological growly feeling in your stomach.
Appetite is more about cravings for certain foods. Appetite can be affected by emotions such as boredom, depression, happiness, loneliness, or even by medications. Controlling your appetite can be tough. But if you can learn to tame your appetite, you'll be able to choose healthier foods and even to eat less and lose weight. Try some of the following tips to curb your appetite. - *Listen to your body.* Learn to know when you are truly hungry and when you just want to submit to your appetite. If you aren't hungry, don't eat. Learn to listen to your body by keeping a written record of the feelings - both physical and emotional - that accompany your meals. - *Learn to deal positively with your emotions.* If you eat because of feelings and not because of hunger, learn to deal with those feelings. Call a friend, go for a walk, catch up on your email, surf the web, but don't enter the kitchen just because you're feeling bored, lonely, or whatever. Post a list on your refrigerator of other activities besides eating that you can engage in when you feel like indulging yourself with some food. - *When you do eat, slow down.* It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to the brain that it (the stomach) is feeling full. So wait 20 minutes before you serve yourself seconds. If you slow down your eating speed, you'll start feeling full before you can eat a lot of excess food. - *Remember: Out of sight, out of mind.* Keep all the temping high-calorie snack foods in an inconvenient place, like a high cupboard that you can't reach without a stool. If you don't see the snacks, or can't simply grab a handful while walking by, you are less likely to begin munching. - *Watch where you eat.* Try not to eat in front of the television or the computer, or in the car. You are more likely to overeat when your mind is focused on other things. Taking control of your appetite can be challenging, but by using deliberate thought and action you can tame the beast.
