If you’re trying to lose weight or feel better about yourself, it’s a good idea to learn to recognize the signals your body sends when it reaches its satiety threshold, which is different from satiation.
- To lose weight or feel better about yourself, you need to know your satiety threshold so you don’t overeat.
- Certain eating habits promote eating “well”.
Processed foods, too much salt, not enough fibre…According to a 2017 study by ANSES, the French eat badly. They also eat too much, says another investigation carried out a year later by Quitoque, a brand that delivers packed lunches to cook. Thus, unpleasant physical sensations (nausea, stomach aches, fatigue) as well as weight gain can sometimes affect your health. How about taking advantage of January’s good resolutions to think about how to change your eating habits? We have a tip for you: the key is satiety.
Listen carefully to your body to recognize satiety
Whether you’re trying to lose weight or just want to feel better, it’s important to know how to listen to your body and stop eating when you’re full. Biologically, everything is done thanks to leptin, better known as the “satiety hormone”. This protein works through brain cells and sends signals to slow appetite and eating. It also alerts neurons and certain organs when the body does not have sufficient energy reserves. People with eating disorders have already been shown to have a problem connecting with this hormone. This is why they eat uncontrollably and can then be overweight or even obese.
However, unfortunately, most people do not get the satiety signal. They only hear their body when it is full and then it is too late. “Satiety is what will prevent you from snacking for several hours and therefore from gaining weight. Satisfaction, on the other hand, has the effect of having the feeling of having eaten too much“, explains to HuffPost Dr Allouche, nutritionist and author of the book The anti-diabetes method. If you feel heavy, nauseous, or feel like taking a nap, this indicates that you have long exceeded your satiety threshold.
Wait to be hungry to eat
To avoid falling into this easy trap, there are many solutions. You just need to change your habits. First, try not eating anything for four hours until you’re really hungry. If you never feel this sensation, it is likely that you probably always eat “in advance”: you eat too much to fill your fear of missing out. And if you’re hungry all the time, you may be confusing physiological hunger with psychological hunger.
So wait to open the refrigerator door until you feel little gurgling in your stomach (it is also recommended to eat at the same time every day). Once the food is on your plate, try to eat more slowly than usual. We know that your brain takes 21 to 31 minutes to evaluate information. “You will find that in gourmet restaurants, you are always asked to choose the dessert at the start of the meal. It’s because they know very well that if they don’t take the order right away, you won’t will never order dessert”explains Dr. Allouche.
Eat calmly and chew well
Chewing about 12 times before swallowing helps send a reward signal to the brain nucleus. If you wolf down the food, your brain won’t get the message and it will take longer for the feeling of fullness to arrive. Another tip: eat in peace. Avoid eating while standing, walking, in front of the TV, or answering emails, as this can distort your relationship with food. In fact, if you’re doing other things at the same time, you’ll forget you’re eating, and it will become automatic.
Eat mindfully
Scientists and nutritionists are increasingly talking about the principle of mindfulness. Inspired by Buddhism, the practice of mindfulness meditation developed in the medical community in the 1970s to manage stress and chronic pain in patients. Today, it is increasingly used in the field of personal development. In France, many programs are now offered, such as “Mindful Eating“, which offers (for a cost of 450 euros all the same) to help you improve your relationship with food “without private regime”. “Conscious eating can make us aware of our own actions, thoughts, feelings and motivations in order to understand the roots of health and contentment”, is it exposed on the website. Mindful eating means “be fully here” during his meal, “focused on the magic of food, observing colors, smells, tastes and textures”listening to the sensations of his body and “attentive“to the thoughts that cross the mind, it is specified.
To better appreciate what you consume, it is recommended to stay on the lookout for “distraction cravings”. Remember that your emotions play a big role in what you eat (and vice versa), and be grateful to those who prepare your meals.
Finally, you should also know that certain foods can accelerate the feeling of satiety. Apples, pears, potatoes, konjac, turkey breast, high-protein yogurt, green vegetables, egg white, buckwheat, onions, and even 100% dark chocolate are some of these foods.