Eating a little and not being hungry is a problem for almost everyone who goes on a diet. But it can be solved if you don't make some mistakes. We have consulted an expert.


10 ways to stay full on any diet

Diet is a way of life and must be organized in such a way that the diet is varied and brings health benefits. However, when switching to the correct diet , excluding fast food, sweets, buns, etc., often a person is drawn to the table even more often than before.


The transition to a new food system is almost always a rather difficult test for the body, and each person will have an individual reaction to changes. Someone will be faced with the problem of constant thoughts about food, someone will find it impossible to adhere to a certain diet and diet, and someone will use a bad mood as an excuse to eat something from fast carbohydrates.


However, the reason is often related to the fact that the new nutrition program simply does not comply with the rules that just allow you to avoid such "disruptions"... Dietitians, when drawing up an individual nutritional program, usually include in the diet all the elements and components necessary for a person. For example, when the blood glucose level falls, a person's physiological need for food (or simply appetite) is activated. The cerebral cortex receives the appropriate signal, we begin to experience an acute desire to satisfy it as soon as possible and, as a rule, not the most healthy foods.


There are several universal tricks that can help you stay full on any diet and prevent overeating.


1. 20 minutes before meals, you need to drink 200-300 ml of water in order to reduce the amount of food eaten .


2. It is advisable to include protein foods (chicken, fish, meat, eggs or cheese) in every meal as they increase the feeling of fullness. This advice is especially relevant for those who are used to eating fast carbohydrates.There is a misconception that the body does not care what foods we eat - whether it is chocolate or meat and cereals - the main thing is not to go beyond the daily calorie requirement. In fact, it is vitally important for us that the products are not only optimal in terms of energy equivalent, but also in their qualitative composition. In other words, our diet should include all the substances necessary for the human body (proteins, fats and carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals).


3. If there is a significant amount of protein in the diet, then it is good to revise your list of foods and add fiber (cereals, vegetables and fruits). Shifting the diet towards high protein and low fiber may cause cravings for frequent meals, as the hormone of joy, serotonin, is inadequately produced. The fact is that 90% of this hormone is produced in the intestines, and fiber, increasing the feeling of satiety from food intake, also normalizes the work of the microbiota and promotes the elimination of harmful substances.


4. Do not restrict your diet to foods low in fat , as they contain sugar and starch and have a low capacity for satiety. So after a short period of time, the person will want to eat again. That is whycottage cheese with 5% fat will be healthier than 1.5%.


5. Include healthy fats in the diet : nuts, vegetable oils, avocados, fish. Those on high- fat (keto) diets know that satiety lasts longer. This is due to the high energy value of the products. However, the keto diet is not suitable for everyone and has many contraindications. However, if you add 10 ml of vegetable oil to a salad (sesame oil, olive oil, etc.), the calorie content of the dish rises by 90 kcal, and thus the saturation coefficient will increase. You can focus on the following proportions: 1 gram of fat is equal to 9 kcal of energy, 1 gram of carbohydrates - 4 kcal, 1 gram of protein - 4 kcal.


6. Preference should be given to solid food .The more liquid the food was during the meal (for example, a smoothie as a snack), the faster the person will want to eat again.


7. But it is very desirable to avoid frequent meals. There should be only water between the main meals, without additional snacks. This will help to avoid sudden surges in insulin with each snack. However, it is also not worth doing long intervals between meals, they are fraught with overeating.


8. In terms of calorie content, the diet should not be lower than the basal metabolic rate, since the body, with a regular calorie deficit, switches to the "emergency" mode and begins to slow down the metabolism as a whole, as well as store fat tissue compensatory.


9. While eating, gadgets should be put aside  - the brain must understand: the person is eating at the moment. And since the brain receives a signal from the central nervous system about satiety with a time delay, then you need to chew slowly and carefully and leave the table with a feeling of slight hunger.Those who are painful to get up from the table hungry are advised to clearly define the future portion in advance.


10. Physical activity and proper sleep and wakefulness also help to improve appetite. It would be nice to select training (intensity, duration, heart rate zone), taking into account individual characteristics. In general, it is good to form your own system that will discipline and minimize the need to overeat. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, affects the productivity of the workout and, ultimately, leads to the fact that a person makes a choice in favor of foods with increased calories.