All About Weight Blog

Recent research suggests that a technique often employed by anorexics to maintain low calorie intakes can help overweight individuals to eat less. The appetite hormone, ghrelin, sends messages to your brain to remind you to eat and it will continue to send hunger messages until you are sated. However, you can control how many calories you eat by responding differently.

On reduced calorie diets you are deliberately choosing to eat less than your body actually needs (in order to lose weight). Research shows that if you pretend that your snack or meal is higher in calories than it actually is, you will automatically reduce the levels of ghrelin that your body produces and your hunger will subside.

During my years working with women suffering from anorexia nervosa, I discovered that they often convince themselves that they are eating many more calories than they really are. Some of the tricks they use include telling themselves that they are eating a lot of fat, that food tastes very creamy, or they will serve themselves a large portion of very low calorie foods such as salad leaves, vegetable soup, melon, or strawberries and kid themselves that they have eaten much more than they actually have. We now have evidence that this mind deception actually influences the body’s appetite control hormonal response.
Why not try this out for yourself . The next time you drink a coffee with low fat milk, tell yourself that it is a creamy cappuccino!

The ability to manage difficult situations and feelings effectively—without turning to food and eating—is a necessary foundation for a successful weight loss plan and healthy lifestyle.

Fortunately, there are many proactive steps you can take to keep functioning on all your mental cylinders during tough times. These steps range widely from basic relaxation techniques to the development of a reliable support network.

You could start by keeping a food journal to help you identify your emotional eating triggers. Another step would be to work on emotional calming through yoga, regular massage, or meditation. You will also need to work on improving your problem solving skills. For example, the act of offering help to others who are suffering from similar problems as yourself, can help you gain a little perspective on how to handle your own issues. Also, really listen to the advice of people you respect and apply this to your situation. The most important thing to remember is to take one step at a time.

Drink sufficient water and your weight will begin to drop. You may think that you are hungry when all your body is after is a large glass of water. You should be drinking lots of water if you are over weight and trying to lose your excess fat. Your requirements for water will be even greater if you are also diabetic, or if you are breastfeeding, menopausal, very active, if you sweat a lot, if you are taking several medications, if you are constipated, or if you suffer with a lot of headaches.

As your body breaks down it’s own fat stores, it releases toxic substances which require excretion from your body. If you drink plenty of water, your body will work much more efficiently and your
weight loss plan will yield better results. Try this water regime to step up your fat loss:-

As soon as you wake up, squeeze the juice of one orange and one lemon into a glass and top up with 150ml of very
warm water and drink.

Then every two hours from your juicy beginning, drink 200ml of water. Finally, between dinner and bedtime, drink 400ml of fizzy water. The bubbles will fill you up and reduce the urge to nibble.

This is one of the top habits for slimming down without a complicated diet plan. Start by timing how long it usually takes you to eat a meal and if it is under 20 minutes or if you find that you are allowing distractions to interfere with your meals then it is time to re prioritise.

Set your alarm at the beginning of each meal for 20- 30 minutes. Savour each bite and make it last until the alarm goes off. Paced meals offer great pleasure from smaller portions and trigger the body’s fullness hormones. Wolfing your food down in a hurry blocks those signals and causes overeating. Focus on your need to be fed as you would on another person you were responsible for and value your special  time for yourself.