EAT LESS WITHOUT FEELING HUNGRY
TOP TIPS TO HELP YOU SHED THAT WINTER WEIGHT GAIN
1 USE AN OP-SHOP PLATE
Not only have portion sizes increased, so have our plates, says Jenny Craig dietitian Laura Ford. “Buy some second-hand plates that are smaller,” she suggests. “Eating off a smaller plate can make a portion feel bigger.”
2 ADD CHILLI
Chilli is a flavour booster and it also has appetite-suppressing effects, says Kate Save, dietitian and founder of Be Fit Food. “This is due to its key ingredient, capsaicin, which triggers receptors in the stomach that tell the brain the stomach has stretched and we are no longer hungry,” she explains. “Australian researchers have found that capsaicin may also be able to prevent overeating through an action on nerves in the stomach, although effects were believed to be dampened when consumed with fatty food, such as coconut cream added to a spicy curry.”
3 FOCUS ON VEGIES
Crowd your plate with vegetables and eat them first, slowly, advises Brisbane nutritionist Zoe Morosini. “Vegetables are nutrient-dense, meaning they have a high number of nutrients per kilojoule,” says Morosini. “They tend to be low in kilojoules and high in fibre, meaning they fill you up.”
4 DON’T FORGET H20
It’s easy for your body to mistake dehydration for hunger, says Sydneybased nutritionist and personal trainer Victoria Malouf. “As thirst can often be misread as hunger, make sure you are drinking enough throughout the day.”
5 CHOOSE ONE FAT
“You need fat in your diet – it’s not only nutritious but it also helps to keep you full,” says Morosini. “The trick is to choose a great source of fat such as olive oil, seeds, nuts, at every meal, but only one – not two or three – and avoid foods that are deep-fried,” she advises. “For extra points, eat it as the unrefined version, such as eating coconut instead of coconut oil. When you do this, you get all of the natural constituents that come with that food such as fibre, vitamins and minerals that will also help to curb cravings.”
6 BUMP UP THE FIBRE
Fibre slows down your digestion making you fuller for longer, says Morosini. “Plus, it can feed your good bacteria, and good bacteria can help to manage your weight,” she says. “Many high-fibre foods are lower in
kilojoules so they are a great option if you’re trying to reduce your energy intake. Choose lentils, split peas, rolled oats, chia seeds and artichoke for more fibre, more fullness and less kilojoules.”
7 LOWER YOUR CARBS
Reducing total carb intake causes a fundamental change in the way the body is fuelled, says Save. “When done correctly, the body switches from burning carbohydrates to burning body fat for fuel,” she says. “Eventually, our body can reach a state of mild nutritional ketosis, where it begins to burn its own body fat as an energy source when kilojoules are sufficiently restricted … These ketones actually have an appetite-suppressing effect at a brain level, helping us to feel satisfied with less food, and less hungry in between meals.”