How to Feel Fuller With Fewer Calories?

WThere is definitely no magic spell to get rid of those extra kilograms you have, no super quick diet, supplement nor even fad diets.
However, one promising way to help yourself lose weight is to identify factors that could make you feel fuller for a longer time. This way you are less likely to overeat later during the day and in the same time you won’t feel deprived from eating.

To start with, focus on eating slowly.
Yes, sure we have all been hearing about “Mindful Eating” from everyone but it’s actually quite true.

• A study was done in the US to investigate slow eating. Women were 1^st advised to eat as fast as they could using a tablespoon for 1 day while the 2^nd they were advised to use a teaspoon, eat in a slow manner, with smaller while chewing between 20 to 30 times. The 2^nd way lead women to eat less total calories per day and helped them feel fuller for a longer time.
• Moreover, chewing itself starts signaling your body that you are reaching satiety and digestion continues that. These signals need around 20 minutes to reach your brain, so don’t rush eating because if you do, you will eat more before your body knows it’s full
• This is why, start chewing and chewing, you will become more aware of the smell, taste and texture of your food, feel more satisfied, eat less and stay full. 

Drink water before meals. Water delays stomach emptying, it reduces hunger and helps you fell fuller for longer. In a study done on women, those who drank water ½ an hour before meals (and not directly before) were more likely to eat around 100 less calories than those who didn’t. Note that this does not work if the drink you have has calories such as juices or sodas and it has not been studied on diet drinks. So it’s best if you stick with water.

So what to eat?
Start with soups, salads and fruits. These foods are considered to be low energy dense foods and contain few calories relative to their weight or volume. Studies were done on vegetable soups, apples and vegetable salads and they all helped in decreasing around 20% of total calories intake if taken before eating. Note that, on the other hand, if you start by eating high energy dense foods, you would eat more total calories which might lead to extra kilograms in weight. So, skip the sour cream, nuts, cheese, croutons and dried fruits.

So what do we really mean by low energy dense foods?
People usually eat the same amount of food per day regardless the total amount of calories. So when you choose what you are going to eat tonight, go low dense. For example, 120 calories could be found in ¼ cup of raisins but in 1 ½ cup of grapes. So if you want to feel fuller for a longer time, go for the grapes because to be frank à la Libanaise, raisins will only “giggle your stomach”! So from now on choose foods that are high in fiber and water like fruits, vegetables, broth made soups and whole grains and decrease your intake of high fat/low moisture foods like fries, fatty cheeses and biscuits. 

How to calculate if the food you are about to eat is energy dense or not?!
Energy density= # of calories/grams per serving.
You can find these info on the back of the snack in your hand, so take a look at them!
For example if your snack has 55 calories in 1 serving that is 250 g, you will get an energy density of 0.22

Well, after you calculate that, check this table.

Energy Density	What to Do	Food
Less than 1.2	Eat freely	Fruits and vegetables, soups based on broth and not cream, beans and grain, yogurt, milk and labne that are all skimmed
Between 1.0 and 2.0	Eat in Moderation	Tuna canned in water, sardines, pasta, chicken breast, rice, turkey breast
Between 2.0 and 3.0	Eat small portions	Bread, breakfast cereals, meats, jams, ice cream
3.0 and above	Eat scarcely	Cheeses, cakes, cookies, donuts, butter, nuts, ham, chips, salad dressings, fries

These are tips to help you feel fuller for longer without adding extra calories to your diet. However, don’t rely on these recommendations alone, you should always balance your diet and exercise to stay healthy!

You can also find this article published in Fitness Newsletter.