Our dynamic lives are busy and unpredictable, which sometimes makes us forget ourselves. A regular meal order will allow us some control, at least in this area. It is advisable to set more or less fixed times when you can eat about 3-4 meals during the day. By the way, a meal does not have to include meatballs and rice. It can be a sandwich/fruit/yogurt and granola or alternatively a meat dish with a complex carbohydrate or a large and rich salad. Also, you don’t have to define a meal as ‘breakfast’ or ‘lunch’, you can play with the order of the meals.
Try to sleep more
Lack of sleep will lead to an increase in appetite. After all, food stimulates us, especially carbohydrates, which provide us with available energy and immediately increase the level of serotonin in the brain, which contributes to an uplifted mood.
If you pay attention to the moments when you feel like snacking the most, you will find that it usually happens in the afternoon when the tiredness is showing, or in the evening in front of the news. In addition, an abnormal sleep-wake cycle usually leads to distracted eating, regardless of feelings of hunger and satiety.
How much sleep? 7-8 hours a night for an adult should definitely be enough. By the way, if you are not really hungry, try to just drink a glass of water, and maybe the feeling of hunger will decrease.
Listen to yourselves
We are aware of our body’s needs, we know very well when we are really hungry, and yet – we don’t always listen. So here’s a tip that can help: the next time you feel like eating something, try to ask yourself first if you’re really hungry, or maybe it’s some other need. Another question worth considering is – at what point during the meal do I feel a pleasant feeling of satiety? An example of signs: when you start to feel a bit tight in your stomach, when while eating the body bends less towards the plate, the tightness in the stomach changes from a ‘pleasant’ feeling to a ‘slightly less pleasant’ feeling, the taste of the food is no longer so good in the mouth and more. When you don’t pay attention to the signs, the appetite is not regulated and this is the shortest path to unconscious eating.
Try to relax
True, this is not a very realistic request in view of the national situation and the general despondency felt in our region, but still – keep in mind that this is about your health. This pressure, which is so characteristic of modern life anyway, actually causes us to overeat fast, readily available and ultra-processed food products, which causes us to binge eat.
If this sounds familiar to you, try to apply in your life relaxing and airing techniques such as yoga or mindfulness or alternatively – solving a crossword puzzle, playing music or talking to a professional. All of these are good ways to reduce stress and manage healthier eating behaviors, and – also weight loss.
- The recommendations are based on research from a recent professional review on the subject (Nutrients, 2024)
Lilach Hadar Degani, clinical dietician, director of the children’s nutrition department of the General Hospital in Dan district – Pet.