Are you a diet saboteur?

Do you find yourself being really “good” with your food during the week, only to let it all come crashing down on the weekend?

I have some great tips for you to keep your appetite under control.

First of all, ask yourself if you’re really hungry or just thirsty.  Start off with a glass of water and then see how you feel after 15 minutes.

• Protein rich breakfast. Protein keeps you feeling fuller for longer. and you could end up eating 267 fewer calories during the day. (That’s what happened on days when St. Louis University researchers gave overweight women a high protein breakfast)
• Out of sight out of mind. Keep the most tempting foods out of reach (or best of all, out of the house).  I regularly have some baked goodies for the children’s lunchboxes.  If the box sits on the counter (next to the kettle!), I’m constantly nibbling. If it’s in the pantry, I forget out it.
• Sleep on it. People who don’t get enough ZZZs experience hormonal fluctuations that can increase appetite.  Also, when you’re tired, you’re more likely to reach for that sugar hit to keep you going.
• Trick it.  Scientists scanned the brains of people eating different foods and found that the brain reacts to fat in the mouth in much the same way that it responds to a pleasant aroma. So if you feel a craving coming on, apply your favorite scent.  It really works – sometimes just taking a few deep breaths as you walk past the bakery (my weakness) is enough to satisfy you.
• Don’t over fill your plate. The more food that’s in front of you, the more you’ll eat. So at a restaurant, try ordering starter sized portions or take left overs home for lunch the next day.  At home – serve up in the kitchen and then resist going back for seconds.
• Put it under the lights. You consume fewer calories at a well-lit table.
• Talk it down. Keep the conversation going at the dinner table – it’s rude to talk with your mouth full so it’ll slow you down (and it’s a great way for the family to catch up at the end of the day)  We do “what was your best thing and worst thing of the day and what are you looking forward to tomorrow”.
• Sit down to eat and eat consciously – if you sit down with a plate every time you eat, you’ll notice what you’re eating, enjoy it more and get more satisfaction.  If snack while you’re standing around doing other things, you don’t notice what you’re eating. This = extra calories without the satisfaction.
• Satisfy it with soup. Start your meal with about a cup of vegetable soup (avoid the creamy variety) and you’ll eat about 20% fewer calories overall.
• Limited choice. Have you ever noticed at a BBQ – put out 4 salads, a potato dish and sausages and meat and everyone tries a bit of everything.   Serve just 2 salads, one meat and potato/carb dish and everyone still eats a bit of everything, but less overall.

Oh, and one more thing – this is always worth repeating.  Go for unprocessed foods as much as possible and choose lots of different colours (i.e. lots of veggies)

Looking for some nutritious, filling snacks (around 100 cal or 400Kj)?  Click here for some of my favs