How to Fix Your Appetite
Appetite control is a big deal if you’re looking to lose weight.
And even if you are currently at a healthy weight, out of control eating is a root cause of many serious health issues.
Here we take a look at the main issues around how to fix your appetite.
Understanding appetite
At some point in your life you’ve probably said something like, “I really have an appetite today!” Or maybe, “I don’t have much of an appetite.”
But appetite isn’t just about actual physical hunger.
Yes, we have a physical need for food, but there’s also the psychological drive for food.
And that’s often what gets us into trouble.
Physical appetite
When things are working like they’re supposed to, we have appetite signals that let us know when we need to take in more food.
It’s like the fuel gauge on a car, it points to empty when you need to refuel.
In the body, the gauge is ghrelin.
Ghrelin is our hunger hormone. When we eat, insulin goes up and ghrelin goes down.
When we haven’t eaten in a while, insulin levels will fall and ghrelin will go up.
And you’ll get those hunger signals telling you to eat something.
That’s how things are supposed to work.
The problem is that we have lost touch with these natural appetite signals.
We eat when we’re not hungry and because of that, insulin levels stay high around the clock.
We eat the wrong kinds of foods.
Sugars and starches, and nasty ingredients in processed foods make us feel hungry all the time.
As a result, we don’t really know what true hunger is anymore.
Yo-yo dieting and undereating in an effort to lose weight has also played havoc on our appetite signals.
Psychological appetite
Psychological appetite is the desire to eat, even if you’re not physically hungry.
In part, we all have this mental drive for food. It’s human nature and part of our survival instinct.
The brain is trying to protect us. It makes sure we don’t forget to eat.
But psychological appetite can be (and often is) driven by things like mood, emotions, and stress.
And even habit plays a huge role in psychological appetite.
Those neural pathways we’ve created by reaching for food for comfort are hard to ignore.
So how do we fix our appetite?
Getting back in touch with natural hunger signals is key to weight loss and longevity.
Let’s look at some things you can start doing right now that will help.
Fasting
It sounds counterintuitive to suggest fasting to fix the appetite, since you have to ignore hunger when you fast.
But consistent fasting, whether Intermittent or Extended, helps to fix hormones like insulin, ghrelin, and leptin.
And when we talk about fixing appetite, we’re really talking about fixing those hormones.
Fasting will put you back in touch with what true hunger feels like, and what satiety feels like.
Eating whole foods
Nothing has been more damaging to natural appetite signals than sugar, starches, and processed foods.
These kinds of “foods” make you feel hungry even after you’ve already eaten.
When you eat, aim for healthy fats and proteins, low carbohydrate vegetables, and berries instead of other fruits.
This will go a long way in getting your appetite back in check.
Stay hydrated
It’s true that thirst is often confused for hunger.
Try to aim for 64 ounces/1.8 Litres of water a day, and after that drink to thirst.
Start your day with a big glass of water, before your coffee, tea, or breakfast.
Make sure you’re getting enough electrolytes
Just like with water, if you’re low on electrolytes your body will send signals that might be confused with hunger.
If you’re fasting or on a Ketogenic diet and losing fat, you’re losing water, and with it electrolytes.
Always make sure you’re getting enough sodium, magnesium, and potassium.
Eat till satisfied
When you do eat, don’t cut calories on purpose if you’re still hungry.
Some days you may eat more, and some days less, but it should eventually balance out.
Cutting calories when you’re still hungry is damaging to your metabolism.
And that’s going to make it harder for you to fix your appetite.
The body knows what to do
It might take a little time and consistency, but you can fix your appetite and get back in touch with those natural hunger and fullness cues.
The human body is amazing. It knows exactly what to do when we let it.
Author: Roo Black
Roo is a fasting coach with over 5 years of experience. She leads the admin team of the Official Fasting for Weight Loss Facebook group - one of the largest fasting communities on social media with over 125,000 members. We highly recommend this group for anyone who is looking for fasting advice or coaching.
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