If our diet is healthy and we make a good choice of satiating foods we will keep our sensation of hunger under control and avoid uncontrolled snacking between meals. This is an important aspect to achieve goals related to maintaining or losing weight.
To control our appetite with a healthy diet it is important to include foods that keep the glycemic index in plateau, without generating very rapid rises in blood sugar, as this induces insulin secretion. That is to say, it is important that there are no glucose peaks in the blood, since this increases the desire to continue eating, generally sweet and fast-absorbing foods.
In view of this, the ideal is to include fruits and vegetables, as well as whole grains and nuts. In addition, it is important to have an adequate protein intake in the three main meals and in a proportional way, that is to say, similar amounts at breakfast, lunch and dinner.
On the other hand, it is also essential to consume liquid, preferably water. The recommended amount is between 6 and 8 glasses a day, which also helps to appease the appetite and facilitates the metabolic processes that help weight loss.
One of the questions that patients often ask themselves is the number of meals they should eat per day. However, the answer depends on each person, their schedules and habits.
How does anxiety influence appetite?
One of the key aspects to work on in order to control appetite and the relationship we establish with food are emotions. In other words, during treatment it is important to pay attention to both nutritional and psychological factors.
The patient must differentiate between emotional hunger and physical hunger. With the former, the patient usually feels anxiety, discomfort or sadness that he/she seeks to calm down with food. In addition, very sugary and caloric foods are usually craved and it is very difficult to feel satiated.
As for physical hunger, it is a feeling of emptiness in the stomach. When we feel this type of appetite, we usually crave any type of food, even healthy ones, and we are satiated when we eat, which means that we stop eating before we are completely full. This type of hunger does not depend on an emotional state and is more related to the hours we have not eaten, physical activity and digestive sensations.
What is the most appropriate treatment?
The nutrition specialist should begin treatment by listening to the patient and, based on his or her experience and an initial anthropometric and nutritional medical assessment, design an appropriate dietary plan.
The important thing is to include satiating foods, in addition to identifying eating disorders such as binge eating and bulimia that require a specific multidisciplinary approach.
There are multiple options to modify the desire to eat, such as nutritional coaching. This technique helps to break deep-rooted habits and to establish eating and physical activity patterns that keep the patient satiated and with a lower level of anxiety.
In addition, there are drugs that can help, such as Liraglutide, indicated to enhance weight loss as an appetite suppressant.
On the other hand, there are other endoscopic and surgical techniques that facilitate appetite loss without being so invasive. One of them is the Metameric Neurostimulation, which is based on the biostimulation of the T6 dermatome. Through the application of low intensity current in the abdomen, it stimulates the hypothalamic receptors responsible for appetite control, inducing satiety. In this way it facilitates that, eating a small amount of food, we fill up sooner, which can be of great help in achieving low-calorie diets.
How to achieve long-term results?
Another concern that arises during treatment is the difficulty of achieving results that are maintained over time. For this it is essential to make a personalized diet plan, which does not require starvation and does not contain food group restrictions.
In conclusion, the trick is to make a permanent change of habits, learning to eat healthy and to make good food choices in the daily routine. In other words, this behavior modification must be pleasant for the patient, making him/her understand it as a way of eating that will lead him/her to achieve his/her goals in a simple way, “like learning to ride a bicycle, which is not forgotten”.
The other aspect to focus on is the need for physical activity, with a level of intensity adapted to the patient’s conditions.
Finally, motivation is a fundamental pillar in appetite control, so it is important that the patient takes responsibility for his or her health. If necessary, this motivation can be worked on in conjunction with psychotherapeutic treatment and will be enriched as the patient himself perceives the benefits and results of appetite control.