Eat less and cut calories without feeling deprived

Do you feel deprived when you consume less food? Here are five things you can do to help reduce your intake of calories, without being left feeling deprived: 

Chew more slowly

It usually takes a minimum of twenty minutes for your body to register feelings of fullness, meaning that the more quickly you consume your meals, the more you will feel compelled to eat before you start to feel full. Research results published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that those who chewed each mouthful forty times ate nearly twelve per cent fewer calories than those who chewed their food just fifteen times, so try taking your time over each mouthful to help you cut back on calories.

Reduce on liquid calories

While alcohol is the main liquid calorie culprit, cooldrinks, fruit juices, smoothies and many hot beverages can also contain a large amount of calories. To reduce your liquid calorie intake try swapping calorie-rich drinks for herbal tea or water. Alternatively, replace milky lattes for skinny versions and fizzy drinks for fruit juice diluted with sparkling water.

Get more sleep

Research suggests getting more sleep could help you cut back on calories. A study by Columbia University found that when people are sleep-deprived they eat almost 300 calories more a day than when they have had adequate rest. It is thought that this is because lack of sleep stimulates the production of our hunger hormone, ghrelin, while also lowering levels of leptin; the hormone that makes you feel full.

Choose filling foods

Opt for more filling foods rich in protein and fibre - both of which can help you to feel fuller for longer. Experts at the University of Sydney developed a ‘Satiety Index’ based on how long foods will stop you from feeling hungry, and identified the most filling foods as potatoes, fish, oats, apples, oranges, whole wheat pasta, beef, beans, grapes and popcorn.

Be attentive to your meals

According to research findings published in the British Journal of Nutrition, eating when distracted can cause you to ignore your body’s signals that you’ve had enough, leading you to eat more than you normally would. To cut your calorie intake, try to eat at the table, rather than in front of a television or computer screen. Learn to really savour your food.

 

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