[Outsmart your] hunger hormones: how to shed pounds, stay full, be healthy & keep your appetite in check with these new eating - New Weight-Loss Research

Shape, Feb, 2003 by Robin Vitetta-Miller

By eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods throughout the day, you'll also thwart the urge to overeat while fueling your body for exercise, says Wayne L. Westcott, Ph.D., author of No More Cellulite (Perigee Books, 2003) and senior fitness/research director at the South Shore YMCA in Quincy, Mass.

You can also stop worrying about scheduling meals and workouts so they don't conflict. Graze, and you can literally eat and run. Plus you'll never again have to postpone aerobics class because you are too stuffed to budge.

"With grazing, you can eat just enough so you can work out at any time," Westcott says. "You won't be skipping meals all day, then gorging at night, when you can't do anything but sit down," he adds.

Also, because grazing eliminates constant fat and carb cravings and bingeing, you'll naturally feel more in control of your eating, says Tallmadge. "Because you're allowed to eat every three hours, you won't ever feel cheated or deprived," she says.

Unlike crash diets, which encourage you to skimp, starve and deprive yourself, grazing gives you the opportunity to develop a whole new relationship with food, Tallmadge explains.

Instead of viewing food as the enemy that makes you fat, you begin to appreciate it for what it truly is: the fuel we need to help our bodies stay healthy and strong.

Four rules for grazing rights

Building an eating strategy around grazing is easy and fun, and we have lots of tips and recipes to get you started. That said, grazing won't help you lose weight and may even backfire unless you follow these four simple rules.

1. Practice portion control. This is the key to success--not to mention a huge fringe benefit. By learning what a healthy (as opposed to a restaurant-size) portion really looks like, you'll never unwittingly eat for two (or three) when you dine out--or in. According to the American Dietetic Association, most people have no idea what constitutes a healthy serving size. Here's a quick primer to help:

* 1.5-ounce serving of cheese four stacked dice

* 1/2 cup cooked pasta, rice or veggies = a tennis ball cut in half

* 1 cup raw veggies = a tennis ball

* 2-3 ounces cooked lean meat, poultry or fish = a deck of cards

2. Divvy up the calories to stay full all day. If you're following an 1,800-calorie diet, divide the calories into six 200- to 400-calorie mini-meals, says Tallmadge. For example, split up breakfast into a 400-calorie morning meal and a 200-calorie midmorning snack, and then do the same with lunch and dinner. The breakdown doesn't have to be precise--you can split calories up however you want. Just remember that 300 calories are a substantial snack that should keep you satisfied for about three hours. Good examples: a handful of nuts, several pieces of fruit or a low-fat healthy frozen dinner.

3. Plan your meals and shop accordingly. Nothing ruins grazing faster than an empty refrigerator. Without healthful foods on hand for mini-meals and snacks, you'll get so frustrated and hungry, you'll probably head for the nearest fast food or deli or start dialing for pizza.