Hunger, Appetite, And Nutrition

Before we dive into the best practices for controlling your eating habits, it helps to first define the playing field. Not many people know this, but your appetite and hunger are two different things. Yet many people use the terms interchangeably. As a leading nutritionist in Denver, let’s clarify the differences.

Hunger is a physical cue from your body to eat.

Appetite, on the other hand, is a psychological desire to eat.

Many people believe that appetites are solely controlled by our minds. However, that is not the case. In some instances, your appetite could be triggered by your hunger. In fact, your appetite could be influenced by a number of factors. From social influences and daily habits to activity levels and boredom, many things could increase or decrease your appetite.

Your nutritional habits could also greatly influence your appetite as well. A protein-rich diet, for instance, could make you feel more full more often, which helps decrease your desire to eat. On the flip side, let’s say that you eat 6 small meals throughout the day. This type of eating schedule will most likely increase your appetite.

As we dive into the advice from our nutritionist in Denver, it’s important to remember how your nutrition influences your body. We all have personalized nutritional needs that are unique to each one of us. If you’re struggling to control your appetite, it may be worthwhile to fully examine your diet and nutritional needs.

Controlling Your Hunger And Appetite: Thoughts From A Top Nutritionist In Denver

So, what are the best practices for appetite control? Really, it comes down to your mentality and your personal philosophy. Our nutritionist in Denver strives to instill the following mentality into the daily life of every client:

"I eat when I'm hungry, and I stop eating when I'm full."

This statement acts as a daily reminder to eat only until you are satiated. Any more food would be gratuitous and potentially harmful to your health.

It's important that we listen to our own bodies and understand the messages they are sending to us. Your body will always let you know what it needs to keep going.

If you are hungry, you will feel it physically in your body. Your stomach might feel empty and tense, your body might feel weak and tingly; hunger can manifest in different ways, but hopefully, by now you know what hunger feels like.

Read the signs and you’ll know that it’s time to feed your body. Give your body what it needs: nutritious and filling food.

If you’re craving a specific food, you might feel inclined to eat. But, you should ignore that impulse because you might not actually be hungry. Before you start to eat, ask yourself if you actually feel hungry or if that’s just your desire talking.

Maybe you’re just be thinking about or desiring a food for your personal satisfaction or other reasons. This is a case of psychological eating which is influenced by our appetite. Try to avoid eating due to your appetite! If you give in and start eating, you risk overeating and harming your health. Instead, fight the desire to eat just for the sake of eating.

The Bottom Line

Simply put, the best advice that our nutritionist in Denver can offer is this:

Eat when you are hungry. And stop eating when you are full.

It may sound simple, but it’s a harder principle to follow for some. Many individuals will continue to eat when there is food available, and they’ll completely forget to listen to their bodily cues. The body is screaming at the person to stop eating, but they may choose to override that message and continue the feast. Sometimes a continuous gorge may simply be for gratification purposes. Other times the food might simply be too tasty to stop eating. Either way, it’s an unhealthy eating habit that needs to stop.

Listen to the advice of our nutritionist in Denver and start paying attention to what your body is telling you. When you feel like you've eaten enough, stop eating. Don’t let yourself overeat and become another statistic on the obesity epidemic.

It’s not always easy to learn how to identify these cues. But, it’s entirely necessary if you want to make your eating habits healthier and more consistent.

Form Healthy Habits With A Leading Nutritionist In Denver

Whether you want to lose weight or improve your physique, you can’t achieve your goals without healthy eating habits. That’s where Whole Intent can help. We’ll help you control your appetite in a manageable way while we also teach you sustainable and healthy eating habits. Plus, our expert nutritionist in Denver will develop a completely personalized nutrition plan to help you reach your fitness goals.

If you want to gain more control over your eating patterns, then book your first session with the leading nutritionist in Denver today!