Handle Your Hormones

Ever tried to lose weight and it starts off so well but then suddenly the results stop coming as easily as they we're in the beginning?

Well, one reason behind this can be your hunger hormones.

Yes, as you step forward in your weight loss journey these hormones start to get out of control which can make keeping that weight off challenging. These hormones regulate your appetite and can decide whether you are going to eat more or stop eating. So when you're losing weight you're just imagining that you're hungrier than you used to be.

Here are four practical tips that will help you keep those hormones in check so you can control your hunger and move forward in your weight loss journey.

Practical tip #1: Vie for volume

You don't have to eat a lot of calories in order to become full. Hard to believe, right? But that's true. There is a lot of high-volume food out there which can help you keep your stomach full while giving you high fiber and water content in low calories.

Choosing nutrient-rich and high-volume foods will not only keep you satisfied but these can provide numerous health benefits as well. As these food options are a great way to add vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to your diet.

How to Do That?

Let's take an example here;

You have two options for lunch with the same calories

• 2 tablespoons of canola oil- 250 calories

• 8 Cups of broccoli - 250 calories

Which one of those two would you think makes you feel full? Well, you guessed it right, your stomach would be exploding even before finishing that broccoli. While those 2 tablespoons of canola oil would be like air passing through your stomach.

Your stomach holds on average 4 cups of food at a time before telling you that you're full.

That's why, always be mindful of what you are eating, instead of worrying about how much you are eating. Because a big portion of volume foods would give you some calories as

Practical tip #2: Pick the protein

You may have learned a lot about protein in previous lessons, but we will be talking about this today as well. Because this powerful micronutrient can not only make you feel full and satisfied for longer but also increase your metabolism to burn more fats and increase weight loss.

According to a research study the people who ate high-protein and low-carb diets had low levels of the hunger hormone- ghrelin and a higher level of CCK(a satiety hormone) as compared to those who had low-protein and high-carb diets.

This means taking a high amount of protein can reduce appetite by lowering the level of hunger hormones and keeping you feeling full for longer.

Also, protein keeps you fuller for longer because it's harder to breakdown and stays in your stomach longer than carbohydrates and fasts. So, try to add more and more protein to your diet.

How to Do That?

Here are some of the suggestions for your meals to have more protein.

Breakfast

• Scrambled egg with some spinach, basil and tomatoes

• Have some Greek yogurt with some fresh fruits

• Add peanut butter to your banana smoothie

Lunch

Snack

Dinner

Protein Swaps

Practical tip #3: Forget About the refined

You have seen a lot of low-carb diets on the internet these days. But do you know that these carbs are an important part of your balanced diet? So, what makes them so bad?

When we talk about carbs being "bad" for you, we're only about processed or refined carbs. carbs in the form of whole fruits, vegetables and grains are full of fiber, water content and healthy micronutrients. Processing carbs removes all the nutrients and results in refined or empty carbs. The pizza, pasta, and bread you eat, all are made up of refined carbs.

Now get into the reason why the whole modern diet culture is so against these refined carbs. There may be two reasons behind this.

When you eat refined carbs they imbalance your blood sugar levels which makes you feel hungry and crave for food the whole day. The second reason is that it can skew your cues. As you eat that pastry the reward signals your brain get over your hunger and satiety signals, making you eat more than you thought at the end.

So, in control of that hormone of yours, keep your refined carbs intake in control as well. We have three tips for you to do that.

How to Do That?

Some most common refined carbs that we have in our daily routine are breakfast cereals, sugar, pastries, white flour, pasta, sodas and snacks. Here are some tips which can help you eliminate these foods from your diet.

Replace the refined grains with whole grains

Maybe it's time for you to update your grocery list a little bit. Cut out that white bread and pasta and add whole-grain bread, Quinoa Pasta, and zucchini noodles. Add brown rice instead of white rice.

Stay away from added sugar & sweeteners

Use whole foods as a snack

Practical tip #4: Engage Yourself in Intense Exercises

Even a little movement is important for your health and fitness. But it has been shown by various researchers that low-intensity or aerobic exercises like going for a walk, swimming or dancing around, can result in increasing the level of ghrelin and decreasing the level of leptin. Which means you will feel more hungry after these exercises.

Moreover, some recent studies by the Journal of Applied Physiology and the Journal of Sports Science show that high-intensity activity has the opposite effect on hormones, and these exercises can actually help in suppressing the hunger hormone, ghrelin.

So, high-intensity workouts can decrease ghrelin- a hunger hormone, and increase the level of leptin- a satiety hormone, making you feel more satisfied and less hungry. So try to add high-intensity workouts with your regular movements.

How to Do That?

We have this intense 10-minute workout for you, which will definitely show you the difference in your body feels.

• Step 1: Choose your Combination. There are various sprint-and-recovery combinations. You have to choose the one according to your routine and preferences. Some of those combinations are; run/walk, Intense cycle/slow cycle, Rapid row/slow row, Super swim/slow swim, and rapid boxing/slowpoke boxing.

• Step 2: Get Moving. Selected your combination? Now it's time to get started. First, 1-minute warm-up. Now 5 rounds of the following: 30-second sprint, then 1-minute recovery. Take at least 1-2 minutes to cool down. And now back to what you are doing.

Now you know all four ways to keep your hormones in control and hush your hunger. Make sure to apply those tips and tricks so that you can use these ways effectively in your daily routine.