While chewing gum may not be the latest fad diet, it may help with appetite control. One study from Glasgow Caledonian University in the U.K. showed that people who chewed gum between meals ate fewer calories during the next meal or snack.
So, what is the magic behind chewing gum? It could be a variety of things. One idea is that chewing on gum takes away the need to chew on something else, like food. You won't be doing any mindless eating while you are chewing gum.
Another thought is that the flavor of the gum takes away the urge to have any other flavors in your mouth. This can be especially true with mint gum: Think about chewing mint gum and then drinking a glass of orange juice — yuck.
Chewing sugar-free gum will cost you only 5 to 10 calories per stick, and chewing on a stick of gum for one hour burns about 10 calories! Some research suggests, however, that too much chewing can be detrimental to your teeth or jaw muscles or both — so check with your dentist. And chewing sugar-free gum can also help reduce plaque and cavities.
If you are struggling with after-meal cravings or trying to avoid a sweet nighttime snack, try chewing a piece of sugar-free gum. This can help to signal that your meal is over, keep you from snacking between meals, and nix those cravings for sweets.
Eating a few candy mints or simply brushing your teeth after a meal can help too. Give it a try and see if you can use gum to help control your appetite and head off some cravings.
How to Control Your Appetite
Do you feel like you're always hungry? Trying to curb your appetite for certain foods? Appetite is different than hunger. Hunger is that physiological feeling in your stomach.
Appetite is more about cravings for certain foods. Appetite can be affected by emotions such as boredom, depression, happiness, loneliness, or even by medications. Controlling your appetite can be tough.
But if you can learn to tame your appetite, you'll be able to choose healthier foods and even to eat less and lose weight. Try some of the following tips to curb your appetite.
• Listen to your body.
Learn to know when you are truly hungry and when you just want to submit to your appetite. If you aren't hungry, don't eat. Learn to listen to your body by keeping a written record of the feelings - both physical and emotional - that accompany your meals.
* Learn to deal positively with your emotions.
If you eat because of feelings and not because of hunger, learn to deal with those feelings. Call a friend, go for a walk, catch up on your email, surf the web, but don't enter the kitchen just because you're feeling bored, lonely, or whatever. Post a list on your refrigerator of other activities besides eating that you can engage in when you feel like indulging yourself with some food.
* When you do eat, slow down.
It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to the brain that it (the stomach) is feeling full. So wait 20 minutes before you serve yourself seconds. If you slow down your eating speed, you'll start feeling full before you can eat a lot of excess food.
* Remember: Out of sight, out of mind.
Keep all the temping high-calorie snack foods in an inconvenient place, like a high cupboard that you can't reach without a stool. If you don't see the snacks, or can't simply grab a handful while walking by, you are less likely to begin munching.
• Watch where you eat.
Try not to eat in front of the television or the computer, or in the car. You are more likely to overeat when your mind is focused on other things.
Taking control of your appetite can be challenging, but by using deliberate thought and action you can tame the beast.
Appetite is more about cravings for certain foods. Appetite can be affected by emotions such as boredom, depression, happiness, loneliness, or even by medications. Controlling your appetite can be tough.
But if you can learn to tame your appetite, you'll be able to choose healthier foods and even to eat less and lose weight. Try some of the following tips to curb your appetite.
• Listen to your body.
Learn to know when you are truly hungry and when you just want to submit to your appetite. If you aren't hungry, don't eat. Learn to listen to your body by keeping a written record of the feelings - both physical and emotional - that accompany your meals.
* Learn to deal positively with your emotions.
If you eat because of feelings and not because of hunger, learn to deal with those feelings. Call a friend, go for a walk, catch up on your email, surf the web, but don't enter the kitchen just because you're feeling bored, lonely, or whatever. Post a list on your refrigerator of other activities besides eating that you can engage in when you feel like indulging yourself with some food.
* When you do eat, slow down.
It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate to the brain that it (the stomach) is feeling full. So wait 20 minutes before you serve yourself seconds. If you slow down your eating speed, you'll start feeling full before you can eat a lot of excess food.
* Remember: Out of sight, out of mind.
Keep all the temping high-calorie snack foods in an inconvenient place, like a high cupboard that you can't reach without a stool. If you don't see the snacks, or can't simply grab a handful while walking by, you are less likely to begin munching.
• Watch where you eat.
Try not to eat in front of the television or the computer, or in the car. You are more likely to overeat when your mind is focused on other things.
Taking control of your appetite can be challenging, but by using deliberate thought and action you can tame the beast.
Weekly Walking Workout
Do you walk the same distance and place most every day? Do you feel like your fitness improvement has stalled? Do you want to prepare for a walking race, relay, or marathon? Time for a schedule with a variety of walking workouts.
This weekly suggested schedule is for every kind of walker. You can mix and match the workouts below. The week should include one day of Economy workouts to build speed, two days of Threshold workouts to build aerobic performance, and one day of long distance. In between each of these workouts should be a rest day or a day of easy walking.
Monday: Rest day. No walking of significant distance or intensity.
Tuesday: Economy Workout. Warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace. Then walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds or 200 meters (two city blocks in most cities). After 30 seconds, drop down to an easy pace for 2 minutes. Repeat the 30 seconds speed/2 minutes rest 8-12 times. Cool down with a 10 minute easy pace walk.
Wednesday: Recovery. Easy 3 mile walk at 65-70% of your max heart rate. This is a pace at which you can easily maintain a conversation but are breathing harder than at rest.
Thursday: Threshold Workout #1 - Speed. 10 minute warm up at easy walking pace. Walk fast for 8 minutes or 1 kilometer at 85-92% of your max heart rate. Then slow down to an easy pace for 2 minutes. Repeat this for 3-4 repetitions. Cool down for 10 minutes at an easy pace. The threshold pace is strenuous, but one you could maintain throughout a 10 kilometer/6 mile race. You will be breathing very hard and able to speak only in short phrases.
Friday: Recovery. Easy 3 mile walk at 65-70% of your max heart rate.
Saturday: Threshold Workout #2: Steady state or tempo workout. Warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace. Walk 20-30 minutes at 85% of your max heart rate then cool down with 10 minutes easy pace.
Sunday: Distance Workout. 8-12 kilometers (5-7 miles) at 70-75% of your max heart rate. This is a conversational pace.
The key to these workouts is not to exceed your lactate threshold - working out so hard and long that your body builds up lactic acid in the muscles. This occurs when you workout at 90% or more of your maximum heart rate for more than 50 minutes. By knowing your Maximum Heart Rate and using a heart rate monitor, you can ensure that you are working out at the right pace for the various workouts.
This weekly suggested schedule is for every kind of walker. You can mix and match the workouts below. The week should include one day of Economy workouts to build speed, two days of Threshold workouts to build aerobic performance, and one day of long distance. In between each of these workouts should be a rest day or a day of easy walking.
Monday: Rest day. No walking of significant distance or intensity.
Tuesday: Economy Workout. Warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace. Then walk as fast as you can for 30 seconds or 200 meters (two city blocks in most cities). After 30 seconds, drop down to an easy pace for 2 minutes. Repeat the 30 seconds speed/2 minutes rest 8-12 times. Cool down with a 10 minute easy pace walk.
Wednesday: Recovery. Easy 3 mile walk at 65-70% of your max heart rate. This is a pace at which you can easily maintain a conversation but are breathing harder than at rest.
Thursday: Threshold Workout #1 - Speed. 10 minute warm up at easy walking pace. Walk fast for 8 minutes or 1 kilometer at 85-92% of your max heart rate. Then slow down to an easy pace for 2 minutes. Repeat this for 3-4 repetitions. Cool down for 10 minutes at an easy pace. The threshold pace is strenuous, but one you could maintain throughout a 10 kilometer/6 mile race. You will be breathing very hard and able to speak only in short phrases.
Friday: Recovery. Easy 3 mile walk at 65-70% of your max heart rate.
Saturday: Threshold Workout #2: Steady state or tempo workout. Warm up for 10 minutes at an easy pace. Walk 20-30 minutes at 85% of your max heart rate then cool down with 10 minutes easy pace.
Sunday: Distance Workout. 8-12 kilometers (5-7 miles) at 70-75% of your max heart rate. This is a conversational pace.
The key to these workouts is not to exceed your lactate threshold - working out so hard and long that your body builds up lactic acid in the muscles. This occurs when you workout at 90% or more of your maximum heart rate for more than 50 minutes. By knowing your Maximum Heart Rate and using a heart rate monitor, you can ensure that you are working out at the right pace for the various workouts.
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