How to Reset Your "Appestat" and Reduce Hunger

According to Dr. Norman Jolliffe of Columbia University's School of Public Health, eating habits are regulated by the "appestat". An "appestat" is a personal appetite thermostat. Overeating, emotional eating and habitual eating can throw off the natural "appestat" setting humans are born with. Infants do not have the natural ability to overeat. Overeating is a learned behavior that needs to be unlearned to reduce hunger. Resetting the "appestat" is as simple as reverting to healthy eating habits and exercise.

Eat less food more often to reduce hunger. I love eating six to seven small meals per day. It satiates my hunger and allows me to better control cravings. The basic formula for dividing calories into smaller meals requires dividing the total calorie goal for the day by six. For instance, if you are trying to follow a 1,800 calorie per day diet, each mini-meal would consist of 300 calories. Break these mini-meals up throughout the day such as breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner and snack.

Choose lean proteins and healthy fats to keep your appetite at bay. While changing the "appestat" may be simple, there will be hunger along the way until the body gets used to eating fewer calories. Protein and healthy fats help reduce hunger between meals, giving you more power over what you eat. This is why following a low-carb, high-protein diet like the Atkin's Diet, is such an effective means of weight loss.

Skip simple carbohydrates that cause sharp drops in blood glucose and cravings for more simple carbohydrates. Eating that slice of cake may seem like a simple indulgence, but simple sugars convert quickly to energy. After glucose is no longer needed to metabolize carbohydrates, the levels drop, sometimes too far. This accounts for the hunger felt after eating simple carbohydrates. Replace simple carbohydrates with whole grains or lower sugar varieties of foods to reduce glucose drops and subsequent hunger.

Exercise often, but not for weight loss. Regular exercise is ideal for weight loss, but resetting the "appestat" is about more than losing weight. Exercise causes a release of "feel good" hormones that last for hours after exercise is complete. These "feel good" hormones help you feel better about the food choices you are making. Over time, regular exercise becomes an addiction of sorts, so weight loss may be in the near future as your "appestat" resets and you find yourself eating less and moving more.

Skip the scale. With the new eating habits you are adopting, it may seem like a great time to watch your weight - wrong! Focus on controlling appetite, hunger and eating habits while resetting your "appestat". Weight loss may be a welcome benefit of reduced hunger, but the main focus of the reset is to gain a better gauge of real hunger versus perceived hunger and cravings.

With hard work, dedication and attention to real hunger pangs, resetting your "appestat" is a fantastic way to reduce weight and control appetite. If emotional eating is your biggest crutch, find an "appestat" buddy and make a call every time you feel the need to indulge in empty calories and simple carbohydrates.