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To help you manage your eating behaviours it is important to understand the factors that affect them.

Hunger and appetite – is there a difference?

Hunger is our basic physiological need for food – it is that nagging, irritating feeling that prompts our thoughts of food and reminds us that our body needs energy. Appetite on the other hand is our psychological desire for food which can also be described as our motivation to eat. Our appetite is controlled by the interaction between physiological processes in our body and brain, and the social environment. Our brain controls our eating and stimulates our appetites. When there is a drop in our brain’s primary fuel (glucose), chemical messengers tell us to eat. Both hunger and appetite drive our desire to eat and take in energy.

Satiation and satiety – there’s a difference?

The opposite of being hungry and having an appetite is the physical and psychological feeling of fullness. Satiation and satiety describe this feeling of fullness. Satiation occurs during a meal, signalling us to stop
eating, whereas satiety is the feeling of fullness that we get between meals, and influences the size and timing of our next meal.

Controlling when and what we eat

Hormones control when and how we eat, and most of these signals start in the gut and fat cells. When levels of gherlin (hunger hormone) decrease, our brain starts to register that we are becoming full. At the same time, blood concentrations of glucose, fatty acids and amino acids increase, helping the brain to register satiety, temporarily relieving hunger. When our gut starts to get empty, the blood levels of these essential nutrients begin to fall and subsequently hunger returns. Our bodies also produce a hormone called leptin, which stops us from eating. Leptin is produced in the fat cells and is also present in the stomach. The amount of leptin we produce depends on our fat stores; people with high fat stores have higher levels of leptin, and should therefore have smaller appetites. As females have more fat than males, this may help us to explain why males can eat more than females.

You would think that this hormonal system would keep us well balanced between hunger and satiety but
unfortunately your client’s appetite is also influenced by other factors.

Crush cravings

We all know too well the feeling we get when we crave one irresistible food. While males are more likely to associate cravings with hunger, females are usually driven by moods and emotions. But irrespective of gender, cravings tend to produce snacking behaviours, which may be hindering your client’s overall performance.

One variable that has received a great deal of attention as being a possible trigger for food cravings is mood. A negative mood has been found to contribute to food cravings as it results in emotional eating and
stimulates appetite. If your clients are experiencing cravings, fatigue, depression and anxiety may need to be investigated. Specific cravings, such as those for chocolate or desserts, can be associated with feelings of guilt and depression which could lead to more serious issues such as binge eating. It is interesting to note that most cravings tend to be for sugary carbohydrate and fat-rich foods, and are eaten primarily as snacks during the afternoon or evening, negatively affecting your client’s dietary intake and weight loss attempts.

Incidental eating

For some people eating can become a habit – they can eat food without even thinking about what they are putting into their mouths. Unfortunately these habits tend to be self-sabotaging. With the huge accessibility we have to food, we no longer spend a lot of time thinking about or preparing the food we eat, meaning we have little knowledge of what is actually in our food. If this can be the case for us as fitness professionals, then imagine how much more so it will be for clients with only the most basic knowledge of nutrition.

Two forms of incidental eating that you may be able to identify in your client’s eating patterns include:

Mindless eating: Eating for the sake of it. Your clients may not even be enjoying the foods they‘re eating but they do so because it is available.

Grazing: There is no structure in the meals and snacks that your clients eat. They simply pick and nibble all day long. It’s these types of eating patterns that you need to help your client identify and change.

Helpful hints
For you to succeed on the scales, it’s important they understand and learn to manage their own eating habits and behaviours. The following ideas offer a good starting point for doing this:

Keep a food diary: Get your client to keep a food diary, recording food and time eaten, hunger rating, mood rating, energy levels and exercise details. Use this to identify trends in eating patterns, mood and hunger pangs.

Consider cravings: A food diary is also an excellent way to help you and your client identify cravings. Try to identify a common situation in which the craving occurs and then help your client set goals to overcome this barrier to their success.

Eat every three to four hours: Spread meals and snacks out evenly throughout the day; eating every three to four hours. This will help maintain blood concentrations of essential nutrients such as glucose, fatty acids and amino acids.

Eat satisfying foods: Include one serve of protein at each meal. The most satisfying foods are skinless chicken, lean red meat, eggs, fish and dairy products.

Choose low GI foods: Low GI foods also offer satiety as they help to keep blood glucose levels stable and keep you feeling fuller for longer. Include one low GI food at each meal and snack.

Avoid high fat foods: Fat is the least filling of all macronutrients and contains twice as many kilojoules
as carbohydrate and protein. It is extremely palatable therefore increasing our appetite for it. Eat a combination of foods, limiting the high fat ones, but still making eating pleasurable.

Eat desirable foods: Healthy eating is not about deprivation, but about enjoyment. It's is alright to eat your favourite food when you knowyou will honestly enjoy it. Don't tempt tyourselves with second rate treats.

Portion control: Learn to identify appropriate portion sizes, and if a portion size is too big, empower them to cut it down to size prior to starting. Never upsize anything, opting for the smaller versions.

Published in Network, The official publication of the Australian Fitness Network
www.fitnessnetwork.com.au

Caitlin Reid
Caitlin is a dietitian and exercise physiologist who specialises in lifestyle management. She provides individuals and
groups with easy and practical solutions to help achieve their diet, exercise and overall wellbeing goals. Caitlin also
works for australia’s leading health food company. For more information visit www.healthandthecity.com.au or e-mail
info@healthandthecity.com.au