The Gum Theory

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BellaSteffani
BellaSteffani Posts: 11
in Health and Weight Loss
As a way to keep me from eating constantly (I'm an emotional/boredom eater), I chew gum. I go through a pack maybe every 2-3 days, and it's working pretty well for me. Does anyone else do this, or am I just weird? I told my friend about it and she said that it just makes her even hungrier...
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Replies

  • amydee714
    amydee714 Posts: 232 Member
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    I have heard that the act of chewing can stimulate salivtory glands and make a person feel hungry.

    That being said, I know a lot of people who chew gum for that reason and it works for them. **shrug**
  • srob636
    srob636 Posts: 79 Member
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    I have started substituting gum for snacking and it is working really well for me. I sit at a desk all day and it seems to help with the constant grabbing of salty snacks that I would normally eat in the afternoon.
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
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    I believe chewing Minty gum suppresses appetite/tells your brain you're done eating. Similar to brushing your teeth after a meal.
  • pastryari
    pastryari Posts: 8,646 Member
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    I think it's like a placebo effect. It's all in your mind. Chewing gum doesn't actually make your appetite go away, it's just something to occupy your mouth and help you mentally.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    It works for me. And if you do trident it's supposedly good for your teeth! It occupies me, and sometimes I actually forget I'm hungry and won't eat a morning snack.
  • dhoddy
    dhoddy Posts: 35
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    I'd like to attribute chewing gum to helping me eat LESS, but not really change my eating habits. It's almost made it worse! I was definitely considered a gum fiend (a pack a day!) and now I'm so used to chewing gum all the time that if I'm not chewing gum, I still want to be chewing on something! Whether it be other snacks or my nails..it's not good :(

    Just be careful! lol
  • DanaDark
    DanaDark Posts: 2,187 Member
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    If you eat because you are bored (guilty as sin here... literally pacing the kitchen saying I am not hungry), then chewing gum will help.

    Some gums contain xylitol. This is a chemical that stimulates saliva glands and causing salivation. Having extra saliva in the mouth does not actually make you hungry unless you've grown to relate the two always. Additionally, the extra saliva without food actually kills more bacteria in the mouth (which is why some brands like Trident say it helps fight cavities).

    I LOVE my gum.
  • sunrisefitness
    sunrisefitness Posts: 11
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    Three things to be careful of: 1) all the chemicals that are in the gum (who can pronounce all that crap?), 2) bloating from taking in extra air chomping all day, 3) doing this at work or other professional environments. I personally like a hard candy or hard sucker (especially See's chocolate lollipops- 80 cals, lasts about an hour or so/Nips- 30 calories) at the end of the day. Helps me avoid the munchies, not too terribly bad as far as treats go. Herbal tea is another fabulous option, and it makes you drink more water. Just don't slurp so you won't be bloated :)
  • jilliew
    jilliew Posts: 255 Member
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    Peppermint does indeed supress the appetitie. My best friend deals with Essential Oils and one of the best ways to supress your "hungry cause I'm bored" hunger is to put some peppermint oil on a toothpick (or whatever) and suck on it for a bit.

    Also, I use the gum to mostly get the taste of food out of my mouth. I have a terrible will-power and craving problem, and if I have the taste of salty or sweet in my mouth I just want to eat more, even if I'm stuffed. Chewing minty gum erases that taste and prevents me from caving in to temptation! It's a similar theory to brushing your teeth to supress cravings or hunger.
  • JohnMessmer
    JohnMessmer Posts: 536
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    Peppermint does indeed suppress the appetite. My best friend deals with Essential Oils and one of the best ways to suppress your "hungry cause I'm bored" hunger is to put some peppermint oil on a toothpick (or whatever) and suck on it for a bit.

    Hmm, I did not know that. Thanks for the tip!
  • onyxgirl17
    onyxgirl17 Posts: 1,721 Member
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    I get hungrier after chewing gum....
  • pinkwalker10
    pinkwalker10 Posts: 5 Member
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    I told my husband I should keep track of how many packs of gum it takes me to lose wieght. I chew a lot of gum to avoid mindless snacking.
  • BellaSteffani
    BellaSteffani Posts: 11
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    Oh my gosh, this is soooo me! I always have to either chew gum or brush my teeth right after I eat because then I'll just want to meat more! :ohwell:
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
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    As a way to keep me from eating constantly (I'm an emotional/boredom eater), I chew gum. I go through a pack maybe every 2-3 days, and it's working pretty well for me. Does anyone else do this, or am I just weird? I told my friend about it and she said that it just makes her even hungrier...

    As long as your gum doesn't contain artificial sweeteners you're fine, but if it does you're asking for all sorts of problems
  • BetterCrazyThanLazy
    BetterCrazyThanLazy Posts: 336
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    Doesn't work for me.

    I drink black coffee and that seems to suppress appetite...sometimes. Haha!
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Gum chewing works for me... but, everyone is different.
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Peppermint does indeed suppress the appetite. My best friend deals with Essential Oils and one of the best ways to suppress your "hungry cause I'm bored" hunger is to put some peppermint oil on a toothpick (or whatever) and suck on it for a bit.

    Hmm, I did not know that. Thanks for the tip!

    Interesting... I'm going to have to try this one.
  • AmberJo1984
    AmberJo1984 Posts: 1,067 Member
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    I use the gum to mostly get the taste of food out of my mouth. I have a terrible will-power and craving problem, and if I have the taste of salty or sweet in my mouth I just want to eat more, even if I'm stuffed. Chewing minty gum erases that taste and prevents me from caving in to temptation! It's a similar theory to brushing your teeth to supress cravings or hunger.

    I can see brushing your teeth to suppress appetite. I never want to eat ANYTHING after brushing my teeth. Main reason is that nothing mixes well with the toothpaste taste.
  • Chameleone
    Chameleone Posts: 281 Member
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    I do that. But I wouldn't say it suppresses my appetite, and I also wouldn't say it makes me more hungry. It just keeps my mouth busy so it doesn't tell my brain to put food in it. I tend to want to snack a lot when I'm doing things (especially things I don't enjoy) like studying, or checking emails and such...I'm sure it has saved me thousands of calories...

    P.S. for anyone else that does this, gum at the dollar store is like 60 cents/pack!!
  • KatKisses
    KatKisses Posts: 296 Member
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    Works great for me , I chew gum all day, it gives my mouth something to do and keeps my tongue satisfied.

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