The science behind "being full"
FrumMama
Posts: 79 Member
I had posted something on the science behind weight loss earlier on this board, and I learned a lot! This has been bothering recently, so I figured I'd ask and see if anyone could explain it to me.
What makes you feel full? I don't mean psychologically -- obviously if you're craving chocolate, eating hundreds of calories of carrots just won't get you there. I mean physically full, as in not hungry. Does protein keep you full longer than other foods? Fiber? Fat? If I eat a two hundred calorie snack, will it matter whether the snack is pure sugar (candy), fat (let's say butter), protein (lean chicken), or vegetables? If I eat a 200 gram snack -- going by mass instead of calories -- will I be the same "full" no matter how many calories were in my snack, because that's how much there actually physically is in my stomach?
Or does it differ from person to person? My husband swears up and down that having "just" protein and vegetables doesn't fill him up, he needs carbs to really feel full. I know others who say that they're full after a meal without protein.
I'm not talking about which types of foods are healthier right now overall. I eat a pretty healthy diet, so I'm not going to change based on that. But assuming you're eating enough veggies and protein and fruit and everything OVERALL, and you'd now like to eat a snack that will keep you full until dinnertime and not uncomfortably hungry, which snack would you choose? And why?
What makes you feel full? I don't mean psychologically -- obviously if you're craving chocolate, eating hundreds of calories of carrots just won't get you there. I mean physically full, as in not hungry. Does protein keep you full longer than other foods? Fiber? Fat? If I eat a two hundred calorie snack, will it matter whether the snack is pure sugar (candy), fat (let's say butter), protein (lean chicken), or vegetables? If I eat a 200 gram snack -- going by mass instead of calories -- will I be the same "full" no matter how many calories were in my snack, because that's how much there actually physically is in my stomach?
Or does it differ from person to person? My husband swears up and down that having "just" protein and vegetables doesn't fill him up, he needs carbs to really feel full. I know others who say that they're full after a meal without protein.
I'm not talking about which types of foods are healthier right now overall. I eat a pretty healthy diet, so I'm not going to change based on that. But assuming you're eating enough veggies and protein and fruit and everything OVERALL, and you'd now like to eat a snack that will keep you full until dinnertime and not uncomfortably hungry, which snack would you choose? And why?
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Replies
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fat makes me feel full...I would eat an avocado if possible, but if stuck at some place like a convenience store, then cheese.0
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I guess I'm looking less for what makes people anecdotally feel full, and more for if anyone know the science behind feeling full. I'm one of those annoying people who needs research to really believe something
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I think it really depends on the person. One person may do better on a snack of carbs, like popcorn, and someone else may do better on a snack of nuts, and someone else might do better with a protein bar. It's a very individual thing, and unfortunately the best way to learn what works for you is by trial and error.1
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I find full, balanced meals to be most satisfying. (Actually, I suspect the modern fascination with snacking to be partly to blame for the obesity epidemic.) I need a good mix of nutrients, colors, flavors - so I will let every meal contain at least fat, protein, vegetables, and maybe starch and/or fruit. I have often noticed that something I haven't had before, or haven't had in a long time, scores high on my fullness scale. What I've eaten earlier the day and the day before, also makes a difference. Feeling of "filled up-ness" doesn't quite predict how long and pleasantly I'm going to stay full. But I don't like to still be full when it's time to eat again.2
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well logically the amount of food you put in your stomach matters. If you eat a large salad you are going to feel alot fuller than if you ate a piece of cake with the same calories.1
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I think it really depends on the person. One person may do better on a snack of carbs, like popcorn, and someone else may do better on a snack of nuts, and someone else might do better with a protein bar. It's a very individual thing, and unfortunately the best way to learn what works for you is by trial and error.
This! I agree that you should experiment to find out what works best for you personally. Try different macro combinations and meal sizes and think about which combos help you keep the overall calories lower without wanting to gnaw your limb off.
With that said, I personally find volume (think big, leafy salad) combined with higher protein and a balance of carbs and fats to be the best combo for me. I don't tend to have lasting fullness without some straight up carby carbs. For example, I have a couple of go to lunches. One is a wrap with turkey and veggies and the other is a big salad with chicken, beans and cheese. Both have similar ammounts of overall calories, protein, fiber and fat; the main difference comes in the starchy carbs in the wrap. If I eat the wrap-based meal, I'm full for the rest of the day; vs. with the salad, I'm hungry again in an hour. This is similar to @kommodevaran above, but "meals" could be balanced snacks, too.2 -
I guess I'm looking less for what makes people anecdotally feel full, and more for if anyone know the science behind feeling full. I'm one of those annoying people who needs research to really believe something
The research on such an individual and subjective and malleable entity as satiety, is going to be difficult, bordering meaningless. Research is being done, but it's very rudimentary: GI; the satiety index - where the potato always wins; determine if you are a fat, carb or protein person (some BBC study?); "soup fills you up" (Volumetrics) etc.0 -
Satiety hormones and stretch receptors in your stomach.4
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
This. As I understand the major playors are ghrelin (makes you feel hungry) and letpin (makes you feel full). But it's been a while since biochem...1 -
I have also read about ghrelin and leptin as major players. Maybe Google those? I will say that it's definitely controlled by something--most of the time, I can be filled up by a protein snack or two, say a boiled egg, salmon patty, or Greek yogurt. But PMS time rolls around and those same snacks do nothing to fill me up!0
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cwolfman13 wrote: »
This. As I understand the major playors are ghrelin (makes you feel hungry) and letpin (makes you feel full). But it's been a while since biochem...lightenup2016 wrote: »I have also read about ghrelin and leptin as major players. Maybe Google those? I will say that it's definitely controlled by something--most of the time, I can be filled up by a protein snack or two, say a boiled egg, salmon patty, or Greek yogurt. But PMS time rolls around and those same snacks do nothing to fill me up!
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17212793 Ghrelin and leptin are also influenced by other hormones. But basically the science behind what we think of as "appetite" include these two.0 -
Thanks to everyone who replied! Would love to know how the type of foods we eat affect ghrelin and leptin. Any nutritionists/science people on here who understand this and could explain it in layman's terms?1
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Here's more food for thought.
http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/why-eating-slowly-may-help-you-feel-full-faster-20101019605
I can also attest, anecdotally, that bypass surgery also affects hunger and fullness signals.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »I find full, balanced meals to be most satisfying. (Actually, I suspect the modern fascination with snacking to be partly to blame for the obesity epidemic.) I need a good mix of nutrients, colors, flavors - so I will let every meal contain at least fat, protein, vegetables, and maybe starch and/or fruit. I have often noticed that something I haven't had before, or haven't had in a long time, scores high on my fullness scale. What I've eaten earlier the day and the day before, also makes a difference. Feeling of "filled up-ness" doesn't quite predict how long and pleasantly I'm going to stay full. But I don't like to still be full when it's time to eat again.
Ditto.
I've found that Thai food is especially satisfying to me. Japanese cuisine is big on incorporating all the Five Tastes but I was never as much of a fan of that as I am Thai.
Sweet, Sour, Salty, Bitter ... and Umami
The Power of Five0 -
Try eating with chopsticks.
As a personal test, eat three mostly macro meals (one fat, one carb, one protein), a super fiber meal, and a balanced meal. Each should have the same calorie count. Take as long to eat each one. See which one satisfies the best.2 -
Fiber and protein. It really all depends, though. Greek yogurt is filling to me (protein) and hits my stomach like cement, but I'm hungry a couple of hours later. I'll add peanut butter or peanut butter powder to it, but it doesn't change much. A steak or some chicken (protein), on the other hand, is going to keep me full for much longer.
Oatmeal is delicious, but pretty much any kind of cereal, even the high fiber/protein stuff, = hunger spike in two hours. Fruit is one of my favorite snacks and makes a great side, but it has the same effect as oatmeal/cereal if eaten by itself.
Vegetables, as in a giant salad or a whole bag of frozen steamed broccoli when I'm desperate, do a pretty good job of being filling. Fiber + less sugar, maybe?
Potatoes are filling.
Fats are delicious, and I like nuts and nut butters and avocado and regular butter, etc, but no, I don't think they're especially filling. They do make up 35%+ of my calories. I think I get more bang for my buck out of tons of produce with less fat more likely, but I typically eat a decent amount of fat anyway.
Recently, I've started keeping those 100 calorie bags of popcorn around. It's a carb/grain, but it works really well when I'm in a calorie bind and have to eat something to get my stomach to shut up for awhile.0 -
Satiety0
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