How to Feel Full Without Gastric Bypass

Losing weight can be difficult when your stomach usually feels empty. Although it might be tempting to throw up your hands and conclude that a gastric bypass is the only option left, there are ways to trick your body into feeling full and satisfied. Energy density, or the ratio of calories to volume in a food item, can be key to consuming fewer calories, feeling fuller and losing excess weight before surgical intervention becomes necessary.

Instructions

• 1

  Besides the obvious health benefits, water fills part of the volume of your stomach and leads to feeling full faster. Pangs of thirst are often mistaken for hunger, so try drinking one 8-oz. glass of water before reaching for food. And make it cold, because your body will burn more energy raising the temperature of the water.

• 2

  Mom had it right when she told us to eat our fruits and vegetables---not only do they provide essential vitamins and minerals, but their high volume and lower caloric content make them ideal for weight management. Fresh is usually better, but frozen or canned fruits without added sugar, or vegetables without added salt, are also good. Dried fruit and fruit juices are poorer choices because they are high in energy and low in volume.

• 3

  According to the Mayo Clinic, selecting better carbohydrates can also help. Whole grains contain more fiber as well as other nutrients and lead more quickly to feeling full. Whole-grain cereals, breads and pasta, brown rice, and oatmeal will generally trump the more processed versions.

• 4

  Foods that take a little longer to eat, such as soup or salad, give your brain time to process the message that your stomach is getting full. Leafy green salads with low- or fat-free dressing and vegetable soups or broths are great meal starters because their lower energy density means less room for other high-calorie, low-volume foods later on.

• 5

  When selecting proteins, the best bet is to choose lean meats, such as fish or poultry, and low- or no-fat milk, yogurt and cheeses. Egg whites, rather than whole eggs, also provide quality protein with fewer calories.

• 6

  According to Dr. Susan Albers, a clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic Hospital specializing in eating issues, eating a whole apple before a meal can produce feelings of fullness and decrease the number of calories consumed during the meal. What will do the trick is the fiber and volume of the apple. In addition, focusing all of your senses on the act of eating the apple will help you connect with the feeling of fullness.