Weight Loss Meal Techniques: Practical Methods for Pre-Meal Appetite Control and Cold Rice Fat Reduction

5 Tips for Eating Before Meals

Eating These Before Meals Can Help You Lose Weight

My first recommendation for eating before meals is bananas, but it's best not to eat them on an empty stomach before breakfast. Eating them before lunch or dinner is fine. We all know that bananas have a relatively high sugar content and a relatively high GI (Glycemic Index) value among fruits, and they are also quite sweet, which can easily reduce appetite. However, bananas are actually not high in energy density; one banana contains about 80 kcal, and two or three bananas are equivalent to a bowl of rice, but their satiating effect is very strong.

Bananas also contain substances that greatly help with weight loss. For example, bananas contain a high concentration of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that can be converted into serotonin in the body. Therefore, tryptophan is considered a "serotonin precursor." Serotonin can suppress appetite, and serotonin can also be converted into melatonin, which can increase brown fat, making it less likely for you to gain weight.

Another example is choline in bananas, an organic substance that can accelerate fat breakdown. So, people who want to lose weight can eat a banana before meals, and then they won't wolf down their food.

Here's a simple and delicious method: In winter, peel a banana and microwave it on high for 1-3 minutes. It's incredibly delicious and sweet, and you won't crave sweets as much as you would for dinner.

In summer, peel a banana and freeze it. It tastes similar to ice cream, but less sweet. Once thawed, it fills your mouth with the unique flavor of softened banana. Freezing also further lowers the glycemic index (GI).

If you find a whole banana too much, eat half and refrigerate the other half or share it with a friend.

The second food you can try before meals is sugar. Yes, the candy you eat every day. Do you remember buying candy after school and not eating much at dinner? Your mother might ask why you didn't eat, implying you ate candy again. Many people are familiar with this scenario, so eating sweets can reduce appetite. This behavior, once considered detrimental to growth and development in childhood, is actually a useful technique for weight loss.

Generally, hunger is a result of low blood sugar due to a period of fasting. Eating something sweet to raise blood sugar levels makes you feel less hungry. I recommend hard candies, such as coffee candies, fructose, or lollipops, as they take longer to melt, providing greater satisfaction. Chewing gum is also an option, increasing chewing time. Waiting until the candy melts or the gum is chewed before eating is just right. I recommend this for those wanting to reduce their food intake, but be careful not to eat too many—one peanut is sufficient.

The third recommendation is peanuts. Peanuts contain a high proportion of starch, fat, and protein, making them a very filling food. The arginine in peanuts not only increases satiety but also reduces food intake at the next meal. Therefore, eating a few whole peanuts before a meal can significantly reduce hunger and appetite.

Of course, peanuts are high in energy, so you shouldn't eat them without restraint. Avoid roasted and fried peanuts; raw peanuts are best. If you accidentally eat too much at once, reduce the amount of your main meal. It's best to prepare 5-6 whole peanuts before eating to prevent overeating. Eat them one by one, don't stuff them all into your mouth.

If you are allergic to peanuts or don't like them, you can substitute other nuts such as pistachios, almonds, and cashews. The principle is similar, but peanuts are easier to find and very inexpensive.

These are three foods I've shared that can be eaten before meals to increase satiety and reduce appetite. Note that you shouldn't eat all three at the same time; choose one at a time.

You can leave your main meal a while before eating it.

When we feel very hungry, our blood sugar drops, and the body releases ghrelin, which makes us want to eat. The release of ghrelin also promotes the release of glucagon. Within 30 minutes of blood sugar dropping, the pancreas automatically releases glucagon, causing blood sugar to rise again and return to a stable level, at which point you won't feel hungry as easily.

I believe everyone has experienced this: being very hungry but not having eaten, and then not feeling hungry again after an hour. This is due to the same reason. Additionally, when glucagon is secreted, the body shifts its energy supply from carbohydrates to fat, making fat easier to break down. Therefore, the next time you're hungry, try waiting ten minutes or so before eating. This allows you to confidently tell yourself that you're burning fat.

Letting food sit for a while before eating not only reduces hunger, food intake, and increases fat burning, but also reduces the amount of energy absorbed by the body. This is mainly because starchy foods undergo structural changes when cooled.

Studies have shown that when cooked rice or steamed buns are stored at 2°C to 4°C for a period of time, such as in the refrigerator, some of the starch transforms into resistant starch, which is not absorbed by the body. This creates a feeling of fullness without absorbing excessive calories, while the protein and B vitamins in the rice can still be readily utilized by the body.

When starchy foods, such as rice, are heated, the starch granules absorb water and swell, increasing in volume and resulting in a soft, sticky, and sweet texture. This is the process of starch gelatinization, during which the proportion of resistant starch decreases. However, when the rice cools down again, some of the gelatinized starch reverts to non-absorbable resistant starch, causing the texture to become dry and hard. This type of starch is digested slowly in the body, absorbed more slowly, and enters the bloodstream more slowly, resulting in a lower glycemic index (GI).