That means many of us have vowed to achieve our lofty health ambitions just a week after stretching our stomachs on one of the most luxurious days of the year, Christmas.
But there is some good news. Since the stomach organ is muscular, it is malleable and can contract and return to its original shape.
About our New Year’s resolutions, health lecturer Dr. Fiona Willer said: A good relationship with food is far better for achieving long-term goals rather than restricting calorie intake or eliminating entire food groups.
structure of stomach
According to Dr. Willer, an expert in nutrition and food psychology at Queensland University of Technology (QUT), stomach capacity typically varies from 500 milliliters to about 2 liters.
The stomach contains “mechanoreceptors,” she says, that sense when the stomach stretches and help send “fullness” signals to the brain.
“If you stretch your stomach fairly often, as it often is during the Christmas season, you tend to feel less stretched,” Dr. Willer says.
Fortunately, according to Dr. Willer, your stomach may return to its pre-Christmas size within a few days.
However, she warns that anyone looking to lose weight this year should not “restrict” their diet.
“Restrictions aren’t good psychologically. It means that the urge to actually eat the things you tell yourself you shouldn’t eat increases,” says Dr. Willer.
“Humans want to protect their autonomy in all situations. That is how we are wired.
“So restrictions always backfire. Whatever we tell ourselves not to eat is what our brain presents to us. [the thing] we want to eat We are all rebels at heart. ”
So what can we do?
Dr. Willer says you need to listen to your body to get your stomach and brain in sync.
“We recognize that when we feel hungry, especially after overeating for a period of time, the hunger signal may be dis-coordinated in the brain. [usual] way,” she says.
To put this into action, she says, you need to imagine what a “fun” meal looks like for you, including the nutritional aspect. Eat foods that make you feel good for a few days.
Dr. Willer says it’s important to include “core foods,” which are foods that are rich in nutrients and are essentially unprocessed.
These include meat, seafood, vegetables, fruits, grains and dairy products.
“The body needs core foods to function properly…and when you’re eating a lot of non-core foods, you don’t have room for that in the day. [nutritional meals],” she says.
A recipe for long-term success
“Diets don’t work,” says Dr. Willer.
Basically, she says, eating well is relatively simple.
“[Think about] Eating something that makes you feel good. The types of food, how you eat them, and use that as a guide as you get back into your 2023 rhythm,” says Dr. Willer.
“Eating something you don’t want to eat is counterproductive, whether it’s in line with Australia’s healthy eating guide or not.”
She says it’s important to find foods you actually enjoy and nourish your body, such as green salads, roasted vegetables, and fruit.
To keep enjoying nutritious food, she suggests thinking about diversity, from the food itself to the cooking method to the color.
Dr. Willer admits that “there is no one right way to eat for everyone,” but believes that the “special ingredient” to success is eating the foods you love.
some suggestions
Fellow QUT professor Danielle Gallegos agrees with Dr. Willer that we need to find nutritional foods that “bring joy.”
“One of my biggest New Year’s resolutions is ‘I’m going to lose weight, I’m going on a diet,’ but diets don’t really work,” says Gallegos.
“It’s about building a good relationship with food…getting back to foods that are really nutritious and give you joy too.”
Gallegos shares some tips if you want to eat healthy but you’re always hungry.
She suggests drinking more water and eating smaller meals more regularly, along with increasing your intake of vegetables and fruits.
