Eat To Grow: Appetite Fight

It seems horribly unfair, but many of the trainees who desperately need more nutrients and calories to make gains are cursed with appetites that have them feeling full after a few measly bites. There are always ways around any problem. If your appetite isn’t suited for mass consumption, give these a try:

Wait until you’re hungry to eat. Just because the pros can eat every two hours doesn’t mean everyone can. Some people’s digestive systems are slower, and they may need three or even four hours between meals. Experiment and determine just how much time you need before your appetite returns after a meal. You may be trying to eat more often than your digestive system and metabolism can handle.

Add a bit more food every week. You try to add just a little more weight to the bar each week, so why not treat your mass-building diet the same way’increase your calories by having just a bit more food than usual at each meal. Say you can manage only one medium-size chicken breast at a time. Try that plus a sliver of a second for a week, then a larger slice and so on. Within a few weeks you should be able to increase your food intake by 20 percent or more, which will make a huge difference in your gains.

Top off each meal with a shake. You may not be able to force down much solid food before your gag reflex stops letting it pass through your esophagus, but you can almost surely swallow a few gulps of a protein shake or a meal-replacement drink. Use liquid meals to bolster the nutrients you take in at every feeding.

Eat faster. The human brain has satiety sensors that signal the appetite to diminish when they perceive the stomach to be full. There’s a delay, however, meaning that most people keep eating long after they’ve had enough because their brain hasn’t shut off their appetite yet. People who have poor appetites have the opposite problem. Try to eat a little more quickly, so you can get more food in before that full sensation kicks in.

The hope is that one of the above suggestions will get more food down your gullet so you can start growing right away! IM