How often has this happened to you? You make a great start to eating healthy in an attempt to take charge of your weight, refraining from indulging in the big box of chocolate chip cookies in your kitchen. But pretty soon half the box is gone and with it, your latest attempt at weight management. Many of you think that only avoiding high fat, high calorie food will help you lose weight and keep it off. While you think that giving up such foods may help you gain better control over your eating, the truth is you are actually giving up control. Your craving for that food will remain and may even become stronger. Exercise is one such tool which can help you gain control over your cravings.
So here are the reasons how exercise helps you do that:-
1) When you exercise, your body releases the “happy” hormone, known as serotonin. The release of this hormone leads to lower stress levels. Low stress levels do not trigger the secretion of stress hormones in the body. Stress hormones cause unnecessary food cravings and lead to high blood sugar levels. With low stress levels, the body’s BMR remains optimum, which controls hunger and cravings.
2) Low stress levels even suppress the level of the Ghrelin hormone (released by Stomach), which is known as the appetite stimulating hormone.
3) Exercise makes you feel dehydrated. So when you rehydrate yourself, water suppresses your hunger, and stops you from overeating or eating unnecessarily.
Also, studies conducted by Dr Daniel Crabtree, from the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, examined the brain's responses to high and low-calorie food following a period of acute exercise. He showed that "After running, the volunteer's feelings of hunger were suppressed, and the appetite hormone analysis showed that levels of the appetite-stimulating hormone were reduced whilst levels of the appetite-suppressing hormone, or leptin (released by fat cells) were increased." Exercise and keep yourself away from unhealthy food. Be determined and overcome your unhealthy food cravings till it becomes a lifestyle habit. It’s not just about losing weight and being fit, it’s even about being disease free and living a longer, healthier life.