No More Tummy!

To shrink one's stomach capacity and feel full faster, experts recommend eating small meals evenly spaced throughout the day. Other recommendations include drinking water before a meal and eating smaller portions.

You've always loved to eat, but lately, your stomach seems to have turned into a bottomless pit. You're even craving snacks between your snacks. Is it possible that your stomach has expanded? Yes, say experts. "The more you eat, the more you can eat - and the more you need to feel full," says nutrition and diet therapist Robyn Flipse, R.D. Like a rubber band, your stomach can expand or contract according to the amount of food you consume. The good news: In just one month's time you can shrink your stomach - which will reduce the amount of food you feel comfortable eating at one sitting and help you shed pounds.

If your stomach can shrink in just four weeks, how long does it take for it to expand? Not long. Some experts say stomach shape changes after you've overeaten on a consistent basis for about two to four weeks. No, a onetime or even occasional pig-out on your favorite fried food or rich dessert won't instantly make your stomach bigger, but it does make it easier to give in to temptation the next time. What's more, people who report feeling hungrier the morning after just one binge aren't imagining things. Your stomach may not be any bigger yet, but your appetite could be. The bottom line: Well before the end of two weeks' time, you can raise the threshold of what your stomach will tolerate and what you need psychologically to feel full.

Certain bad eating habits are almost guaranteed to lead to overeating - and expanded stomachs. Lawrence Cheskin, M.D., a gastroenterologist who heads the Weight Management Center at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, singles out "restrained eating," - purposely eating very little throughout the day, and then gorging at one huge meal in the evening. Dieters think they're saving on calories by skipping meals, but it rarely ends up that way.

Another all-too-common night time problem, according to Dr. Cheskin is using food to deal with stress. Many people regularly turn to fatty and sugary foods like a bowl of ice cream or a bag of cookies, as a form of relaxation or reward for getting through a long, hard day. It's better to find alternative ways to unwind when you get home, such as taking a warm bath, talking to a friend on the phone, walking the dog, enjoying a cup of tea - anything that will keep you from gorging on empty calories. Then, when you're relaxed, you may be able to decide on something worth eating!