10 Sneaky Ways to Eat Less

One of the simplest ways to control your weight is often one of the hardest: Just eat less. A study in the journal Obesity found that 38 percent of people who were obese and actively controlled their portions lost 5 percent or more of their body weight over the course of two years. Meanwhile, 33 percent of the participants who didn’t watch their portions packed on 5 percent or more of their body weight. And it’s not hard to see why: With out-of-control restaurant serving sizes, giant-sized snack bags, and supermarket “buy one, get one free” specials, most people don’t even know what one serving is supposed to look like. But because facing the world armed with a measuring cup and a tiny food scale can take all the joy out of eating, try these strategies to eat less without even noticing.

Use Smaller Plates and Bowls

It turns out, this classic weight-loss tip really works. Cornell University researchers Brian Wansink, PhD, and Koert van Ittersum, PhD, found that when study participants were given identical servings in different-sized bowls, the participants with the smaller bowls ate less. Going a step further, the researchers suggest putting healthy foods such asfruits and vegetables on larger plates to encourage consumption and reserving smaller plates for richer, more fattening choices

Use a Larger Fork

It may sound counterintuitive, but a recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Research found that using a larger utensil actually may trick you into eating smaller portions. Enlisting the help of a local restaurant, a team of researchers looked at whether diners ate more or less depending on the size of their fork. To their amazement, they discovered that those using oversized forks actually ate less. Researchers believe that the larger utensil tricks diners into thinking they are making more progress on their meal and eating more, though in reality they eat less.

Move Healthy Food Up Front

When you walk into your supermarket, you’re likely to snap up the sale items at the front because they’re the first thing you see. It turns out this same behavior happens in your home kitchen. Other research by Wansink shows that we are three times more likely to nab the first food item we see than the fifth. So if you want to eat more healthfully, move those fresh fruits and vegetables front and center in your fridge and hide small portions of goodies in the back.

Eat With Your Nondominant Hand

At one time or another, everyone goes a little overboard on snacks such as popcorn, pretzels, and chips without being aware of the serving sizes. But research shows you can stop yourself simply by switching the hand you normally eat with. When psychologists at the University of Southern California gave moviegoers bags of stale popcorn, those who were challenged to snack with their nondominant hand were more discriminating — and ate far less overall. They found that participants who used their dominate hands were simply eating out of habit, without regard to whether they were hungry or liked the food.

Chew Sugarless Gum While Cooking

Diet lore suggests chewing sugarless gum to curb cravings and eat less, but studies have shown mixed results. A recent 8-week trial published in the journal Obesity had dieters in one group chew gum for 90 minutes a day. At the end of the trial, the chewers had not lost any more weight than the control group, suggesting that chewing gum at regular intervals did nothing to control appetite. But selectively popping a piece or two at certain times may help you eat less. Chew gum while you cook dinner to stop any mindless snacking and sampling of the dishes.

Slow Down Your Eating

From the time we were kids, many of us have been told to slow down when we eat. And for good reason: A study of 3,000 people in the British Medical Journal found that those who reported being fast eaters had triple the risk of being overweight. When you eat, your brain doesn’t know for certain that you’re full until it receives a series of messages from hormones in your gastrointestinal tract. If you continue to shovel in food, you override these hormonal messages, and before long you can no longer recognize the signals. Several studies, including a 2010 analysis at the Athens University Medical School, show that eating more slowly can also help cut calories, and make dieters feel fuller after smaller portions.

Say Nice Things to Yourself

If you are a chronic dieter, you’ve probably been down on your willpower at one time or another. But such negativity can feed the cycle of overeating, says Michelle May, MD, author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. “To change this pattern, begin to use an encouraging, gentle inner voice and positive self-talk to motivate yourself toward the changes you want and literally think yourself thin,” she says. Praise yourself for portion control, and you’ll want to keep up the habit of healthy eating.

Make Smart Substitutes

If you crave a steak, you probably think a veggie burger just won’t do, no matter how many condiments you pile on top. A steak is a steak, bacon is bacon, and chocolate is chocolate, right? Well, yes and no. “You can trick your mind into thinking you’re satisfied if you know what healthy substitutions to make,” says Melissa Dobbins, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “My whole approach is to eat healthier while not feeling like you’re giving something up.” Substituting lean filet mignon for sirloin strip steak, lean Canadian bacon for regular bacon, and more healthful dark chocolate for milk chocolate are all ways to eat healthier while still indulging.

Practice Mindfulness Eating

Mindful eating is the practice of contemplating what you are eating and concentrating on how you feel about the food. When you practice mindful eating, you become aware of food in all its aspects — not just how it tastes but also how it makes you feel as well as the sensory experiences it evokes, like the smell, the visual cues, and the texture. Eating becomes a meditative process. According to a study published in Bariatric Times, mindful eating can be an effective treatment for obesity.

 Eat Meals With Men

Although not always practical, this approach is certainly interesting. A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology looked at the behavior of college students in a cafeteria and discovered that when women eat with men, they unconsciously eat fewer calories — on average 112 fewer — than when they eat with their female friends. But take heed: This portion control strategy does not work the other way around. It turns out that when men eat with women instead of other men, they actually eat more. Researchers say this for the most part aligns with cultural norms: Many women consciously or subconsciously feel like they have to eat less around men. And as for guys eating less when they’re out with the guys, researchers report that unconscious cues could be at play, but more study needs to be done.

Source
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition-pictures/sneaky-ways-to-eat-less.aspx