TIPS TO AID WEIGHT LOSS
DECREASE VARIETY
Research shows that having a wider variety of food options can lead you to eat up to 23% more.
Experts label this phenomenon “sensory-specific satiety.” The basic idea is that your senses tend to get numb after you’re exposed to the same stimulus many times — for instance, the same flavors.
Having a wide variety of flavors in the same meal can delay this natural numbing, pushing you to eat more.
Simply believing there’s more variety can also fool you. Researchers found that participants given bowls with 10 colors of M&Ms ate 43 more candies than those given bowls with 7 colors, despite all M&Ms tasting the same.
To make sensory-specific satiety work for you, try limiting your choices. For instance, pick only two appetizers at once during cocktail parties and stick to ordering the same drinks throughout the evening.
Keep in mind that this mainly applies to candy and junk food. Eating a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, is beneficial to your health.
Experts label this phenomenon “sensory-specific satiety.” The basic idea is that your senses tend to get numb after you’re exposed to the same stimulus many times — for instance, the same flavors.
Having a wide variety of flavors in the same meal can delay this natural numbing, pushing you to eat more.
Simply believing there’s more variety can also fool you. Researchers found that participants given bowls with 10 colors of M&Ms ate 43 more candies than those given bowls with 7 colors, despite all M&Ms tasting the same.
To make sensory-specific satiety work for you, try limiting your choices. For instance, pick only two appetizers at once during cocktail parties and stick to ordering the same drinks throughout the evening.
Keep in mind that this mainly applies to candy and junk food. Eating a variety of healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and nuts, is beneficial to your health.
SUMMARY
Reducing the variety of food flavors, colors,
and textures you’re exposed to will help prevent you from eating more junk food
than your body needs.
Reducing the variety of food flavors, colors,
and textures you’re exposed to will help prevent you from eating more junk food
than your body needs.
'UNPLUG' WHILE YOU EAT
Eating while you’re distracted can lead you to eat faster, feel less full, and mindlessly eat more.
Whether this is watching TV, listening to the radio, or playing a computer game, the type of distraction doesn’t seem to matter much.
For instance, people watching television while eating their meals ate 36% more pizza and 71% more macaroni and cheese.
Plus, it seems that the longer the show, the more food you’re likely to eat. One study noted that participants watching a 60-minute show ate 28% more popcorn than those enjoying a 30-minute show.
Notably, this effect seems to apply to nutritious foods as well as junk foods since participants watching the longer show also ate 11% more carrots.
Longer distractions extend the amount of time spent eating, making you more likely to overeat. In addition, eating while distracted may cause you to forget how much you’ve consumed, leading to overeating later in the day.
Indeed, another study observed that participants who played a computer game while eating lunch felt less full and snacked on nearly twice as many biscuits 30 minutes later, compared to their non-distracted counterparts.
By putting your phone away, switching off the TV, and focussing instead on the textures and flavors of your food, you’ll quickly stop eating mindlessly and can instead enjoy your meal in a mindful manner.
SUMMARY
Eating without using your TV, computer, or smartphone may help decrease the amount of
food your body needs to feel full and satisfied.
Eating without using your TV, computer, or smartphone may help decrease the amount of
food your body needs to feel full and satisfied.
