If you’re one of the lucky few who has no trouble stopping eating as soon as you’re full … and eats only when you’re hungry (not when you’re stressed out, or sad, or happy, or when it just sounds good even if you’re not really hungry… ), then read no further. For the rest of us …
There are quite a few tricks you can use to get your eating under control to avoid overconsumption without feeling like you’re sacrificing. In this way you can enjoy eating and food yet avoid gaining weight or putting your health at risk by overdoing the bad stuff … you can have your figurative cake and eat it too!
Here’s a list of the 11 top tricks to keep up your sleeve:
11. Use tall, narrow glasses
You’re likely to pour about 12 percent more wine (or other beverage) into a wide glass compared to a standard one,[i] and people tend to drink less when they drink from a narrow glass.
10. Eat from small plates
If you put the same amount of food on a small plate or a big plate, it’ll appear bigger on the smaller plate. Studies show that when given a larger plate or bowl, people tend to serve larger portions and eat more than those given smaller plates or bowls.[ii]
9. Put away the candy dish
In one study, workers ate an average of 2.2 more candies each day when they could see the bowl of chocolates, and they ate 1.8 candies more when they were placed on their desk, as opposed to two meters away.[iii]
8. Skip clear glasses if you’re drinking white wine
Another mind trick … people pour about 9 percent more white wine into a clear glass than they do red wine, as the greater contrast impacts how much people perceive they’re drinking.[iv] If you avoid clear glasses when drinking light-colored beverages, it may help control how much you drink (but using clear glasses when drinking dark-colored beverages may actually be beneficial).
7. Eat with light eaters … or alone
Research suggests that people, and women in particular, tend to take bites at the same time, and mimic the eating behaviors of their dining partners. Also, people tend to eat more when they’re with others as opposed to eating alone.[v]
6. Make sure you’re well rested
After one night of no sleep (pulled an all-nighter lately?), or close to a week of less extreme sleep deprivation (getting about 4-6 hours of sleep a night), just looking at food was enough to send study participants’ brain motivation centers into overdrive (similar to what happens when a drug addict views their drug of choice).
Researchers from two separate studies noted “acute sleep loss enhances hedonic stimulus processing in the brain underlying the drive to consume food,”[vi] and “reduced sleep may lead to greater propensity to overeat.”[vii]
5. Set your glass on the table while pouring
This simple trick helps people pour about 9-12 percent less wine or other beverage compared to holding the glass while pouring.[viii]
4. Don’t eat candy from clear bags
Researchers found that small, visually appealing snacks, like M&Ms, are harder to resist when they’re in clear bags. Participants ate 58 percent more M&Ms when they were in clear bags rather than opaque bags.[ix] (Interestingly, the opposite held true for healthy foods like carrots, which were eaten in greater quantities from opaque bags.)
3. Imagine eating it
Whatever food you crave — ice cream, pizza, chocolate — try imagining you’re eating it instead of actually eating it. Research shows that people who repeatedly imagined eating a food (such as cheese) many times subsequently consumed less of the imagined food.[x]
2. Avoid distracted eating
Eating while watching TV or talking on the phone tends to make people eat more, whereas mindful eating (paying attention to what you’re eating, savoring the flavor, etc.) is linked to less eating.[xi]
1. Overpower your food cravings
ThinMist is scientifically formulated to reduce cravings and tame your inner Carb Monster by helping regulate your blood sugar and serotonin (‘happy hormones’). When cravings appear, ThinMist can send them packing … You simply take ThinMistâ„¢ three times each day by spraying it under your tongue, and as the ingredients slowly build up in your system they work at a cellular level to help stop your cravings immediately.
What is ThinMist?
It’s an all-natural blend of DHEA, essential amino acids and 500 mcg of chromium to curb your sugar cravings while boosting your body’s natural production of human growth hormone (HGH), which speeds metabolism and weight loss. Studies suggest chromium can help keep your blood sugar in balance and research suggests it may also help to lover sugar cravings so it’s easier to avoid overconsumption and subsequent weight gain.
