Who doesn’t like a few simple tweaks that can help them be more successful in their weight loss efforts? I’ve shared several in my book, Today is Still the Day, and the 7-week add-on plan.
They may seem too simple to make much of a difference, but you’d be surprised at the impact they can have.
Make it a meal. For example, don’t eat standing at the kitchen counter or running. Put a plate on the table, sit down and pay attention to your food. Appreciate the aroma, how it looks, really enjoy the flavors. When you do this, you record it as a meal versus a snack and that makes all the difference!
Decelerate. This tip follows along with the first: Don’t gobble down your food like someone’s chasing you! When you eat too quickly, you don’t allow your brain the opportunity to register that you have eaten and satisfy your hunger. It can take up to 20 minutes for your brain to realize that you are full. A review of 23 studies found that fast eaters were about twice as likely to be obese, compared to slow eaters.
Plate size. Some studies recommend choosing a salad plate over a dinner plate. It’s an easy way to control portions. Simply going from a 12″ plate to a 10″ plate resulted in a 22% decrease in calories. It’s wishful thinking, but if it helps you believe you’re eating more than you actually are, it’s worth it. Also, if the portion of food is too large to begin with, you will eat more because you won’t notice that you are making a dent in the food until a large amount has been consumed.
Plate colour. The color of your plate can also make a difference. In one study, when the color of a participant’s plate matched the color of their food, they were served nearly 30% more because when the color of their food blends with the color of their plate, the amount of food doesn’t seem to match . be so wide
Fork size. Use a dinner fork instead of a smaller dessert fork. A 2011 study found that participants who ate with larger forks left significantly more food on their plates than those who ate with smaller forks, leaving an average of 7.91 ounces of food compared to 4.43 ounces. Those who ate with larger forks were satiated more quickly and ate less than those who ate with smaller forks. This is a visual cue: the small fork gives the impression that you are not making much progress in satisfying your hunger, resulting in higher consumption compared to when you have a large fork.