Five Tricks To Eat Less

One day you are wearing your winter coat and the next day it’s sweltering hot. It comes so unexpectedly that everyone goes from their protective jackets to shorts and tank tops overnight. So much for easing in to summer attire!

We start panicking when we realize that over the long winter, we may have let ourselves go a little bit. On top of exercise and eating healthy meals there is always something more you can do to lose weight. Eat less. Using a few tricks you can still feel like you ate a hearty winter meal but in smaller summer-sized portions.

Five Tricks To Eat Less

1. Chew thoroughly and take breaks

Remember being told as a child, “Don’t play with your food!” Well maybe you should! It takes 20 minutes for your brain to be sent signals to indicate that you’re full. Taking your time to eat is beneficial in two ways. For one thing, you actually enjoy the meal instead of inhaling it like a vacuum to lint! The other reason for savoring your dinner, is that you will get full after having ate less food. So take a minute to talk to your partner and actually swallow before loading up another fork-full. Your weight loss goals will thank you!

2. Smaller Plates

“Trick” yourself in to eating less by serving supper on a small plate. If the plate is full it looks like more. If you decide to cut back on portions and still use your big plates, you will be constantly reminded that you are eating less. You don’t want any reason to justify seconds!

3. Don’t watch TV

I really burn myself on this one and I think many people would agree. Television is a distraction. Even eating throughout a 30 minute program is too long of a time to be chowing down. While watching TV you are not concentrating on your food. It’s almost like, you are not eating at all. It takes longer to feel full and you will overeat without realizing by just how much!

4. Eat Protein

Protein is filling and it keeps you satisfied for longer. I can eat a plate of brown rice and be hungry again in a couple of hours. If I throw some tofu in to the mix, I’ll be full all night. Make sure your meals are balanced with protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats.

5. Paint the kitchen blue

Here’s an interesting fact. The colour blue is an appetite suppressant. Why? Well because we are not programmed to want to eat anything blue. Our appetite response to the colour is almost non-existent. Blue food is rare in nature. No blue leafy vegetables, no blue meat. Not only that, but many things in nature that are coloured blue, are poisonous. Serve food on blue plates, paint the kitchen blue, dye food with food colouring or install a blue light in the fridge and see just how true it is!

Sometimes you have to fool yourself a little bit to change eating habits. Nobody likes to know they are getting less than what they’re used to. Use these tips to enjoy your food and not feel like you are missing out on anything! Of course, buying blue plates won’t make you lose 50lbs, but it’s all a part of the bigger process to change your lifestyle and to live a more fit and happy life.

Eat Well, Live Well!

Kaleena Lawless
Personal Training Specialist