FitSugar

Smarter Eats: Don't Fill Your Whole Plate

FitSugar — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 10:00:10 PDT

While researching what diet trends emerged during the 1960s (aka the Mad Men era), I was struck with how portion size has steadily increased over the last 50 years. Almost all of the dinner plates I spotted in vintage ads, cookbooks, and commercials were the size of a modern-day appetizer or salad plate. Our grandmothers were eating off of dinner plates that were roughly two inches smaller in diameter than the ones that sit in our own cabinets. And while two inches might not seem like a lot, it equals about 30 percent more food!

The thing is, you probably don't need that extra food. In Mindless Eating ($10), author Dr. Brian Wansink explores, in part, the psychology of dinner plates. He was able to prove with some pretty convincing data and research that food intake is greatly affected by the size of the plates and bowls we use. We've been taught to clean our plates, and often finish our food before that "full feeling" even has a chance to reach us.

The next time you've made a meal, put less on your plate. Or, even better, buy smaller plates. Look for dinner plates that range somewhere between eight and 10 inches - chances are, you'll still feel satisfied once your plate is clean. And if you're looking for some guidance or online support, join the Small Plate Movement, whose goal is to help people reduce their portion sizes, while also being mindful of eating habits.

Diet Tip: CSI Might Make You Eat More

FitSugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:00:00 PDT

Eating in front of the TV has never been a good idea; people tend to overeat since they are not paying attention to the simple act of eating. Distracted by the on-screen drama, they just keep putting food in their mouths. Mindless eating generally means eating more. New research out of the US and Europe indicates that morbid images from TV shows may add to this problem since they inspire overeating as well. Images and ideas from grisly crime shows evoke death-related thoughts, which inspire a heightened sense of awareness and mortality. To diminish uncomfortable thoughts about the end of life and our place in the universe, people tend to eat. And they don't just eat, they overeat to escape.

Next time you're watching CSI, keep the chips in the kitchen at an out-of-comfort range.

Source

Diet Tip: Keep Wrappers in Sight

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 07:30:00 PST

If you have an affinity for candy like I do, and you find that you chow down on candy without even knowing it, you may want to keep all those wrappers around as you eat. Recent research has found that having a visual reminder of how much we eat, keeps us honest and keeps us eating less. We see the empty wrappers piling up and register that it may be time to stop. So instead of throwing the wrappers in the trash can immediately keep them around for a visual cue to stop mindless eating.

Source

Minutes to a Healthier You . . .

FitSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 13:30:00 PST

It's not only the eight hours of sleep you get, or the 60 minutes you spend at the gym that help you become the healthiest you can be, but the little things that only take a few minutes, even seconds.

The best way to break the cycle of mindless eating is to stop before you eat. So before you scarf down that plate full of Oreos, take five seconds to stop and ask yourself whether you are really hungry or not. You may find out that, yes indeed, it's Oreos that you need but chances are that you're just thirsty, or bored, or stressed. Five seconds could be the difference between you eating or not eating 500 mindless calories.

Source

Diet Tip: Don't Eat in the Car

FitSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:00:00 PST

If you have a long commute to and from work, you may be tempted to eat in the car. Mindless eating can really lead to overeating but especially if you're eating in the car. If you typically stop at fast-food places and scarf it down on the way home, wait until you get home to eat or, better yet, don't stop at all and cook for yourself at home. Before you know it, you'll break the habit of eating in the car and be able to enjoy your calories elsewhere (hopefully at a dinner table).

Fit's Tip: To avoid the tempting glow of the fast-food signs, keep a healthy snack in your glove compartment for when your tummy starts to rumble.

Want more? Be sure to check out all my great diet tips.

Source

Diet Tip: Keep Phone Chats Out of the Kitchen

FitSugar — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:30:00 PST

After hanging up from a marathon phone session with my sister a few days ago, I realized that I had somehow polished off two slices of leftover pizza, some bread and hummus and several handfuls of gummy bears - all right before dinner. Ever since then, I have decided that I should no longer talk on the phone in the kitchen.

Talking on the phone in the kitchen can lead to overeating because not only are we distracted but we're also surrounded by food, a lethal combination for someone who watches what she eats. So if you've found that you tend to eat mindlessly while talking on the phone, think about following my lead and moving your phone conversations to another room.

Source

Yet Another Study Confirms: Eating Mindlessly Means Eating More

FitSugar — Fri, 18 May 2007 02:30:00 PDT

Let's start with the moral of the tale, seeing is believing. If you could see the quantities of food you were consuming you would probably stop before you overindulged. Especially when you consider the fact that the stomach takes about 20 minutes of eating to register a sense of feeling full.

A recent study, published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skills, illustrates this point brilliantly. A group of 52 graduate students (17 men and 35 women) were told they were being treated to "all you can eat chicken wings" while watching the Super Bowl. The waitresses were instructed to clear the dirty plates from only half of the tables. And...you guessed it; the folks at the tables that were cleared regularly ate more. On an average grad students at the clean tables ate 28% more wings than the grad students sitting at tables littered with chicken wing remains. So, I repeat once again, seeing is believing.

Fit's Tip: Don't eat directly from the bag of chips. Place a reasonable size portion in a bowl and snack from that. When the bowl is empty you know you have consumed a serving, instead of accidentally finishing off the entire bag.

Source

Mindless Eating Explained

FitSugar — Thu, 03 May 2007 02:00:00 PDT

A lot of us have the tendency to overeat. One of the major culprits is plate size. We tend to eat more than we should when eating off a big plate rather than a smaller plate. Brian Wansink author of Mindless Eating explains that fifty years ago, when Americans were a lot skinnier, plates were considerably smaller. Large plates and bowls lead to over eating for the same reason giant popcorn buckets do: they make portions look smaller. Short, wide drinking glasses have a similar effect. The New York Times recently ran an article on this very concept and Dr. Wansink, which showed the image on the right that, illustrates how our minds cannot decipher portion sizes properly.

Fit's Tip: If you feel like you're guilty of overeating, you may want to take a good look at your plate size. Try switching to the smaller plates in your set for a week and see where that gets you. This image makes me a believer and I bet you'd eat less for that week.

For a real challenge,

The purpose of The National Mindless Eating Challenge is to get support from Dr. Wansink directly. When you join the challenge they will ask you questions about yourself, your goals, and your lifestyle. Based on your answers they will then suggest small changes to your home or behavior that are most relevant. You will also then be given a Mindless Eating Daily checklist to keep track of your progress. They'll periodically check in on your progress (through email). At the end of the month, they'll ask you how things went and they'll suggest some new changes to consider for the next month, oh and it's FREE. It's like free food counseling. Interested? Then start the challenge here or buy the book ($15.75) from Amazon.com.

Meal Strategies to Help You Lose Weight

Leta Shy — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:24:19 PDT

You are what you eat, but how you eat is almost as important. If you're trying to lose weight, here are three eating strategies that may work for you.

Eat more frequently: Grazing or eating smaller meals more frequently is a strategy that works for many people. You'll avoid the blood sugar spike and crash that can happen when you eat a big meal. And waiting too long between meals can cause you to overeat once you've got a plate in front of you. Eating more frequently also helps boost metabolism, so try eating five to six small meals instead of three big ones.

Stop postdinner snacking: It's a myth that eating late at night can make you fatter, but many times our most mindless eating happens when we're relaxing on the couch or zoning out to online videos after dinner. Eating when you're not hungry can lead to weight gain or hinder any weight-loss goals, so try our tips for preventing unhealthy late-night eating here.

Taper off: Some people recommend eating your biggest meals earlier in the day so that by the time dinner rolls around, you're not starving and ready to overindulge with greasy takeout instead of a home-cooked, healthy dinner. Having a light dinner instead of a heavy one can also help you go to sleep easier and get more quality sleep, which is a crucial component of any weight-loss routine.

Not So Fast: 4 Ways Post-Workout Snacks Lead to Weight Gain

Jenny Sugar — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:48:51 PDT

After finishing an intense workout, refueling is a must to restore water, electrolytes, and energy. But if you're not careful the snack you choose could end up undoing the good you've done, leading to extra pounds on the scale. Before grabbing just any old snack after working out, learn how the wrong choice can lead to weight gain.

Chowing on a minimeal: A post-workout snack is just that - a snack. And unless it's mealtime, what you eat after an average workout should be around 150 calories. Since healthy foods like trail mix can be high in calories, measure out a serving instead of mindlessly chomping straight out of the bag. If you're looking for some ideas, here are 10 post-workout snacks under 150 cals.
Chugging a sports drink: Liquid calories are still calories, and if you gulp a 120-calorie bottle of Gatorade along with a snack, calories really start to add up. For workouts under an hour (or low-impact activities), good old zero-calorie H2O is the perfect way to rehydrate.
Choose wisely: While you could really go for an enormous brownie after your run, it's not the best way to refuel after a workout. Your body needs carbs and protein, and if you choose a sugary or high-fat treat, you'll be hungry for something else soon after, which means consuming more calories. High-fat and sugary foods are also not the best choices when it comes to repairing the muscles to prevent soreness the next day.
Rewarding yourself with food: I'm all for rewarding fitness goals, but edible rewards are risky business. Hitting the ice cream parlor for a waffle cone or local café for a plate of cheese fries may sound like heaven on earth, but constantly using high-calorie foods as a way to pat your fit self on the back means tons of extra calories consumed. Find other healthy ways to reward your efforts, such as getting a pedicure, buying a new fitness top, or hitting the movies with your running buddy.

Source: Flickr User mary_thompson