What are the odds of you winning the weight loss game? None.
Food brands spend millions of dollars exploring colors, tastes, fragrances, and packaging to identify the most effective methods to entice you to eat more. However, brain experts have identified certain techniques to help reduce your appetite. With these science-backed tactics, you can overcome the desire to overeat.
- Put up a mirror in your dining room and watch yourself eat.
Observing yourself eating will force you to reassess your decisions. Yes, place a mirror in your dining room, and when you go out, ask the hostess if you may sit in front of your reflection. According to studies, individuals who eat in front of a mirror love junk food less and consume less of it. People who sat down to a nutritious supper, on the other hand, felt better about themselves and enjoyed their vegetables more. According to the experts, your reflection makes you responsible for your decisions, and good choices elicit favorable feelings.
- Cleanliness is second only to skinniness.
A clean house seems to help decrease calories and relieve stress. According to research published in Environment and Behavior, spending only 10 minutes in a messy, chaotic kitchen made participants more inclined to seek unhealthy treats like cookies.
- Buy junk food using cash.
Scientists discovered that having to pull out cash to buy a candy bar or a bag of chips may cause you to rethink your decision. According to a “buying behavior research,” the agony of parting with cash deters many impulsive cake and cookie purchases. Another grocery shop tip is to choose the smaller cart: these researchers discovered that respondents made more impulsive purchases while pulling around a bigger cart.
- Turn down the lights
According to a study published in the journal Psychological Reports, soft lighting dissipates stress and improves mood, and you eat less. Participants in the research who ate in lower lighting liked their meals more, took longer to eat, and consumed 18% fewer calories than those in bright lighting. Dim the lights to eat less and enjoy your meal more.
- Harness the power of peppermint
According to a study published in the Appetite Journal, just a whiff of peppermint can decrease cravings and emotional eating. Another research discovered the same impact when participants wore a vanilla-scented patch. They shed 5 pounds in a month and reported feeling better in control of their food than those who did not wear the patch. Light up some peppermint or vanilla candles in the dining and kitchen area.
- Dine with men.
This one is good for ladies but not so much for gents. According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, when women are with a male, they order less and pick at their meal more. Another recent research revealed that males who ate at an all-you-can-eat buffet with at least one lady ate twice as much as men who ate with other guys. There are two teachings for guys here: Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets and quit attempting to impress women by transforming yourself into a human trash can.
- Choose a skinny waiter.
Skinny is as skinny does—or something along those lines: Request a table in the area served by the thinnest service worker covertly. According to recent research conducted on 497 guests in 60 restaurants, persons served by waiters with a higher BMI are four times more likely to order dessert and drink 17 percent more alcohol. If you feel that you cannot request for a skinny waiter politely, then decide what to eat, how much to drink, and whether or not to forgo dessert before you arrive at the restaurant.
- Avoid color coordination.
White pasta with a white cream sauce on a white dish symbolizes overeating: A research published in the Journal of Consumer Research discovered that when food contrasts with the color of the dish, consumers have greater control over portion size. Another research published in the International Journal of Obesity discovered that merely eating from a plate with a blue rim caused consumers to view their portions as greater.
- Watch comedies and talk shows.
It’s not a good idea to eat in front of the TV, yet everyone does it. So reserve the munchies for comedy or conversation programs, and save the chips for action or tearjerkers, according to research published in Archives of Internal Medicine. People snacked twice as much while watching The Island than when watching Charlie Rose’s chat program. Viewers of sad movies consumed 28 to 55 percent more buttered popcorn than those who saw
- Choose your size carefully.
A long, beautiful fork or spoon will slow you down and let you appreciate your meal more. (The same holds true for long vs short chopsticks.) A Taiwanese research published in Psychological Reports discovered that short cutlery made participants feel the urge to shovel in more food. People who used longer cutlery said they enjoyed their meal more, spent more time between bites, and ate less.