STOP! STOP!! STOP!!! TIPS TO STOP MINDLESS EATING

 photo credit: INDIA-TIMES

 Do you sometimes find your self eating without paying attention to the food? don't deny it cause i am also guilty, especially when you are busy with an office work or working on your laptop. This article gave  in detailed tips to stop such habit. Find below proven scientific tips  on how to stop and also stay healthy

copied from www.authoritynutrition.com

Some Science-Backed Tips to Stop Mindless Eating

 

1. Use Visual Reminders

Behavioral scientists believe one of the main reasons people overeat is because they rely on external rather than internal cues to decide if they feel hungry or full.

Naturally, this can lead you to eat more than you need to.

To demonstrate this point, researchers provided participants with an unlimited amount of chicken wings while they watched the American football Super Bowl.

Half of the tables were continuously cleaned while the bones were left to accumulate on the other tables. Interestingly, people with bones on their tables ate 34% less, or two fewer chicken wings, than people who had their tables cleaned 

Another experiment used bottomless bowls to slowly refill some participants’ soups as they ate. Participants who ate soup served in the bottomless bowls consumed about 113 extra fat 73% more — than those who ate from normal bowls 

Interestingly, those who ate more soup didn’t feel more full. Most also estimated their calorie intake to be the same as those eating from the regular soup bowls 

These two studies show that people tend to rely on visual cues, such as chicken bones or the amount of soup left, to decide whether they’re full or still hungry.

To make this natural tendency work in your favor, keep evidence of what you eat in front of you. Examples include the empty beer bottles you drank at a barbecue, or the plates used for previous courses at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

2. Keep Some Foods Out of Sight

Researchers report that the popular saying, “out of sight, out of mind” applies particularly well to mindless eating.

To illustrate this point, one study gave secretaries Hershey’s Kisses in covered bowls that were either clear, so they could see the candy, or solid, so they could not.

Those given clear bowls opened them to get candy 71% more often. They consumed an extra 77 calories per day on average, compared to the other group 

Scientists believe that seeing food pushes you to consciously decide whether to eat it. Seeing it more often increases the chances you’ll choose to eat the food.

Make this work in your favor by hiding tempting treats while keeping healthy and nutritious food visible.

Eat Slowly

Slow eaters tend to eat less, feel more full and rate their meals as more pleasant than fast eaters 

Scientists believe that taking at least 20–30 minutes to finish a meal allows more time for the body to release hormones that promote feelings of fullness 

The extra time also allows the brain to realize you’ve eaten enough before you reach for that second serving

Eating with your non-dominant hand or using chopsticks instead of a fork are two easy ways to reduce your eating speed and make this tip work for you. Chewing more often can also help.

Bottom Line: Slowing down your eating speed is an easy way to consume fewer calories and enjoy your meal more.