Tip: Watch Your Portions When Eating
Do You Eat Til You're Full? The Brain Says Slow Down.
Are you eating healthy but overeating? Or are you simply believing that you need to cut your portions down per meal?
One rule of thumb that I follow is to not eat until I’m full!
One way I can help myself accomplish this is to eat slower than I’m accustomed to. Our brain takes 20 mintues to send us a signal telling us that we’re hungry. So by eating slower, it’ll give our neurons in the brain enough time to fire off the “I’m full” message.
The Center For Disease Control & Prevention offers simple recommendations:
Portion control when eating in. To minimize the temptation of second and third helpings when eating at home, serve the food on individual plates, instead of putting the serving dishes on the table. Keeping the excess food out of reach may discourage overeating.
Portion control in front of the TV. When eating or snacking in front of the TV, put the amount that you plan to eat into a bowl or container instead of eating straight from the package. It’s easy to overeat when your attention is focused on something else.
Portion control when eating out. Many restaurants serve more food than one person needs at one meal. Take control of the amount of food that ends up on your plate by splitting an entrée with a friend. Or, ask the wait person for a “to-go” box and wrap up half your meal as soon as it’s brought to the table.
Myself, I also like to put away all leftovers before starting to eat. I find that once I’m done with my first plate, the chances of a 2nd plate is greatly weakened if all other foods left over has been stored away in the refrigerator. I also try simple and prehistoric things such as tightening up my belt before eating; it gives me the feeling that I’m getting full faster. It’s good practice to finish your drink before you actually finish your meal. It also helps with having that fullness feeling.
One good practice is to take a walk or some low impact exercise after each meal. Chinese traditional culture incorporates this in their daily routine in many parts of China and Asia. The movements allow for faster movement through the body, and thus not allowing so many calories to sit stagnant in your body. Try it, and see if it helps. Remember, everything that we’re learning takes much practice.
Filed under: Health and Wellness Motivations, Weight Loss Tips
