Wait until your
stomach rumbles before you reach for food: It’s stunning how often we eat out
of boredom, nervousness, habit, or frustration—so often, in fact, that many of
us have actually forgotten what physical hunger feels like. If you’re hankering
for a specific food, it’s probably a craving, not hunger. If you’d eat anything
you could get your hands on, chances are you’re truly hungry. Find ways other
than eating to express love, tame stress, and relieve boredom.
Sniff a banana, an
apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry: You might feel silly, but it works.
When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste
Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers,
he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and
the more weight they lost—an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that
sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you’re actually eating it.
Eat in front of mirrors and you’ll lose
weight: One study found that eating in front of mirrors slashed the amount
people ate by nearly one-third. Having to look yourself in the eye reflects
back some of your own inner standards and goals, and reminds you of why you’re
trying to lose weight in the first place.
Don’t
buy any prepared food: That
lists sugar, fructose, or corn syrup among the first four ingredients on the
label. You should be able to find a lower-sugar version of the same type of
food. If you can’t, grab a piece of fruit instead! Look for sugar-free
varieties of foods such as ketchup, mayonnaise, and salad dressing. Also, avoid
partially hydrogenated foods, and look for more than two grams of fibber per
100 calories in all grain products. Finally, a short ingredient list means
fewer flavour enhancers and empty calories.
Bulk
up your meals with veggies: You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli,
carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just
mayonnaise. Same goes for stir-fries, omelettes, and other veggie-friendly
dishes. If you eat a 1:1 ratio of grains to veggies, the high-fibber veggies
will help satisfy your hunger before you over eat the grains.
Avoid white foods: There is some scientific legitimacy to today’s lower-carb diets: Large amounts of simple carbohydrates from white flour and added sugar can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and lead to weight gain. While avoiding sugar, white rice, and white flour, however, you should eat plenty of whole-grain breads and brown rice. One Harvard study of 74,000 women found that those who ate more than two daily servings of whole grains were 49 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate the white stuff.
Eat cereal for breakfast five days a week: Studies find
that people who eat cereal for breakfast every day are significantly less
likely to be obese and have diabetes than those who don’t. They also consume
more fiber and calcium—and less fat—than those who eat other breakfast foods.
Make oatmeal, or pour out a high-fibber, low-sugar cereal like Total or Grape
Nuts.
Eat fruit instead of drinking fruit juice: For the calories in one kid-size box of apple juice, you can enjoy an
apple, orange, and a slice of watermelon. These whole foods will keep you
satisfied much longer than that box of apple juice, so you’ll eat less overall.
Brush your teeth after every meal, especially
dinner: That clean, minty freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain
that mealtime is over.
