13 Tricks to Eat Less
Nowadays, more and more people are trying to reduce their calories intake.
How much we eat does not affect only our looks, but our health as well.
It seems that people who eat less have a lower risk of heart disease, less chances of having a stroke or getting diabetes.
Moreover, some even believe that eating less will extend their life span and will help them avoid health problems associated with aging.
Some researchers calculated that (based on tests conducted on animals) every calorie we avoid means about 30 seconds extra life.
The "French paradox" is a very good example for this matter.
Only 7% of French people are obese (as compared to more than 22% of all Americans) although they do not eat only salads all day.
French people, like every one else, like to smoke, drink wine, eat food products high in calories (buttered croissants, goose livers, pastries, etc.
).
The only difference is that they eat less of everything as they are used to serving smaller portions.
Researchers found that an average food portion in Paris has about 270 g, while in Philadelphia an average food portion has about 350g, an American hot dog is about 60% larger that a French one, a soft drink is 52% larger in US as compared to France, etc.
Related to the upper mentioned conclusion, Paul Rozin, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that "people tend to consume what is put in front of them, and generally consume more when offered more food".
As sometimes we may find it difficult to reduce and sustain the intake of calories, we thought that presenting some tricks that might help us reduce the quantity of food we eat and prevail in the battle with calories would be helpful.
1.
Eat less, but more often.
Is better to eat smaller portions than few large ones because in this way food is properly digested and nutrients are better used.
When we eat much, the body cannot effectively "process" all the food.
2.
Drink water before you eat.
This will make you feel full and will decrease your appetite.
3.
Eat in smaller plates.
The main advantage of a smaller plate is that it gives the impression of a normal serving although it holds less food.
When going to a restaurant switch the dinner plate with a salad one, which is smaller.
4.
Brush your teeth.
Some people might refuse to have a quick snack or even a meal when their teeth have just been brushed and feel clean.
5.
Include more vegetables in your meal.
Eating more vegetables can make us fell satiated even if few calories are assimilated.
So, look in your meal for ingredients that can be substituted with vegetables.
6.
Count calories intake.
First of all, it will help you keep track of how many calories have you assimilated during the day and how you can allocate the remaining ones for future meals.
Secondly, it might motivate you to reduce the number of calories assimilated daily.
You can also practice this when going out for groceries in order to purchase "lighter food products".
7.
No more sugar.
Sugar is a very important source of calories, causing an increase in appetite.
In 100 g of sugar there are approximately 400 calories.
Try to replace as much as possible products containing sugar with sugar-free similar products (e.
g.
replace soft drinks with sugar-free juices, still water, etc.
).
8.
Eat slower.
The body must have time to process and fully estimate the quantity of food that is eaten.
When we eat fast, we sometimes might not realize that we are satiated.
9.
Say NO to chips, snacks, breads, etc.
Besides the fact that such products are well know for their "weight attraction" due to their ingredients, such products can make us want to eat and drinks more (especially salted ones).
10.
Chew gum.
Chewing sugar-free gum can give us the impression that we are eating.
So, when hunger strikes, try first some gum.
11.
Avoid foods cooked in oil.
Although sometimes fried means tasty, we should bear in mind that oil has a lot of fats and calories (there are more than 100 calories in a spoon of oil).
Try to eat as much as possible baked, barbecued foods.
12.
Avoid snacks.
You will eat less if you have a normal meal as compared to having several snacks before or after meals.
So, try to impose a fix schedule in terms of meals.
13.
Go for more taste and less quantity.
Try to keep as long as you can the taste of something you want to eat in your mouth.
For example, if you freeze chocolate, it will melt more slowly in your mouth and you will fell like you have eaten more.
How much we eat does not affect only our looks, but our health as well.
It seems that people who eat less have a lower risk of heart disease, less chances of having a stroke or getting diabetes.
Moreover, some even believe that eating less will extend their life span and will help them avoid health problems associated with aging.
Some researchers calculated that (based on tests conducted on animals) every calorie we avoid means about 30 seconds extra life.
The "French paradox" is a very good example for this matter.
Only 7% of French people are obese (as compared to more than 22% of all Americans) although they do not eat only salads all day.
French people, like every one else, like to smoke, drink wine, eat food products high in calories (buttered croissants, goose livers, pastries, etc.
).
The only difference is that they eat less of everything as they are used to serving smaller portions.
Researchers found that an average food portion in Paris has about 270 g, while in Philadelphia an average food portion has about 350g, an American hot dog is about 60% larger that a French one, a soft drink is 52% larger in US as compared to France, etc.
Related to the upper mentioned conclusion, Paul Rozin, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that "people tend to consume what is put in front of them, and generally consume more when offered more food".
As sometimes we may find it difficult to reduce and sustain the intake of calories, we thought that presenting some tricks that might help us reduce the quantity of food we eat and prevail in the battle with calories would be helpful.
1.
Eat less, but more often.
Is better to eat smaller portions than few large ones because in this way food is properly digested and nutrients are better used.
When we eat much, the body cannot effectively "process" all the food.
2.
Drink water before you eat.
This will make you feel full and will decrease your appetite.
3.
Eat in smaller plates.
The main advantage of a smaller plate is that it gives the impression of a normal serving although it holds less food.
When going to a restaurant switch the dinner plate with a salad one, which is smaller.
4.
Brush your teeth.
Some people might refuse to have a quick snack or even a meal when their teeth have just been brushed and feel clean.
5.
Include more vegetables in your meal.
Eating more vegetables can make us fell satiated even if few calories are assimilated.
So, look in your meal for ingredients that can be substituted with vegetables.
6.
Count calories intake.
First of all, it will help you keep track of how many calories have you assimilated during the day and how you can allocate the remaining ones for future meals.
Secondly, it might motivate you to reduce the number of calories assimilated daily.
You can also practice this when going out for groceries in order to purchase "lighter food products".
7.
No more sugar.
Sugar is a very important source of calories, causing an increase in appetite.
In 100 g of sugar there are approximately 400 calories.
Try to replace as much as possible products containing sugar with sugar-free similar products (e.
g.
replace soft drinks with sugar-free juices, still water, etc.
).
8.
Eat slower.
The body must have time to process and fully estimate the quantity of food that is eaten.
When we eat fast, we sometimes might not realize that we are satiated.
9.
Say NO to chips, snacks, breads, etc.
Besides the fact that such products are well know for their "weight attraction" due to their ingredients, such products can make us want to eat and drinks more (especially salted ones).
10.
Chew gum.
Chewing sugar-free gum can give us the impression that we are eating.
So, when hunger strikes, try first some gum.
11.
Avoid foods cooked in oil.
Although sometimes fried means tasty, we should bear in mind that oil has a lot of fats and calories (there are more than 100 calories in a spoon of oil).
Try to eat as much as possible baked, barbecued foods.
12.
Avoid snacks.
You will eat less if you have a normal meal as compared to having several snacks before or after meals.
So, try to impose a fix schedule in terms of meals.
13.
Go for more taste and less quantity.
Try to keep as long as you can the taste of something you want to eat in your mouth.
For example, if you freeze chocolate, it will melt more slowly in your mouth and you will fell like you have eaten more.
