How to Trick Your Brain Into Eating Less
By Genevieve Cunningham
I often say that even though my stomach isn’t really hungry, I need a second helping for my brain. It just tastes so good … my mouth and brain are begging for more. My hips, waist, and backside? Not so much. If your mealtime sounds anything like mine, it’s time to get our brains onboard with our stomachs and our weight loss goals. Take a look at these tips for tricking the brain into eating less, and hopefully mastering some long-term fitness goals in the process.
Throw Out Your Big Plates
We tend to eat what’s on our plate and think that we’ve had enough. If your plate is gigantic, you’ll pile more food on it, and you’ll probably eat it just because it’s there. But if you start with a small plate, you’ll begin your meal with far less food. When you’ve finished everything on your plate, your brain will think: Oh, I’m full! The tough part? You have to break the second helping habit to make this work. But simply using a smaller plate will get your mind thinking in the right direction, and you’ll be ahead of the calorie-cutting game.
Learn How to Stage Food
Unless you’ve eaten a beautifully staged meal, you have no idea how powerful the appearance really is. A meal that looks like it belongs in a magazine will force you to slow down, savor each bite, and you’ll automatically think that you’re stuffed when you’ve reached the end of the meal. Staging includes proper placement of the food, tips for toppings and finishing touches, and other simple additions that create that polished, photo-ready appearance. To gain some skills in this area, just do a quick internet search or pick up a book that guides you through the process and offers some tips.
Sometimes the real battle of weight loss isn’t in the mouth; it’s in the mind. And the mind is one of the toughest but most beneficial things to change in order to meet your goals. If you need to get your mouth, mind, and goals all on the same page, get your mind moving in the right direction first and the rest will be much easier. These tips can give you a great headstart. Use them as needed, and meeting your long-term fitness goals may be just around the corner.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.
