The goal of any diet is, obviously, to lose weight. The only (nonsurgical) way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. If you are not willing or able to exercise to burn more calories, your weight-loss efforts should focus on decreasing your daily calorie intake.
The Stomach/Brain Connection
According to research studies like those conducted at the University of Florida, it takes your brain about 10 minutes to "catch up" with your stomach, or to realize that your stomach is full. This leads to overeating. Eating slower, such as taking smaller bites and more time in between forkfuls, will allow your brain to catch up with your stomach, helping you to stop eating sooner and to eat less, according to Yijun Liu, assistant professor at the McKnight Brain Institute.
Portion Control
You will be less likely to overeat if you eat only pre-portioned meals and snacks than you will if you keep scooping from the pot or grabbing from the box. For example, while more expensive, individual packets of cookies are often 100 calories and enough to satisfy a craving. If you tried to satisfy that same craving by digging into a full bag or box of cookies, you may not stop at 100 calories. To save money, buy larger boxes or bags of food items, then transfer the contents to smaller, plastic sandwich bags to create healthy portions. Once you've eaten a pre-packaged portion, you have a measurement that tells you, "enough," and you'll be less likely to open a second package of snacks.
Making large pots of soups, stews or other entrees, and then dividing them into freezable, single portions will also help you control the amount of food you eat. Cook these dishes after you have eaten a meal to prevent you from tasting and eating too much of what you're preparing.
Graze
Eating throughout the day keeps your metabolism up and burning more calories. Eating only once or twice a day causes your metabolism to go into "starvation" mode and slow down calorie burning. Fasting also leads to overeating, so eat five or more smaller meals and snacks per day. A 2,000-calorie daily intake, eaten in one or two sittings, is not the same as eating those same 2,000 calories during the entire course of a day.
Reduce Calories When Eating Out
If you're heading to a restaurant with friends, or will be attending a party with plenty of hors d'oeuvre, have something to eat before you leave the house. You never know when food will be served when you dine out, and you'll be less likely to overindulge on high-fat, high-cholesterol, high-calorie foods if you've just eaten a healthy snack or meal.
References
Medical News Today: Study Offers New Clues To Brain-Stomach Interaction In Overeating, Implicates Brain Circuits Involved In Drug Craving
Science Blog: Obese People Experience Delay in Feeling Full, Study Finds
Photo Credit YUM! Plates of Food image by TMLP from Fotolia.com
The goal of any diet is, obviously, to lose weight. The only (nonsurgical) way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. If you are not willing or able to exercise to burn more calories, your weight-loss efforts should focus on decreasing your daily calorie intake.
The Stomach/Brain Connection
According to research studies like those conducted at the University of Florida, it takes your brain about 10 minutes to "catch up" with your stomach, or to realize that your stomach is full. This leads to overeating. Eating slower, such as taking smaller bites and more time in between forkfuls, will allow your brain to catch up with your stomach, helping you to stop eating sooner and to eat less, according to Yijun Liu, assistant professor at the McKnight Brain Institute.
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Portion Control
You will be less likely to overeat if you eat only pre-portioned meals and snacks than you will if you keep scooping from the pot or grabbing from the box. For example, while more expensive, individual packets of cookies are often 100 calories and enough to satisfy a craving. If you tried to satisfy that same craving by digging into a full bag or box of cookies, you may not stop at 100 calories. To save money, buy larger boxes or bags of food items, then transfer the contents to smaller, plastic sandwich bags to create healthy portions. Once you've eaten a pre-packaged portion, you have a measurement that tells you, "enough," and you'll be less likely to open a second package of snacks.
Making large pots of soups, stews or other entrees, and then dividing them into freezable, single portions will also help you control the amount of food you eat. Cook these dishes after you have eaten a meal to prevent you from tasting and eating too much of what you're preparing.
Graze
Eating throughout the day keeps your metabolism up and burning more calories. Eating only once or twice a day causes your metabolism to go into "starvation" mode and slow down calorie burning. Fasting also leads to overeating, so eat five or more smaller meals and snacks per day. A 2,000-calorie daily intake, eaten in one or two sittings, is not the same as eating those same 2,000 calories during the entire course of a day.
Reduce Calories When Eating Out
If you're heading to a restaurant with friends, or will be attending a party with plenty of hors d'oeuvre, have something to eat before you leave the house. You never know when food will be served when you dine out, and you'll be less likely to overindulge on high-fat, high-cholesterol, high-calorie foods if you've just eaten a healthy snack or meal.