The Nutrition and exercise scientist Kathleen Alleaume shares some lesser-known tricks to help break through that weight loss plateau and keep you shedding kilos.
1. Slice your food
It turns out that slicing up food into smaller portions tricks the brain into thinking the serving size is larger, which may help you eat less.
Researchers found that when a meal is sliced up, most people eat 25 per cent less food. When you cut up your portion, it creates the illusion that you are consuming more food which in turn causes a greater feeling of fullness.
So in addition to downsizing your plates and using taller glasses, make your meals appear more generous by slicing and dicing your ingredients into smaller pieces.
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2. Swap hands
Using your dominant hand to eat and drink is a behaviour we rarely think about. It’s an automatic pattern ingrained in our brain, which makes it easier to overeat without realising it.
However, making things more difficult is a great way to force yourself to pay more attention to what you’re doing. One simple way to do this is to eat with your non-dominant hand. If you’re a right hander, put your fork or spoon in your left hand for a change.
This simple swap will shift you out of autopilot or mindless eating. Better still, forget the cutlery and try chopsticks on the odd occasion.
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3. De-clutter
Another factor that can nudge us to overeat is clutter. A recent study showed how cluttered and chaotic kitchens make women consume more unhealthy snacks. It just goes to show how messy homes (and lives) can make most feel out of control — and sweet, sugary food can really go down like a treat and make us feel better, even if only for a moment.
Try organising your kitchen and see if it means you snack less. Out of sight, out of mind!
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4. Stop staring at your phone
Whether you’re watching Netflix, responding to emails, or scrolling through your social feed, this doesn’t just cause you to chow down more during your meal, but you may end up snacking more later on.
It has been proven that eating while distracted blocks the feeling of fulfilment because your brain is focused on something else — making it harder to recall the amount of food consumed, prompting you to eat more.
Focus on your food, and you’ll likely find yourself feeling fuller faster — and less tempted to scarf down a packet of crisp some later on.
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