Do you snack?
Do you like to snack?
Do you think you should snack?
Do you remember what your last 5 snacks were?
The point is:
Most people snack.
Most people like to snack.
Most people don't think they should snack.
Most people mindlessly snack.
I bet if you logged your food intake for a day, you would be astounded by the amount of calories you consume just by snacking. Ever sat next to a bowl of M&M's, only to find that an hour later, they mysteriously disappeared? I know what happened to them! [For my slower readers: You ate them]
The Flash Diet
So here's how you fix the snacking issue...and really any mindless eating issue. You use a pattern interrupter. Sounds complicated, huh? It just means that instead of going into a mindless snack, you do something before you start eating. This interrupts your pattern of mindless eating, and tricks you into thinking about what you eat. There is even an entire diet named after this: The Flash Diet.
The Flash Diet is based on research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (I could not find a link to the original study. if you have it, please send it my way!). You can find a write up here (I know it's not the most credible source, but the study they are reporting on is credible) The flash diet: Taking photos of meals helps slimmers lose weight
The Bowl Diet
So that is great. It forces you to really think about what you are eating. It can also be a bit inconvenient. Another simpler method is quite obvious when you think about it. All we need is a pattern interrupter, right? Here's one - plate up everything you are going to eat. Whether it's a bowl, a cup, a plate, a saucer, a platter, a gravy boat, a jug, a crock...plate something up! (Plate it up = Put it on or in a container for serving)
Here's the scenario: You want chips. The barbecue chips have been screaming your name all day long. Instead of grabbing the bag and sitting down (which will result in an empty bag. I promise) grab a bowl, and fill it up. This can be a small bowl, to hold one portion, or it can be a HUGE bowl, which holds the entire bag. Just do it. If you want more when you are done, then fill it up again.
Example 2: You want some peanut butter cups (yummmm. It's almost Christmas - I can't wait for the Christmas Tree peanut butter cu...trees). Grab some and put them on a plate. Want more? Put more on there.
First of all, you won't fill up a bowl that takes the entire bag of chips, and you won't put 15 peanut butter cups on the plate. Plating up your food makes you think about it. Sit down with a bag of chips, or a candy dish full of peanut butter cups, and you'll polish off most, if not all of them.
Here's what's happening - your mind has to take a break to figure out how to plate these up, and you now think about what you are eating. We all know we shouldn't eat a bag of chips - but it happens. By stopping and thinking about it, our logical part of the brain kicks in, and says "Hey, if I eat the entire bag now, there won't be any to eat tomorrow!" and you consume fewer calories.
If you do nothing else except start plating up your food, I guarantee you will lose weight.
Try it!
You know what? This would be a wonderful opportunity for a 30 day challenge! Maybe you could start on January 1st.
You know what? This would be a wonderful opportunity for a 30 day challenge! Maybe you could start on January 1st.
This is especially good with peanuts. They are so small, and the container isn't that big, but when I put them in a small bowl I generally do not go back for seconds.
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