An Appetite for..Less?

As mentioned in my last post, our appetites and tastes have been trained and can be retrained. Today I want to share more info on how to do that.

First, give yourself the chance to adjust. Remind yourself frequently that your tastes and habits are not fixed; they were learned and can be traded for better habits.

Do it gradually and be patient, but consistent, about the change you want to make. If you always add salt to your food, start by adding less than you normally would. Over time your taste will adjust and you’ll find you “need” less salt than you used to. Eventually you may find yourself kicking the salt habit completely. The same holds true for other habits like sugar, whole fat dairy products and especially portion sizes.

Most of us are used to portion sizes that are significantly larger than we need. Gradually cutting portion sizes is an easier and often more successful way of reducing weight and improving health and energy.

Other ways to reduce portion sizes:

¶ Don’t wait until you’re hungry to eat. We overeat and make poor decisions when we’re hungry; have a light snack or smaller, sensible meal before hunger gets the best of you.

¶ Eat until you’re satisfied, not stuffed. It takes awhile for our brain to register that we’re full, so it’s easy to miss the full signal and continue eating (which is why we often feel fuller than we realized, about 15-20 minutes after we stopped eating). Use these tips to deal with the delay in recognizing that you’re full:

¶ Split a restaurant entree with a friend. You may want to each start with a salad but share the entrée. Generally, the bill will be lighter and so will the meal.

¶ Have a glass of water or piece of fruit about 20-30 minutes before the meal.

¶ Eat the high-fiber, low-calorie items first.

¶ Eat slower. Put utensils down between bites or take a short break about halfway through the meal.