Are You Eating More than You Realize?

It is something that is always said to us as children - that we should always clear our plates. But when you are at a restaurant that dishes up piles for each course, do not be embarrassed about leaving even half of it to go back to the kitchen. Eating and maintaining a healthy weight is all about knowing your own limits, so do not be afraid to enforce those limits outside of your own home.

This is a classic sign you could eat too much. You have to allow time for your stomach to signal to your brain that you’re full. Shoveling in your food, not chewing enough and eating on the run all inhibit your brain from processing the natural response your body should give when it’s had enough.

When it comes to snacks, it is just not true at all that the bigger the snack is, the longer it will sustain you until dinnertime. Though a hand full of wrapped candies might feel like the better way to go, something like a small banana or a handful of nuts will be better for your both in terms of calorie count and in terms of slow release energy that will curb your hunger until an appropriate meal time.

Wine, especially red wine, is the holy grail of hidden calories when it comes to being on a diet. It is a sad and depressing fact that a single glass of wine can contain as many calories as some chocolate and candy bars, so consider just how much you drink on a weekly basis, compared to all of the strict food dieting you have been doing.

This all has to do with the human psychology to fill a plate with food, so if you are eating ice cream out of a cereal bowl instead of a smaller desert bowl, you are definitely going to end up eating more without really meaning to. An easy way to fix this? Stick to a strict scoop system, no matter what bowl you are eating from, two scoops will always be enough!

When it comes to breakfast, you could be eating more than you think if your cereal of choice contains the smaller variety of cornflakes. Research has suggested that the smaller the cornflakes are, the more likely a person is to pour themselves a larger portion in comparison to larger, fuller sized flakes. It is a purely psychological process but it can certainly make a difference if you are calorie counting.

According to recent research, a person is much more likely to treat themselves to an unhealthy snack after exercising if they do not enjoy the activity. Seeing exercise as a chore rather than something positive tricks your brain in to thinking that you need to be rewarded with something for completing it, and some sort of unhealthy food is usually an easy option to go for.

Eating in a big group, most often at house that isn’t your own, can mean that you will be subject to eating whichever portion size your friend or family deems to be normal. Their ‘normal’ may not be your normal or even the portion size that is recommended by health experts. It is easy to get carried away when you are not the one in charge of the food.

So now you know what the issues are, you can make some changes for the better, if you wish. Are you gonna?