Many times our minds, and not our stomach, influence our eating behaviors. Training your mind for weight loss could definitely be a best way to lose weight.
Case in Point
A study conducted by Brian Wansink, (PhD and director of the Food and Brand lab at Cornell University), showed that perceptions of a persons serving size directly influenced how full they felt when they finished eating. In the study eight inch plates were replaced with 12 inch plates and eaters consumed 20% to 35% more because their portions appeared smaller on the larger dish. One way to try to avoid this is to use smaller dishes or glasses. Use taller more slim glasses instead of short fat ones, and add lettuce or other ‘voluminous’ complex carbohydrates to fill the empty spaces on large dishes or in bowls. Not All Fat is Bad For You
Another commonly held belief is that fat is bad for you–all fats. Period. While consuming too much fat AND the wrong types of fats is not healthy, the human body needs fat to a certain extent to promote good health. Fats known as omega-3 fatty acids can be found in many different kinds of fish and are vital to good health. As well, fat gives food that added flavor that makes it more appetizing.
The unsaturated fats (such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are the good fats while saturated fats and trans-fatty acids are the bad ones. For cooking purposes reach for monounsaturated fats such as olive oil or canola oil which are lower in cholesterol than are such things as vegetable oil, lard or margarine.
Water Does Not Equal Weight Gain
There are people that believe that drinking a lot of water will cause them to be fatter. This does not happen because water does not have any calories. In fact, water is instrumental in dissolving fat in the body. Water is good for all parts of the body and works to suppress the appetite. If you weigh yourself after drinking water and the number on the scale is higher that does not mean that you have put on any added pounds. Once the water exits your body hours later, your weight will stabilize. Water will not make you fat!
Sometimes Its Not What You Eat, But What You Drink
A lot of people are mislead by the amount of calories they consume in soft drinks. If you ask the average person the amount of calories in a soda or fruit beverage, they under guess by about 30%. A good point to remember is that when consuming ‘thin’ drinks i.e. sodas, milk and juice it is about 10 calories per ounce. Where ‘thick’ beverages like replacement shakes and smoothies have about 20 calories per ounce. This is a sure way to load up on unwanted calories. A 32 ounce soda may equate to about 320 unwanted calories. This is a very important tip to remember when trying to avoid unwanted calories.