food & fitness Got 5 to Lose?


Here’s how to adjust your eating habits to shed those unwanted pounds


By Winnie Yu


Make an Event of Eating


Any time you eat‚ make a conscious decision about what and how you’re eating‚ says Christine Gerbstadt‚ MD‚ RD‚ author of Doctor’s Detox Diet: The Ultimate Weight Loss Prescription (Nutronics Health Publishing‚ 2011). “Eat conscious‚ discrete snacks and meals‚” she says. “Plan to sit down with a small plate of reasonable portions of food— preferably mostly vegetables‚ with some protein and a small whole grain side. The idea is to not nibble mindlessly or graze nearly continuously so that you cannot remember how much you actually eat.”


Be Selective About Dinnerware


Change the Way You Eat


You already know what you’re supposed to be eating—more fruits and veggies and less junk food. But the way you eat is as important as what you eat. Here’s how to switch up your style of eating‚ so you’ll have an easier time shedding those extra pounds.


Slow it Down


Taking time to savor your food and really enjoy what you’re eating isn’t just good for your tastebuds‚ it’s also healthy for your waistline. According to Marisa Moore‚ RD‚ a spokesperson for the American Dietetics Association‚ it takes the brain about 20 minutes to realize the stomach is full. “If you typically scarf down your meal in under 20 minutes‚ you may be eating too much‚” she says. “Some evidence indicates that taking more chews—as many as 40 with each bite—can help reduce the total calories taken in at a meal.”


32 pause SPRING / SUMMER 2012


We eat less when we eat from a plate instead of a bag‚ and we also consume less when we use smaller plates and drink from smaller glasses‚ Moore says. “If you sit down in front of the TV with a large bag of chips‚ you’re likely to eat more from that bag than if you’d taken just one serving out of the bag and placed it on a plate or napkin‚” she says. “The empty plate or napkin is the cue to stop eating versus the bottom of the bag.” When it’s time for a meal‚ use smaller


servingware such as salad plates for your dinner and juice glasses for beverages. “All these tips and tricks can add up to significant calories saved‚” Moore says.


Focus on the Food


Eating while you’re in the car‚ watching TV‚ or doing work shifts your attention away from what you’re eating to the task at hand‚ which can increase your total caloric intake. A 2011 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who played solitaire on a computer while eating ate almost twice the amount of food as those who did not. So when it’s time to eat‚ make sure to do nothing but enjoy the meal. You’ll eat fewer calories—and have a more pleasurable experience.


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