13 Tricks to Eat Less

Nowadays, more and more people are trying to reduce their calories intake by finding new tricks to eat less.

How much we eat does not affect only our looks, but our health as well. It seems that people who eat less have a lower risk of heart disease, less chances of having a stroke or getting diabetes. Moreover, some even believe that eating less will extend their life span and will help them avoid health problems associated with aging.

Some researchers calculated that (based on tests conducted on animals) every calorie we avoid means about 30 seconds extra life.

The „French paradox” is a very good example for this matter. Only 7% of French people are obese (as compared to more than 22% of all Americans) although they do not eat only salads all day. Do they know all the tricks to eat less!?! French people, like every one else, like to smoke, drink wine, eat food products high in calories (buttered croissants, goose livers, pastries, etc.). The only difference is that they eat less of everything as they are used to serving smaller portions.

Researchers found that an average food portion in Paris has about 270 g, while in Philadelphia an average food portion has about 350g, an American hot dog is about 60% larger that a French one, a soft drink is 52% larger in US as compared to France, etc.

Paul Rozin, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, stated that „people tend to consume what is put in front of them, and generally consume more when offered more food”. So, this behavior is the opposite of the research for tricks to eat less.

As sometimes we may find it difficult to reduce and sustain the intake of calories, we thought that presenting some tricks that might help us reduce the quantity of food we eat and prevail in the battle with calories would be helpful.

1. Eat less, but more often – at the top of tricks to eat less list

Eat smaller portions than few large ones because in this way food is properly digested and nutrients are better used. When we eat much, the body cannot effectively “process” all the food.

2. Drink water before you eat

This will make you feel full and will decrease your appetite.

3. Eat in smaller plates

The main advantage of a smaller plate is that it gives the impression of a normal serving although it holds less food. When going to a restaurant switch the dinner plate with a salad one, which is smaller.

4. Brush your teeth

Some people might refuse to have a quick snack or even a meal when their teeth have just been brushed and feel clean.

5. Include more vegetables in your meal

Eating more vegetables can make us fell satiated even if few calories are assimilated. So, look in your meal for ingredients that can be substituted with vegetables. You can use this as one of the first tricks to eat less that you try.

6. Count calories intake

First of all, it will help you keep track of how many calories have you assimilated during the day and how you can allocate the remaining ones for future meals. Secondly, it might motivate you to reduce the number of calories assimilated daily. You can also practice this when going out for groceries in order to purchase “lighter food products”.

7. No more sugar

Sugar is a very important source of calories, causing an increase in appetite. In 100 g of sugar there are approximately 400 calories. Try to replace as much as possible products containing sugar with sugar-free similar products (e.g. replace soft drinks with sugar-free juices, still water, etc.).

8. Eat slower

Your body must have time to process and fully estimate the quantity of food that is eaten. When we eat fast, we sometimes might not realize that we are satiated.

9. Say NO to chips, snacks, breads, etc.

Besides the fact that such products are well know for their “weight attraction” due to their ingredients, such products can make us want to eat and drinks more (especially salted ones).

10. Chew gum

Chewing sugar-free gum can give us the impression that we are eating. So, when hunger strikes, try first some gum.

11. Avoid foods cooked in oil

Although sometimes fried means tasty, we should bear in mind that oil has a lot of fats and calories (there are more than 100 calories in a spoon of oil). Try to eat as much as possible baked, barbecued foods.

12. Avoid snacks

You will eat less if you have a normal meal as compared to having several snacks before or after meals. So, try to impose a fix schedule in terms of meals.

13. Go for more taste and less quantity

The last is our 13 tricks to eat less lists, but as important as the other ones presented. Try to keep as long as you can the taste of something you want to eat in your mouth. For example, if you freeze chocolate, it will melt more slowly in your mouth and you will fell like you have eaten more.

Try as many tricks to eat less as you can and see what works best for you.