Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

I saw this infographic on Fitness, Health, and Confidence and I wanted to post it here so I always have it handy.

There is some great advice there:

• Concentrate – You can cut your food intake in one sitting by 18% simply by turning off the TV and sitting at the dinner table, rather than eating from your lap.

• Stop Grazing – You are a grazer if you stand at the kitchen cupboard eating the food you have just removed from it. If you must snack, plate the food up properly to instill portion control.

• Recognize Hunger – Ask yourself if you are truly hungry or simply substituting food for an emotion, such as stress or sadness. Eating healthy and sensible portions for breakfast, lunch and dinner will help to recognize when your body needs food as you are less likely to have blood sugar imbalances throughout the day.

• Chew – This may sound silly, but have you ever counted the amount of times you chew one piece of food? The more you chew the more taste and texture you will get from each bite and the sooner you will be satisfied, meaning you eat less.

• Slow Down – If you are sharing dinner with a friend or even eating alone, take time to put your fork down between mouthfuls and give your brain time to register your food intake. Studies show the slower you eat, the less you eat.

All of these sound like good ideas. I’ve tried some of them like putting the fork down between bites and chewing my food a certain number of times. I don’t know if they helped me be more aware of my food, slowed me down so I felt full with less food, or just distracted me a bit, but they seemed to work.