This week, I had three speaking engagements, back-to-back, in different cities. I’ve learned (the hard way) that travelling drains my willpower and then I make bad decisions.
Like the serving of pecan pie a la mode, no less, I just wolfed down.
We’ve all done it – overeaten.
Question for you: what’s easier, to eat less or exercise more?
Obviously, the answer is eat less. But, do you know how important this is? Here’s seven examples of how hard you’d have to work to burn off an additional 500 calories (the equivalent of a rich desert, medium serving of french fries, or two slices of french bread):
- brisk walking for 90 minutes
- running for 42 minutes at 10KPH (6MPH)
- golf for an hour and a half (only counts if you walk)
- kayaking for an hour
- one hour on a stair climber or rowing machine (boring!)
- six hours of kissing (really? who measured that one?)
- running stairs for 45 minutes.
You can entertain yourself with 43 other ways to burn off 500 calories here. The point is, if you want to lose weight or maintain your weight, it’s a heck of a lot easier if you start by EATING LESS.
Here you go again
Here you are, about to eat your way through the Christmas holiday season and, for desert, you’ll made resolutions about eating less. Sound like the definition of insanity? Well, for what it’s worth, you’re not alone.
Year, after year, diet, losing weight, and health are tops on New Year resolution lists. Nice aspiration, unfortunately not usually met with great execution. Gyms selling memberships plan on only 18% of memberships sold actually get used on a regular basis. And according to Gary Foster, Ph.D., nearly 65% of dieters return to their pre-dieting weight within three years.
There’s a better way.
Instead of hoping next year will be different, use a different strategy. Here are my eight best tips for surviving everything from breakfast to the buffet.
1. Smaller plates
In one study researchers, themselves, served up 31% more ice cream when given larger bowls and 14% more when given a bigger spoon. Either way, large cutlery and dishware leads to large servings. The solution is to simply use a smaller set. If that’s not an easy fix, imagine your plate divided into thirds – leave one third empty.
2. Keep a Journal
What we focus on we get more of. That axiom explains so much of what we notice (“Hey! There’s that iPad mini I’ve been thinking about getting”) and what we create.
In a study of 1,800 obese men and women, by Kaiser Permanente’s Center for Health Research, researchers found a dramatic connection between recording what you eat and losing weight.
After 20 weeks of journaling, the average weight loss was six kilos (13 pounds). More remarkably, those who journaled their meals religiously lost an average of 8 kilos (18 pounds) – twice their non-journaling colleagues.
“Just the act of scribbling down what you eat on a Post-It note, sending yourself e-mails tallying each meal, or sending yourself a text message will suffice. It’s the process of reflecting on what you eat that helps us become aware of our habits, and hopefully change our behavior,” Keith Bachman, MD
3. Chew for ten Mississippi’s
Chewing your food more times slows the eating process (part of the “Hara Hachi bu” strategy – see below) and improves digestion. Researchers from Texas Christian University found that after a slow-paced meal, people had consumed about 100 calories less in their meal and felt less hungry an hour later.
4. Eat nuts first
A small handful of nuts, about 10-30 minutes before you sit down to eat is a safe way to stave off hunger. You can still enjoy a full meal, but won’t have ravenous hunger that can lead to over eating. I travel with a small bag of mixed nuts and nibble from it between meals. By the time the buffet line is forming, I’m ready to enjoy a small meal.
5. Wait 20 minutes
I wrote about this in my post “Lose weight fast by changing your mind (really)!” The principle is pretty simple: it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to radio the brain the tank is full. When you pace yourself and eat more slowly, you allow the full feeling to happen, before you over indulge.
Sipping water and enjoying a conversation are both good strategies to overcome the unwanted gobble and refill cycle. A little more time will serve you well.
6. Drink water first
This is a simple hack I use when cooking dinner, and as soon as I sit down at a restaurant. I drink one or two full glasses of water (about 16 ozs). I still enjoy my meal, but I tend to eat more slowly and eat less. You can never err on the side of too much hydration.
7. Hara Hachi bu
Dan Buettner brought the term “hara hachi bu” back from his study of gerontology on the island of Okinawa island. Okinawa 
is one of the oldest living populations on earth. Hara hachi bu simply means eat only until you are 80% full. Okinawans enjoy 80% lower rates of heart disease, lower blood pressure, cholesterol and rates of cancer, as compared to Americans.
“A long healthy life is no accident. It begins with good genes, but it also depends on good habits.” Dan Buettner
8. Swap pie for tea
I have a sweet tooth. Minutes after enjoying a meal I’m looking for something sweet. Now, I sip tea instead of taking on the 300-400 calories in a bowl of ice cream, or piece of pie. A hot cup of herbal tea can satisfy my desires and, an hour later, I still feel great.
There you have it, eight ways to eat less and take better care of your health. Let me know in the comments which one you are going to use, or suggest a new one.
