6 tips to trick your brain into making you eat less

What and how much you eat matter a lot when you are trying to shed the extra pounds and most people don’t realise that many factors can influence those decisions. Experts believe that you need not exhaust your will power to restrain yourself; all you need to do is trick your brain into making you eat less.

1 Use smaller plates and bowls

Do you notice that you tend to overeat when you eat off from a large plate? You may have got it right because research has shown that people serve themselves more and consume more food when they use large bowls, plates and serving utensils. Having meal in salad plate may send the signal that you’re already eating a full meal and hence make you eat less.

2 Savour your food

One simple thing you have to do to eat less is to take your time to eat your food. Slow down between bites and chew the food thoroughly; doing these will make you aware of your hunger and satiety and reduce digestive problems.

3 Avoid mindless eating

Whenever you have a snack don’t eat straight out of the bag because we end up mindlessly eating away the entire snack. Instead take a small bowl and portion out a serving, this way you know exactly how much you’re eating.

4 Set your plate method right

Be mindful when you sit down for meal at home or in restaurants as the healthiest food on your plate occupies the least space and vice versa. Make sure half of your plate is filled with vegetables and the rest with whole grains and lean meat or protein-rich food. This method is helpful for diabetics as well.

5 Avoid eating while watching TV

When you sit for hours in front of the TV you end up over eating as you are distracted and not aware of how much you have eaten. According to a research, if you take time to have a proper meal it will help you remember earlier meals that were delicious and filling and this can lead to us eating smaller portions.

6 Load up on protein

Studies have shown that protein can curb your appetite. After your meal the proteins in your food send signals to the brain which is then transmitted back to the stomach to stimulate the intestine to release glucose, suppressing the desire to eat. Protein also takes longer to digest so try and consume more protein-rich food at each meal preferably during breakfast so that you fill feel full for a longer period of time.