Mindless Eating Strategies 1 to 5

Mindless Eating Strategies 1to5, are the first five strategies that author, Brian Wansink, P.H.D. describes in his book, Mindless Eating. These are Mindless Eating Strategies that you need to understand, and incorporate into your life:

Mindless Eating Strategy #1

Think 20% more or less. If you serve 20% less, you will probably not notice it, especially if you eat more fruits and veggies. This is the Mindless Margin. The mindless margin is where weight loss begins. "The best diet is the one you don’t know you’re on".

Mindless Eating Strategy #2

See the food before you eat it, and while you are eating it. Pre-plate all of your food, even dessert, rather than eating seconds and thirds, and you will eat less. You need to see the volume of what you are eating.

Most of us typically don’t count calories, but we eat the same volume of food daily. If a person thinks he ate less than his regular volume, he will think that he is hungry. If he thinks he ate more, he will think he is full. Eat what you enjoy, but make sure you have the same volume that you are used to.

Mindless Eating Strategy #3

Decrease the size of the boxes and bowls. The bigger the packages you pour from, the more you will pour, up to 20 to 30% more. The smaller the serving dish, the less that you will serve yourself. Decrease the size of your plates.

A proper portioned dinner looks like an appetizer on an oversize plate. Plate sizes have increased by 50%. Also, decrease the amount of variety. The more variety you serve, the more you will eat.

Mindless Strategy #4

Make overeating a hassle, and not a habit (or do not buy your snack foods). Leave serving dishes in the kitchen, or put leftovers away before the meal. If you leave them on the table, you will eat more.

De-convenience tempting foods, by putting them in places out of reach or sight. Snack only at the table, and on a plate. This can help eliminate impulse eating.

Mindless Eating Strategy #5

Practice distraction-free eating. Re-script your 5 diet danger zones: dinners, snacks, parties, restaurants and desks/dashboards and pre-plan a solution. Try distracting yourself before you snack. Distractions can be good before you start to snack, but after you have begun to snack they can be deadly e.g. Popcorn at a movie, snacking while watching television or driving.

Serve yourself proper portions, before you start snacking. Eating from a box, or bag or serving dish, is deadly, because you never see how much you really ate.

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By trying to incorporate these Mindless Eating Strategies 1 to 5, in your life, you can begin to develop Healthy Diet Habits and Lifetime Solutions for weight loss and weight control.

To see some additional recommended healthy diet habits, and strategies suggested by Brian Wansink, P.H.D., click on the links below:

• Mindless Eating Strategies 6 - 9

• Mindless Eating Strategy 10

Brian Wansink's, Mindless Eating book is one of my "Top 10 Recommended Books" to read!