7 Steps To the Right Weight

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight depend on your energy balance – the kilojoules you take in must equal your kilojoules you use up. Here are some easy tricks to help you nudge yourself towards the right balance.

1. Eat Well

In a study at Harvard Medical School of over 120,000 people from 1986 to 2006, increased daily serves of vegetables, whole grains, fruit, nuts or yogurt tended to result in weight loss, whereas chips, potatoes, sugary drinks and red meat led to weight gain in each four-year period.

2. Shrink the Plate

Using a smaller plate tricks leads your brain into thinking you’re getting more food. Studies show that the bigger the plate or bowl, the more food people serve – and when offered bigger portions, people tend to eat them.

3. Up the Protein

In an Australian study, 22 volunteers were first fed meals with a 10 percent protein content, then 15 percent. On the low-protein days, they were hungrier and consumed more kilojoules in total (the extra kilojoules came mostly from unhealthy snacks). Researchers conclude that people compensate for reduced protein with more fat and carbohydrate, which could increase the risk of gaining weight.

4. Go Slow

Chew your food carefully, and put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls. Researchers in Athens tested levels of appetite-regulating hormones in 17 volunteers eating ice cream over five or 30 minutes. They found that eating quickly stopped the release of gut hormones that make people feel full.

(Image credit: www.metropolitanmedicalassociates.com)

5. Say No to TV Dinners

Research shows that the more time you spend watching television, the higher your risk of obesity, regardless of total activity levels. In a University of Birmingham study, women ate more biscuits in the afternoon on days when they watched TV while they ate lunch.

6. Think Back

Recalling your last meal dampens your appetite. Psychologists at the University of Birmingham have shown that volunteers reminded of what they ate for lunch ate less at their next meal; people who recalled what they had for lunch had fewer snacks later.

7. Follow the 80 Percent Rule

Take a tip from traditional Okinawans, who practice harahachibu – eating until you are 80 per cent full. It’s enough to stop you feeling hungry but averts over-eating. (Adapted by Jessy Pearl)

Source: www.readersdigestdirect.com.sg/young-you-feel