The fix: Set an alarm one hour ahead of your break. According to recent research in the Journal of Marketing Research, when people placed their lunch orders at least 60 minutes before it was time to eat, they consistently ordered less caloric meals. (Of course, the smartest choice is to bring your own lunch—because if you brought leftover whole wheat pasta, that’s what you’re having.)
Key Takeaways:
- hy it packs on pounds: Large lunches don’t just have excess calories; they may prime your brain for large dinners—at least that’s what researchers found when they overfed both lean and obese mice; their results suggest that eating too many calories at once stops the production of a hormone that normally sends fullness signals to the brain.
- Stop eating when you feel comfortably full but not like you overdid it. Try to follow these guidelines from Lori Zanini, RD, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: three to four ounces of a lean protein, such as grilled chicken or fish, a healthy carb like fruit or whole grains, one to two tablespoons of good fats, such as olive-oil based salad dressing or nuts, and as many vegetables as you want.
- Unless you’re that guy, you’re probably viewing with headphones in, which drowns out the sounds you make while you eat. Being able to hear yourself chewing and crunching reduces the overall amount of food you eat, suggests research in Food Quality and Preference, likely because it makes you more aware of just how much you’re eating.
“Why it packs on pounds: Because virtually no one makes good choices when they’re famished. The fix: Set an alarm one hour ahead of your break. According to recent research in the Journal of Marketing Research, when people placed their lunch orders at least 60 minutes before it was time to eat, they consistently ordered less caloric meals. (Of course, the smartest choice is to bring your own lunch—because if you brought leftover whole wheat pasta, that’s what you’re having.)”