Overindulged over Christmas? Already feeling you need to start that New Year’s resolution to lose weight?(Day 2)

Are you feeling uncomfortable?  Are your clothes too tight?  Have you overindulged that bit too much over Christmas? Today (day two) I am sharing with you two more tried and tested ways to support you in becoming the size and shape you desire without having to resort to the restrictions of a diet.

Lifestyle Change Number 3 - Eat slowly and consciously.

It is generally well-known that those who wolf their food down tend to put on more weight than those who spend time over their food and chew each mouthful 20 times or more. In fact a Japanese study that monitored the eating habits of 3,000 people found that men who eat fast were 84 per cent more likely to be overweight.

A lot of us learn to eat quickly as children, a skill necessary to ensure that we get second helpings or so that we can leave the table as quickly as possible and get back to more exciting pursuits. It could well be the shortage of time that we all now suffer from that is a major cause of our current obesity crisis.

It is easy to learn to eat as a gourmet, enjoying every mouthful of food and slowing your eating down, chewing your food thoroughly and thinking about the mantra “a mouthful a minute”.  Put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls; put your sandwich down between mouthfuls.

Wherever possible, always eat sitting at a table.  Do not eat in front of the television or whilst reading as you will not be conscious of what you are eating.  If you are at work and have to eat at your desk, turn your computer screen off or close your laptop.  Sit down and focus purely on the food in front of you.

Lifestyle Change Number 4 – Stop eating before you feel full.

Aim to stop eating as soon as you feel comfortable.  This rule will be a lot easier to stick to if you adhere to rule number 3.  The slower you eat the easier it is to become in tune with how full you feel.

You may have heard or read about Alan Sugar’s Tiny Fork diet.  There is one basic principle behind this – if you eat using a small fork you will eat more slowly and therefore be better able to recognise when you have had enough to eat and stop eating before you are full.

There are many other techniques you can use to support you with this such as eating from a smaller plate or halving your portion size.