How to fool yourself into eating less

WHEN it comes to losing weight, scaling down your usually large portions of food and getting more active is the way to do it right. 

Cutting down on your food intake can make you feel unsatisfied as in your head, the portions seem small. 

However, there are some little tricks you can do to help yourself eat less so you can stay on track to scaling down your portions, but feel satisfied as you work towards your goal to lose weight. Here’s what you can do:

• When portioning out a plate of food for yourself, follow the Ministry of Health Malaysia’s Healthy Plate Model (#sukusukuseparuh) – where ½ of your plate is vegetables, ¼ of your plate is a carbohydrate such as rice, noodles or bread and the other ¼ of it is your protein foods such as chicken, fish, meats, eggs or beans. My clients find this to be very easy to follow and most doable, because they get to eat a wide variety of foods but in a sensible portion. Strict weight loss diets that require you to cut out entire food groups can be unhealthy in the long run.  

• It’s hard to resist taking extra servings of food if it’s right in front of you. So, if you are watching your weight, it helps to serve yourself a plate of food from the kitchen before going to sit at the dining table to eat. By leaving the rest of the cooked dishes in the kitchen, you’ll have to think twice about getting up for a second helping.

• Using smaller plates and bowls when you eat will automatically help you to lessen your portions. I tend to use small side plates when I eat at festive open houses or buffets so I can avoid overeating.  

• Cutting your foods into several small pieces will visually help you to feel like you’re eating more. For example, a have a client who could never stop at eating just one chapati. Previously, he would end up eating 2 to 3 chapatis without even thinking. But when he cut one chapati into 2 halves, it tricked his brain into thinking he was eating double the portion. This helped him to feel satisfied enough and to eat just one piece of chapati as part of his overall healthy meal.

• It’s not the dinnerware. Even the choice of your glasses that you have your drinks in can subliminally shave off some calories. How, you ask? Research shows that you are likely to pour yourself less of a beverage by using a tall, thin glass as compared to if you used a short, wide one. This is because the height of the drink tricks your brain into thinking you are having a larger drink.  

• Speaking of drink, researchers notice that people eat less if they drink about 500 ml (2 cups) of water before having a meal. This is something I tend to do, and it has become second nature to me. This same idea of filling up with water is why having some soup as a starter to your meal can help you to eat less. In our home meals, I’ll often make a simple clear soup with loads of vegetables to have with our meal.     

• Research shows that when you are distracted while eating, your brain finds it hard to recognize the signs of feeling full. That’s one of the main reasons experts warn you to not eat a meal or snack while watching TV, scrolling through your smartphone or gadgets as this can cause you to end up eating more. You’re better off sitting at the table to have your meals and snacks so that your mind if clear to focus on your act of eating. Growing up, my mother had a novel way of making TV time snack-free in our house. She would give me the pile of laundry to fold while watching TV – a habit I still do till today!

• Another thing you can try to keep your mouth busy is to chew gum. This tip is often used by smokers who are trying to kick the habit. But I find that it helps with my clients who are trying to lose weight too. One of my client chews gum when he’s in office meetings to avoid the temptation to eat the usual pastries that are commonly served.

• Raised levels of the hormone cortisol occur when you are overly stressed.  High levels of cortisol can bring about craving for food and the tendency to overeat in some individuals – what we commonly refer to as emotional eating. If you identify this in you, then it’s important you do something to positively distract yourself from over-eating plus diffuse the stress that you are feeling. When the day’s stresses get to me, I unwind by going for a walk outdoors, while listening to comedy podcasts. Laughter is indeed the best medicine! – The Vibes, December 13, 2020

Indra Balaratnam is a consultant dietitian who believes in simple, practical ways to eating well. She runs her private practice in Kuala Lumpur, where she sees her clients in person and online. Connect with her on her Facebook page: Indra Balaratnam Nutrition or on Instagram: @indrabalaratnamnutrition.