How to Eat Less and Still Feel Full Through Small Changes

Mindfulness refers to the act of being present in the moment while engaging all of your senses to fully understand what is happening. Mindful eating involves a similar process, helping people control their portion sizes so they don't overeat. If you have trouble limiting or losing control of your food intake, the following tips can help you stop overeating while still ensuring your body is full and has enough energy to function .

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Pay attention to your diet

Often, we tend to put too much food on our plates. This is especially true when we haven't eaten in hours and are at that point of hunger. However, we don't need as much food as we think to feel good. So before you fill your plate with a large meal, choose a small portion first and wait a while before you reach for more.

This habit will help you avoid overeating or throwing away food that you don't have time to eat or don't finish later. If you fill your plate to the brim at the beginning, you're more likely to overeat.

Focus on eating

Do you want to watch something on TV or your phone while you eat? Unfortunately, this is a habit that many of us have fallen into. The reason it's bad is because by distracting your mind, you also avoid getting the message it sends to your body that your stomach is full. So you keep eating until your stomach feels like it's going to explode.

Mindful eating requires us to connect with our plate and pay attention to how much food we are eating and how our bodies feel. So turn off the screen and look at your plate while you eat.

Appreciate food

It may sound silly, but mindful eating has a lot to do with appreciating the food you eat. We may not be hunters or grow our own vegetables, but take a moment to reflect. What is on your plate and why? Others worked hard to produce it, and you worked hard to cook it.

Also, try to identify all the flavors and spices. Appreciate what you have in front of you. This way, you will be less likely to throw away leftovers that you don't eat because the portion size is too large.

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Take small bites

When we are hungry, we tend to eat large bites to satisfy our hunger. However, this habit does not allow us to enjoy the food or wait until the brain sends the message to the stomach that it is full. As a result, we overeat until the stomach starts to "complain".

To avoid this and practice mindful eating, simply put your fork down between bites, no matter how slowly or quickly you chew. Chances are you'll eat half your food this way.

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Don't skip meals

Many people think that by skipping meals, they will increase their chances of eating less. This is a misconception and can lead to overeating due to extreme hunger. So eat regular meals and snacks to feel full throughout the day without having to eat a lot. Remember that when we feel extremely hungry, we also tend to make poor food choices.

As a result, we not only eat more than we need, but we also eat in a very unhealthy way.

Jessica Tanner

Update 29 December 2024