Living in New York, NY, it seems like everything is rushed. It’s definitely a fast-moving town. The fast pace can change habits, including how we eat. I’m not talking about the food itself, but how fast you eat it. Like the hustle and bustle of the city, people eat food at a furious pace, with mindful eating at a minimum. There’s no leisurely meal here for many people. It’s a city of good food and lots of it, which also means big servings. It makes portion control difficult too. Conquering these two concepts can make a huge difference in your weight loss program.
Almost every restaurant wants you to get more for your money.
New York is a town known for exceptional food, including street vendors. Food critics often include the words generous portions in their articles about New York City restaurants. For the average person, generous portions are good, but for the person trying to lose weight, it leads down the path of failure. If you’re counting calories or carbs, knowing portion size and sticking with that size is important. While it may not make a difference for salad greens, it certainly does for fries and other calorie-dense foods.
People often ignore portion size on the label.
If you’ve ever purchased a small bag of chips and read the label, you’ll normally simply look at the total calories, without checking the portion size. That’s because you believe it’s one portion. It’s not always true. Often there is more than one portion in individual serving sizes, making it misleading enough that people consume an entire bag. Large serving sizes in restaurants can feed two or more people, but most people eat the entire serving, doubling the calories they thought they consumed. Focusing on portion size and learning how to judge it can be a leading way to get on track for weight loss.
Mindful eating can help you stick with portion size.
Mindful eating purposefully slows your consumption of food. You take time to savor the flavor, feel the texture and chew more. It’s about eating slower and allowing your stomach to send the message of being full to your brain sooner, before you overeat. In New York, everything is fast-paced, including meals. When you slow down and savor each bite, you’ll eat less. You’ll be more likely to stick with portion size and save the rest of the meal for a second one later. The two work together to make weight loss far easier. Being more aware of what you eat and learning to savor each bite can help prevent mindless eating. Mindless eating includes those few M&Ms you grabbed as you passed the candy dish or eating the last bits of casserole left in the pan.
- People who overeat often don’t like food. People who really love food savor it and enjoy every moment. You’ll eat less and enjoy it more when you practice mindful eating.
- Play visual tricks to encourage portion control. Use smaller plates and fill most of the plate with salad and vegetables, leaving little room for higher-calorie foods.
- When you understand portion size, you’ll use it to guide you to eating foods more filling. Instead of 1/4 cup of fruit juice, opt for a half cup of cut-up fruit or the whole fruit.
- Mindful eating also aids digestion. Much digestion takes place in the mouth. The longer you chew, the less work the rest of your digestive tract has to do. It can help reduce gassiness and bloating.
For more information, contact us today at UpFit Training Academy
