Post by pookie on Jun 1, 2006 11:55:05 GMT -5
ENGINEER YOUR ENVIRONMENT.. AND LOSE WEIGHT
You may have unhelpful cues in your environment that make your ability to lose weight a tougher task. Instead of thinking of yourself as a dieter, embrace the role of "environmental engineer." This will allow you to make your food environment work for you.
People who struggle with their weight are often more vulnerable to external food cues and ultimately rely less on the desirable internal cue of hunger. Case in point is a recent account: Female secretaries ate roughly two extra pieces of candy a day at work if the sweets were stored in a dish that was clear rather than opaque. Keeping the dish close by on the desk as opposed to further away resulted in the women consuming on average two extra pieces per day. Also, the women consistently underestimated (by one piece) the number of candies consumed from the dish on the desk. Sound familiar? If food is visible and available, do you end up eating more of it?
If so, the key then is to keep less healthy and higher calorie foods out of reach and out of sight. Strategies for success include:
The flipside of keeping unhealthy foods out of sight is to do just the opposite for healthy foods, namely keep them available. For instance, if your diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables, then keep these items in bowls nearby or have them in a "ready to eat" form to ensure you do just that. Rearranging your external food cues and creating a healthier food environment goes a long way in helping you shed unwanted pounds.
You may have unhelpful cues in your environment that make your ability to lose weight a tougher task. Instead of thinking of yourself as a dieter, embrace the role of "environmental engineer." This will allow you to make your food environment work for you.
People who struggle with their weight are often more vulnerable to external food cues and ultimately rely less on the desirable internal cue of hunger. Case in point is a recent account: Female secretaries ate roughly two extra pieces of candy a day at work if the sweets were stored in a dish that was clear rather than opaque. Keeping the dish close by on the desk as opposed to further away resulted in the women consuming on average two extra pieces per day. Also, the women consistently underestimated (by one piece) the number of candies consumed from the dish on the desk. Sound familiar? If food is visible and available, do you end up eating more of it?
If so, the key then is to keep less healthy and higher calorie foods out of reach and out of sight. Strategies for success include:
- Wrap items in foil instead of plastic so you don't have a visual cue when you open the fridge and cupboard.
- Keep less healthy snacks further back in the cupboard or on higher and hard to get at shelves.
- Remove the light bulb from the refrigerator.
- Keep serving dishes off the table.
- Put leftovers away immediately or freeze them for another meal.
- Avoid tempting aisles in the grocery store.
- Change your route if necessary to avoid vending machines or food chains.
The flipside of keeping unhealthy foods out of sight is to do just the opposite for healthy foods, namely keep them available. For instance, if your diet is lacking in fruits and vegetables, then keep these items in bowls nearby or have them in a "ready to eat" form to ensure you do just that. Rearranging your external food cues and creating a healthier food environment goes a long way in helping you shed unwanted pounds.
