Illusions of Food Quantity

"I can't understand how I gain weight when I eat so little.”

"I don't understand why I'm not losing weight, yet I'm trying so hard!”

These are common phrases - to the ‘dieter' they are indeed very frustrating. The problem is, most of us are eating far more than we think.
To increase our awareness of food amounts, I went looking at some of the articles written by Dr. Brian Wansink; author of ‘Mindless Eating.'
What I found was an excellent overview of the forgotten calories we tend to take in. Dr. Wansink was interviewed by the experts from the Nutrition Action newsletter.

If you click on the link below, you will find his comments very illuminating.

The bottom line is we must be aware of everything we put in our mouth.

Over the next few weeks, try to be very aware of every mouthful. Be most aware at those times of mindless eating (i.e. in front of the T.V., working on the computer, before dinner, and especially ‘snacks' from dinner to bedtime).

Ask yourself: "Do I really need these foods? Am I really hungry, or am I just eating for the sake of eating?” Try to stop the mindless munching!

www.mindlesseating.org/pdf/NutriAction(2004)-Wansink.pdf

You can improve your eating habits. It takes time but you can do it. Try to eat only if you are really hungry (stomach hungry, not head hungry).

Hang in there - keep trying, and don't ever give up!

Dr. Doug