The drive to eat doesn’t have much to do with actual hunger. So gear down and lose weight. By Sandra Gordon.

If you’ve ever polished off an entire bowl of crisps while chatting at a party, or nibbled your way through the bread basket before the main meal arrives, you may well think you have no control over your appetite. Yet research shows that the drive to eat often doesn’t have much to do with actual hunger.

‘Your appetite can be influenced by the mere sight of food, the portion sizes and what the people around you are eating or ordering,’ says Dr Gerard Musante, founder of a weight-loss centre in North Carolina. Awareness is key to controlling your appetite. Have a look at these temp- tation triggers and the tactics that can help you overcome them.

BIGGER IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER
Generous plates, large serving spoons and wide drinking glasses are temptation triggers. The bigger the plate and serving utensil, the more you’ll dish up. In one study, people who were given a large bowl and a 90 ml scoop ate 53% more ice cream than those given a smaller bowl and a 60 ml scoop. With drinks, research shows that people pour 28% more in short, wide glasses than into tall, skinny ones, says Dr Brian Wansink of Cornell University.

Slimming solution
Use smaller plates and utensils. If your dinner plates are larger than the standard 28 cm, use a side plate for your main meal. Try a tip from Asian cultures and artfully arrange what’s on your plate. A small serving of sirloin, for example, will be less likely to leave you hungering for more when sliced and fanned on a pretty plate. Instead of a serving spoon, use a soup spoon (for dishing up smaller portions). Also replace any squat tumblers with tall, slender drinking glasses.

TOO MANY CHOICES
If you always try to have something new for lunch and dinner, your meals are probably more of a kilojoule splurge than you realise. ‘A varied diet stimulates your appetite,’ says Hollie Raynor, an assistant professor of psychiatry and human behaviour at Brown Medical School in Rhode Island. The more flavours, textures and colour a particular meal offers, and the less often you eat something, the more you’ll be tempted to load up your plate because the food looks good or you’re curious as to how it will taste.

Slimming solution
Downplay diversity. Come up with a standard repertoire of meals. It’s easy to get into the habit of having the same healthy breakfast (whole-grain cereal, skim milk and fruit) five days a week, so why not do the same with dinner? Hollie suggests rotating among five or six of your favourite healthy dishes. You can branch out one night a week, if you feel you need to.

To beat boredom and boost your diet’s overall nutrient content, vary the fruit and veggies you use in the repeat meals. Dessert can be the same small dish of low-fat yoghurt every night, jazzed up with almonds, walnuts, strawberries, kiwi, fresh pineapple, or whatever’s in season.

At cocktail parties and other events with an appetiser or buffet spread, Brian suggests you follow the rule of two. That is, don’t put more than two foods on your plate at any given time. ‘You [then] intuitively limit your choices, while focusing on your favourite foods, so you don’t feel deprived,’ he says. In one study, participants who followed that guideline ended up eating 36% less than those who didn’t.

Another trick: when buying food that comes in flavours, such as yoghurt and salad dressing, buy only one flavour at a time.

MULTITASKING
Eating while doing anything else will raise your kilojoule intake. Most people are guilty of driving, watching TV or reading while noshing on some-thing. ‘When we multitask with food, we consume more without realising
it and sacrifice a feeling of satis-faction,’ says psychologist Susan Albers, author of Eating Mindfully  (New Harbinger Publications).

Slimming solution
Make meals important. ‘No matter how busy you are, find a distraction-free spot to sit and eat,’ suggests Susan. Make a habit of taking one mindful bite at the beginning of each meal and then put down your utensils. This serves as a speed bump and slows the pace of the entire meal. For a similar effect, swap your knife and fork for chopsticks, no matter what type of cuisine you’re having. If you can’t avoid eating while doing something else, pre-portion your food and tell yourself, ‘No seconds’.

EYE SPY
Food on the counter is a culprit that wreaks havoc on any diet. If you frequently cross paths with that bowl of sweets, you probably know by now that the mere sight of food can cause unplanned eating. In a study in which office workers kept sweet treats in either see-through dishes or in opaque, lidded jars, those with the see-through dishes ate two more sweets a day. That translates to 200 kJ per day, which adds up to an extra 2.2 kg per year.

Slimming solution
Stash food out of sight. At home, keep cereal, crackers and cookies hidden in the cupboard. Research shows that if people store foodstuff in visible areas, they consume it quickly until it’s depleted to manageable levels. ‘Also, wrap leftovers in aluminium foil, not plastic wrap,’ adds Gerard, so you won’t constantly be tempted when opening the refrigerator.

At work, place treats in dark containers, preferably in a distant office refrigerator, not in your desk drawer. You’ll eat even less if it requires effort, such as having to take a walk to access food.

FOOD ENVY
‘Research shows that you can be influenced by other people’s food decisions,’ says Gerard. When eating out, if everyone orders cocktails, appetisers and dessert, you’re likely to go with the flow.

Slimming solution
Be the first person to order. Speak up quickly and order a salad and grilled salmon. ‘You’ll have a positive effect on what others choose and will be less likely to see lots of tempting foods,’ says Gerard.
If everyone wants dessert, order one and split it.

LIGHTEN UP
Studies show that dimmed lights at meals can also make you eat more. In restaurants with soft lighting, for example, consumers tend to stay longer and maybe enjoy an unplanned dessert or an extra drink. Low lighting can also make you feel less inhibited and self-conscious; you’re apt to eat more, especially when you are with others. You can’t control a restaurant’s lighting level, but you can have a low-fat latte as dessert.

At home, keep the lights bright at meals and reserve candlelit dinners for special occasions.

DID YOU KNOW?
Club has qualified medical professionals available to assist with any medical queries you may have, free of charge. Call 0861 424 789. Club members outside South Africa should dial +27 11 991 8330.