Chew More
Yes, chewing more may help you burn calories. According to ofnoah.sg, more time spent on chewing reduces your food intake. As seen in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, after a 12-hour fast, 14 obese young men and 16 young men were offered a pork pie and were video recorded. It was observed that the obese men chewed less on each bite and consumed more calories even though they took a similar size of bites as the lean men. The observation established a link between chewing and level of calories consumption.
The researchers in another experiment told the men (both obese and lean) to eat pork pie as much as they wanted to eat. But on a particular day, the men were told to chew each bite 15 times. On another occasion, they were instructed to chew 40 times per bite. The result: when they chewed 40 times on each bite, they consumed about 12% fewer calories. And when they chewed 15 times, their ghrelin (hunger hormone) levels dropped. The researchers concluded chewing less poses obesity risks. Although more research is needed to prove this assertion, it is reasonable to believe this. If we agree that overeating is one cause of obesity, then any activity that would help us cut down on food potions is something worth the try.
Sleep More
Lack of sleep makes you tired, and this can negatively affect your weight. When you feel tired, you become sluggish about your day-to-day physical activities. You skip exercising too.
Sleep is as crucial to your health and wellbeing as diet and exercise. Being stressed makes you increase your cravings for high-carb snacks. People who lack sleep are more inclined to eat more portions of unhealthy foods that result in weight gain. In summary, insufficient sleep alters your metabolism and makes you eat more calories than you burn or burn less calories than you eat.
Your Plate Size and Color
Using a smaller plate when you want to eat may compel you to eat less. Brian Wansink from Cornell University and Koert VanIttersum from the Georgia Institute of Technology, conducted an experiment where it revealed that a change from 12-inch plates to 10-inch plates resulted in a 22% decrease in calories. The principle of the Delboeuf Illusion explains this phenomenon.
A small piece of food served on a large plate makes the food look only smaller. This thought moves you to add to your servings to fill up the spaces. On the other hand, a small plate with a small portion goes noticeable because the plate looks full, making you believe that you have served yourself enough portions. So, you don’t get to add more to the plate.
While you choose the size of your plate, also be mindful of the color. The food color should determine your choice of plate color. A study published by The Journal Of Consumer Research revealed that when there is a notable contrast between the colors of the food and the plate it served on, you are less likely to overload the plate. So, make sure there is a color contrast between the food you are about to eat and the plate you have chosen to use.
For example, if you want to eat a white rice meal, pick a plate with a color other than white. Stark color contrast helps people stay conscious of how much food they have served. The research found out that when foods are similar to the plate background, people served themselves 20% more than if they put the same meal on a plate with a contrasting background.
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Chewing Gum
Chewing gum helps weight loss in the sense that it helps to control cravings and manage hunger. Feel like some cakes or just crave more food? Opt to chew gums instead.
If you chew more gum, you are likely to consume fewer calories. Research from the University of Rhode Island supports this claim. The study suggested that people who chewed gum ate 68% fewer calories at lunch (without trying to make up for the lost calories with subsequent meals in the day) and burned 5% more calories than those who did not chew.
A separate study from Louisiana State University showed that chewing gum put a check on snack cravings and decreased calories intake by 40%.
Don’t Watch TV While Eating
Watching TV doesn’t help you burn calories because your metabolic rate reduces. This reduction in metabolism means that your body can’t digest the food ideally and translate it to energy. According to Nutritional Therapist Hannah Braye, while speaking to Cosmopolitan.com/uk, digestion is initially triggered by the senses. The senses then help to activate about 20% secretions necessary for digestion.
She concludes that focusing on other things rather than our meal inhibits the cephalic phase (insulin release) that can contribute to bloating.
When watching TV, there is a tendency to crave something, and sweets and calorie-packed food make the top list. Another thing to consider is our brain gets distracted, and we lose focus on how much we have consumed, causing us to consume more portions of food than usual. In these two instances, chewing gum can help you avoid overeating and cravings. Chew some gums after meals or If you feel cravings to eat more food or junk.
Final Words
While these tips may appear ridiculous (you probably laughed at one or two of them), they may fit into some lifestyle changes that are necessary to reach your body goals. There is no harm in trying them out. But lifestyle changes are still necessary to get the result you want. If you are unsure about the best methods to go about losing weight, consider seeing a doctor.