Tip 1: Change a habit-eat less!

A cozy habit, but is it the best?

When eating breakfast/lunch/dinner we have always placed the food on the table and then served ourself´s. We sit and fellowship and it is very easy to take seconds, thirds and even fourths. Sure, this is a way to bring the food closer to the people and create a warm healthy family atmosphere but unfortunately it doesn't help the person that has an urge to take seconds and thirds. (Of course, it depends how big the portions are. We will get to that later!).

Take away one sense

I am of the belief that what you can´t see you can resist. The challenge is that when the food is right under your nose so to speak the brain has a very hard time disconnecting from the overeating urge. There is both sight, smell involved.

If you just take away on of the senses the urge will automatically decrease and it is possible to withstand the urge to overeat and thus still enjoy the food but with out overindulging.

This is how the mind works

If the mind knows that it´s going to receive a set amount of something it will conform to handle it. Let´s say you are planning to run a 10K. Before you run you are programming your self to handle the distance. You see the track or road in your mind and you set yourself up to complete it.

The same works for eating. If you before hand put an amount of food on the plate your mind conforms to that amount. The mind gets ready for the fact that I´m not going to recieve anymore that what I´m seeing.

Habit change

So we changed the game plan. My dad Lars had always done this but it wasn't until now that I saw the health benefits of changing the habit.

Instead of putting the food on the table I started pre serve ourselves/guests restaurant style.

We put up the plates in the kitchen, decorate them beautifully with salad and then place the same amount on each plate. It´s like magic. Everyone eats less and everybody feels better.

Of course, if someone feels for a second it´s perfectly fine but the beautiful thing about it that even if you take seconds you usually end up eating much less than before.