Mindless Eating, Not

The Scientific American podcasts feature the research of Dr. Brian Wansink on eating (see my Thanksgiving blog post). I've borrowed a copy of his book Mindless Eating and obtained the audio book as well. After reading the book for general knowledge I wanted to capture the tips Dr. Wansink suggests that I think I will find useful at some point. What follows is my interpretation of the ideas included in the book.

• Don't be the first person who starts eating.
• Wait until everyone is at the table before picking up you silverware.
• Slow down, pace yourself with the slowest eater at the table.
• Avoid large plates, use smaller plates.
• Serve yourself in the kitchen and eat in another room.
• Holiday meals require multiple serving. Take very small portions and go back (so host knows you really like the food.)
• Don't eat out of the container the food came in. Serve what you want and put the rest away.
• Stop eating before everyone else has stopped. I.e., don't be the last one stuffing their face.
• Two or three types of food at a time when grazing at a party. The more variety you preceive the more you will eat.
• Fancy names make food taste better.
• Higher prices make food taste better.
• Artful presentation make food seem more expensive and fancy thus it tastes better.
• Loud noise/music dulls the taste.
• "The best diet is the one you don't know you're on."
• Don't eat while working. Stop to eat mindfully.
• Play video games that occupy your hands (so you can't eat and play).
• Get you snack before sitting down to watch TV. Avoid eating out of can in front of TV.
• The more deprived you feel the bigger the reactive whiplash.
• Don't eat if you don't feel hungry.
• Stop eating when you don't feel hungry any more.
• It is likely that you should stop eating before you actually don't feel hungry any more.
• Decide what and how much you are going to eat before serving yourself (not during meal).
• Serve yourself. Don't measure love by amount people serve you.
• Serve yourself smaller amount and go back for seconds and thirds.
• Keep the bones and empty bottles on the table so you can see how much you consumed.
• Use clean wine glasses for the next round, see how many glasses you have had.
• Serve 20% less food. It is OK to get up to get the remaining 10% is you like later.
• Increase your fruit and vegetable servings to compensate for 20% reduction is meat/carbs.
• Candy/nut bowls out of reach, must get up to grab some.
• Serve a portion of nuts and put the can away. Then go eat the serving consciously.
• Throw away the junk you don't want to eat. No law says you have to digest it.
• Chopsticks may slow you down compared to the ease of shovelling with a fork.
• If buy large/bulk goods repackage into reasonable containers.
• Seal potato chip bags with tape to discourage mindlessly eating just one more.
• Snack from a clean plate (not package, or standing up).
• Junk food must be on the grocery list specifically, not a spontaneous selection.
• Tempting foods stored outside your daily traffic pattern.
• Ask waiter to remove beard basket after you get what you want.
• Ask waiter not to refill drink.
• Pile the used plates at the all-you-can-eat buffet in front of you, ask busboy to leave them on the table.
• Large portions at restaurant, ask for take home container and fill it with the leftovers before eating.
• Want dessert, share it with someone. The first three bites are the best.
• Restaurant; appetizer, alcohol, drink, desert: select two and skip the others.
• Restaurant; order two appetizers instead of a meal. Emmh, hot wings.
• Tell guests how hard you worked preparing this special dish.
• 15 minutes on atmosphere will significantly improve the dinner party.
• Print menus for your dinner party. Use the fancy names with colorful adjective.
• Program yourself for healthy(er) comfort food. E.g., pizza and ice cream instead of champagne, caviar and chocolates.
• Refuse to deprive yourself. If you really want it, have it.
• Snack by serving size. Serve a serving only, don't leave extra around for snacking.
• Half-plate Rule: 1/2 plate vegetables and fruit, other 1/2 is carbs and protein.
• You can still find junk food in a "health" restaurant. (Goodness by association.)
• Super size for super thighs. Order the small size fries and be wise.
• Order the small size. Ask for a refill or order another french fry is you still need it after eating the original order.
• The more effort it takes to get food the less likely we will make the effort. (Get out of the car and walk in to order fast food from a person.)
• Negative Mindlessness = Overeating
• Mindfulness = Reengineering
• Positive Mindlessness = Better Eating
• Use 'food trade-offs' to include indulgent foods. E. g.,"I can have ice cream if I get my cardio up to 185 for five minutes.' or "I can have chips and salsa because I eat my apple today."
• Don't commit to big changes/sacrifices, just do the new/health habits that you can easily/mindlessly do.
• Create a 'Mindless Margin Checklist'.
• Review your Mindless Margin Checklist daily.
• The Power of Three. Design 3 easy/doable changes you can do mindlessly. Nike.