When you want to lose weight, one of the first pieces of advice you’ll hear is “eat less.” But consider the following research from Penn State University.
Scientists studied about 100 women, divided into two groups—one of which had prior training on weight loss strategies like portion control—who came into a lab once a week for four weeks to eat lunch. Their meals consisted of seven foods with different calorie loads, and the portion sizes they were served varied each week.
The researchers discovered that both groups ate more food when their plates contained more food, lead study author Faris Zuraikat, a graduate student in Penn State’s department of nutritional sciences, told Men’s Health.
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Fill Your Plate Lose the Weight: 70+ Delicious Meals that Keep You Full
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This was surprising, because even though the trained group should have eaten less, they couldn’t resist the amount of food that was put in front of them. There was no significant difference in the total volume of food that both groups ate.
There was a silver lining, though, he says. “The women who were trained in portion sizes still ate less calories compared to the controls,” Zuraikat explains. “And they did not by eating less, but by eating more of the lower-calorie dense foods and less of the higher-calorie dense foods.”
This particular study didn’t measure whether or not the women lost weight and was likely not long enough to see a direct effect, but past clinical trials support the idea that eating more foods with a lower calorie density can lead to weight loss. People who were told to eat more foods with a lower calorie density, like water-rich vegetables, ate a greater weight of food and felt less hungry, says Rolls.
That’s because an “eat more” message may be a better approach when it comes to weight loss, says study co-author, Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., author of The Ultimate Volumetrics Diet, “Research finds that people have a tendency to eat a very consistent weight or volume of food, more so than managing calorie intake,” she explains. “It’s really hard to recognize subtle differences in portion sizes.”
Plus, “fullness” is heavily weighed by the amount of food you eat, rather than the calories they contain alone, explains Zuraikat. If you can reduce your calorie intake by eating a satisfying amount of food, you can still lose weight.
Even though the study only included women, the message is completely universal. “Men really like this approach,” says Rolls. “It makes sense to them, and they like that they can have a full plate of food.”
They both agree that you don’t need special training to take this approach. The easiest thing you can do is make small changes that add up to a huge difference in your daily calorie intake.
So one way to eat less, is to actually eat more of the good stuff.
As a bonus, here are a bevy of other tips you can use to help you eat less, fill up, and drop the weight you want.
Grin Yourself Thin
To maintain a healthy weight, do something to make yourself smile. Scientists in Brazil say serotonin, the "happy hormone," reduces appetite, and higher levels of it make you more likely to burn fat.
Crack Some Nuts
In an Eastern Illinois University study, people who were given shelled (that is, naked) pistachios ate 211 calories' worth while those who had the in-shell variety (you crack 'em open) consumed only 125 calories in the same sitting.
Put a Fork In It
Your non-dominant hand, that is. You'll be more mindful of what you're eating and probably end up consuming less. (Using chopsticks works, too, especially if you're not a pro.) Just have plenty of napkins on hand.
Use a Cheat Plate
With the Portion Plate ($12, theportionplate.com) you see partitions for meat (a quarter of the plate), whole grains (another quarter), and fruits and vegetables (half the plate), along with pictures of foods in the proper serving sizes to guide you.
Add Bison to Your Protein Herd
Grill up a 3-ounce buffalo steak every now and then. It has only 148 calories and 4 grams of fat. Plus, the 26 grams of lean protein in that bison steak can keep you satisfied enough to decline dessert.
Brew Up Dessert
If you frequently crave sweets after a meal, trade in some tea instead. Herbal varieties like rooibos, lemon ginger, and hibiscus all carry a slight sweetness that can help you finish your meal without adding an avalanche of empty calories.
Stash Tea, Fruity Herbal Tea Six Flavor Assortment, 116 Count Tea Bags in Foil (Pack of 6 boxes of 18-20 bags each) Variety of Herbal Tisane
Stash Tea, Fruity Herbal Tea Six Flavor Assortment, 116 Count Tea Bags in Foil (Pack of 6 boxes of 18-20 bags each) Variety of Herbal Tisane
Be an Early Bird
Late risers not only eat more calories (almost 200 more at dinner and another 375 after 8 p.m.) but also eat more unhealthily than those who wake up around 8 a.m., according to a Northwestern University study.
Eat with a Woman
Men consume 37 percent less when they eat with a wife or girlfriend than when they dine out with their buddies, according to researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Go Avocado
This fruit (yes, fruit!) gains praise for its heart-healthy fats, but it’s also surprisingly high in fiber. Just one half of an avocado contains about 7 grams of the gut-filling nutrient for just 161 calories.
