To lose weight, stop helping yourself and leave some

To be sure not to exceed the dose that will inevitably make you fat, it is simple and logical to leave a little food on the plate. It is better to waste a little than to become obese! This is a fundamental notion that Americans have taken a long time to understand and which partly explains the wave of obesity that is hitting this country. But by dint of imitating them, there is a consequence: the size of our portions, in France, has doubled in 30 years!

You should also avoid eating directly from the packaging, for example, when you like Asian cuisine. Go through the plate stage, the only guarantee of the portion size. In the same logic, an individual portion is better than family formats, for example for ice cream. The larger the plate, the larger the portions… and the consumption goes with it. One solution is to use smaller plates, a result scientifically proven by several studies.

You should try to eat slowly

There is scientific evidence to support that those who eat slowly gain less weight because they eat less: on average 67 fewer calories, or approximately 10% less. Recognizing that you are eating more than you need because you are eating too quickly is a simple but fundamental step in weight loss.

To limit food intake, nature has equipped us with what is called the “satiety” signal, an order from the brain that decides that we have eaten too much. It depends on the quantity and quality of the food we have eaten. But if the hunger signal, which depends on our blood sugar level, is very precise, and above all very fast, the one that decides to stop is quite slow and complex. The delay, which can be estimated at between 10 and 20 minutes, is the one of all dangers, while all you have to do is wait to see the desire to serve yourself again disappear.

Managing this satiety signal also advocates for the composition of the meal in three parts: starter, main course, dessert. And not: a single main course, which, while waiting to be prepared, is the best ally of taking “bread and butter”, a great classic of lunch restaurants. Concretely, before giving in to the temptation to take another part of a dish, you must wait at least 10 minutes. If this is impossible, do not hesitate to take a vegetable starter or salad as quickly as possible. Drinking one or two large glasses of water before the meal is also an excellent way.

Pareto was right…

It is also called the Pareto law, the “80/20 law”; it is the name given to an empirical phenomenon observed in certain fields, as varied as finance, sales or inventory management. It is likely that this law also works in our diet and that 20% of our food is responsible for 80% of our excess weight… Pareto would not be surprised to find himself in a weight loss method; although… This Italian economist from the end of the 19th century had rather spent his time analyzing and trying to understand the tax data of most European countries. Although many economists have criticized his work and especially his conclusions, many researchers in other fields assume that there are few vital problems and many secondary problems… 20/80!

Far be it from me to prove that this principle is mathematically verified in dietetics, but I am certain that it makes a lot of sense to you and that it resonates well in your brain which doubts the quality of your diet. Think carefully. For a few hours, the seed has been sown and I am certain that before the end of the day, you will have identified, without much difficulty, your enemies of well-being. For me, the infernal trio has the following names: alcohol, bread, cheese… Nothing very original? Certainly, and I will explain to you a little later why, but getting rid of them for a few months was spectacular for my weight loss.