Total Health in Midlife Episode #193: How to Mindlessly Eat Less

Have you ever found yourself at the bottom of a bag of chips, wondering how you ate the whole thing? Or finished a meal uncomfortably full, questioning why you couldn’t stop? What if I told you that it’s not your fault and it’s definitely not about willpower?

Today, I’m going to reveal the hidden forces that are sabotaging your eating habits without you even realizing it. You’ll discover how the shape of your glass can make you drink more, why family style meals might be your worst enemy, and the sneaky way package sizes trick you into overeating.

But here’s the thing. I’m not just going to tell you about these mind blowing studies. I’m going to show you how to use this information to effortlessly eat less and feel more satisfied. Many of these tips and tricks you’ve never heard before. These are scientifically proven strategies that will work like magic without you having to rely on willpower or strict diets.

So, keep listening because by the end of the episode, you’ll have the tools to easily overcome the forces working against you. You’ll learn how to make simple, painless changes that can dramatically impact your health and waistline. You’re not going to want to miss this, and you’re going to want to take notes. It could be the breakthrough that you’ve been searching for in your health journey.

Welcome to Total Health and Midlife, the podcast for women embracing the pivotal transformation from the daily grind to the dawn of a new chapter. I’m Elizabeth, your host and fellow traveler on this journey.

As a Life and Health Coach, I am intimately familiar with the changes and challenges we face during this stage. Shifting careers, changing relationships, our new bodies, and redefining goals and needs as we start to look to the future and ask, what do I want?

In this podcast, we’ll explore physical, mental, and emotional wellness, offering insights and strategies to achieve optimal health through these transformative years.

Yes, it’s totally possible.

Join me in this amazing journey of body, mind, and spirit, where we’re not just improving our health, but transforming our entire lives.

Hey everyone, welcome back to the Total Health in Midlife podcast. I am your host, Elizabeth Sherman, and I am thrilled that you have tuned in today. Because I am about to dive into a topic that I am so incredibly excited to share with you. It’s about the psychology of eating and how small, seemingly insignificant changes can dramatically impact your health and your waistline.

So, Let me ask. Have you ever found yourself at the bottom of a bag of chips, wondering, like, how did that all go away? Or you’ve finished a meal and you’re so incredibly full, wondering, like, why couldn’t I stop? You’re not alone, and these moments of mindless eating happen to all of us, including myself. And they can sabotage our best intentions for optimal health.

I remember a turning point in my own relationship with food. It was such a simple thing. I decided to sit down while eating. No more standing up, no more rushed bites over the kitchen sink, or eating while walking around. This small change allowed me to pay attention to my food and savor its taste and texture. It’s become a regular practice for me and one that I often recommend to my clients.

So, today, we are going to explore the fascinating research that reveals how our environment subtly influences our eating habits. You’ll learn how to make simple adjustments that can help you to naturally eat less without feeling deprived. And just to be clear, we’re not using willpower or strict diets. It’s about understanding the hidden cues that drive our behavior and using them to our advantage.

I want this episode to be fun. So, get ready to be amazed at how easy it is to make positive changes. And by the end of the episode, you’ll have powerful insights to transform your eating habits effortlessly.

First, let’s talk about something that might surprise you. The subconscious forces shaping your eating habits. So, Every day, you are bombarded with very subtle messages designed to make you want to eat more. It’s not your fault. And it’s not about lack of willpower. It’s about clever marketing tactics that tap into your subconscious.

Think about the last time you walked into a grocery store. Did you notice how the layout guided you? How certain products were at eye level or prominently displayed at the end of aisles? These aren’t random choices. Marketers spend millions studying how to influence your purchases, and ultimately, how much you consume.

They use colors, packaging sizes, and even the wording on labels to trigger your appetite and increase your consumption. Family size bags, for example, might seem like a good deal, but they’re also subtly encouraging you to eat more. The low fat label or package that looks like a paper bag might make you think that a product is healthier, leading you to eat larger portions.

But here’s the thing. These companies are not concerned about our waistlines or our health. Their goal is simple, to get you to buy and consume more. It’s not personal, it’s just business. And understanding this can be your first step in taking back control.

So, I want to tell you about Brian Wansink. He is a researcher out of Cornell University who’s dedicated his career to uncovering these hidden influences. His groundbreaking work has shed light on how our environment shapes our eating habits in ways that we don’t even realize.

Wansink’s research is fun and eye opening. He’s shown how the size of your plate can determine how much you eat. How the presence of other people affect your food choices, and even how the lighting in a room can influence your consumption.

His book, titled “Mindless Eating” is a wealth of insights into the psychology of eating. One of Wansink’s key findings is that we make over 200 related food decisions every single day. But we’re really only aware of a fraction of them. This means that most of our eating habits are on autopilot, influenced by cues that we don’t consciously register.

Understanding these subconscious influences is crucial. It’s not about becoming paranoid about every food choice, but rather about becoming aware of the subtle messages that our brains are picking up on. With this knowledge, you can start to make small, effortless changes that add up to significant improvements in your eating habits. And as a result, your overall health.

There’s one fascinating experiment that reveals just how easily our eating habits can be influenced. So, you’re at a restaurant and you’re enjoying some, let’s say, chicken wings. You’re chatting with friends, maybe you’re watching sports ball. How much do you think that you’d eat? More importantly, how would you know when to stop?

Brian Wansink and his team set out to answer these questions with a really clever experiment. So, they invited people to an all you can eat chicken wing buffet during a Super Bowl party. Here’s the twist. For half of the tables, servers would promptly clear away empty plates with discarded bones. And for the other half, they let the bones pile up on the table.

The results were staggering. People whose tables were constantly cleared, ate 28% more wings than those who could see their evidence piling up. That’s an extra two wings per person on average. But then, it gets really interesting. When asked how many they’d eaten, both groups felt equally satisfied and estimated that they’d consumed about the same amount.

This experiment shows how powerful visual cues are in regulating our eating. When we can see what we’ve already eaten, it acts as a natural stopping point. Without these cues, we keep going. Often, eating more than we need or even want. So, think about how this plays out in your daily life.

At home, do you throw away candy wrappers as soon as you’re done? Or what about those paper dividers in a box of chocolates? Do you toss them out as you go? If so, you’re erasing your eating history making it harder to track how much you’ve consumed. The same principle applies in restaurants. Those bread baskets that get quietly refilled or plates that are whisked away too quickly, they’re removing your visual cues, potentially leading you to eat more.

So, what can you do? Well first, try creating your own evidence trail. If you’re snacking, keep the wrappers in front of you until you’re done. At a restaurant, ask the server to leave the empty plates for a little bit longer. At home, serve your portions and then put the rest away. Don’t eat straight from a package.

These simple strategies create natural pause points in your eating. Giving your brain a chance to catch up with your stomach. They allow you to enjoy your food without overindulging, all without requiring constant vigilance or calorie counting. Keep in mind that this isn’t about restriction. It’s about awareness.

By understanding and using these visual cues, you can effortlessly guide yourself towards a more mindful, satisfying eating experience. And once where you don’t feel overfull and uncomfortable. So, I just mentioned it, but I want to share a simple yet powerful concept that can transform your eating habits.

Points of pause. These are moments that make you stop and think before continuing to eat. They’re like little speed bumps for your appetite. They give you a chance to check in with yourself and decide, do I really want more?

One of the most effective points of pause is the act of plating what you intend to eat. Whether we’re talking about dinner, and you having to physically get up to go to the kitchen for seconds. Grab another few scoops of ice cream for your bowl, or go back to the bag for another portion of chips. It creates a natural break in your eating.

And this small interruption can be just enough to make you reconsider whether you’re still hungry or eating out of habit. I’ve experienced this firsthand, and I bet you have too. Think about those times when you’ve sat down with a bag of chips or eaten directly out of the pint of ice cream.

Before you know it, you’re scraping the bottom wondering where it all went. I’ve been there, and it’s a moment that can leave you feeling both surprised and maybe a little bit guilty.

That’s why I’ve made it a personal practice, and one that I often share with my clients, to always eat my food out of a bowl or on a plate, even snacks. Unless it’s a single serve container, ice cream bar, or I’ve consciously decided to finish what’s left. I take the extra few seconds to portion out what I intend to eat.

Here’s why this works so well. When you see your food laid out in front of you, you can visually estimate how much you’re about to consume. And it gives you a moment to ask yourself, is this the amount I want to eat?

Sometimes, you might decide to add a little bit more. And that’s fine. Other times, you might realize that it’s more than you need, and you scale back. Of course, this method doesn’t magically prevent you from going back for seconds. But it does create that crucial point of pause. When you finish what’s in your bowl, you have to make a conscious decision to go get more. You have to ask yourself; do I really want that second helping?

This simple act of portioning and pausing can lead to more mindful eating without feeling restricted. You’re not denying yourself anything. You’re just giving yourself the opportunity to make a choice. And so, over time, these small moments of awareness can add up to effective changes in your eating habits.

Bear in mind that it’s not about perfect portion control or never Indulging. It’s about creating opportunities to check in with yourself and to make conscious choices about your food. By implementing these points of pause, you’re taking a powerful step towards a more mindful, satisfying eating experience.

So, Let’s dive into a fascinating study that reveals how small changes in our environment can dramatically influence our eating habits. This next experiment that I want to share with you is known as the “Secretary’s Candy Study.” Here’s how it went down. They placed candy dishes filled with chocolate kisses in offices.

In some offices, the candies were in clear glass bowls. And in others, they were in opaque bowls. Some bowls were placed on the secretary’s desk, while others were placed six feet away from them and behind them. The results here are just amazing.

When the candy was in clear bowls on the desk in front of them, the secretaries ate an average of 7.7 pieces per day. But when the candy was in opaque bowls, behind them, 6 feet away, they only ate 3.1 pieces per day. That’s a 60% reduction.

So, what does this tell us? Well, two crucial things. Visibility and convenience play a huge role in what we eat. When food is right in front of us and easily accessible, we are much more likely to mindlessly consume it. Out of sight, often means out of mind when it comes to snacking.

This principle doesn’t just apply to candy. It also works for healthier options too. As I discovered recently with oranges, I had been on an orange and mandarin kick loving their sweet, just amazing flavor.

One day, I was feeling hungry, and I completely forgot about the oranges I had, and headed to the refrigerator for a protein bar, which is where I keep them. But when I opened the refrigerator door, there was my big bowl of oranges right at eye level. So, instead of having that later V8 moment, I was pleasantly reminded of the oranges and grabbed one instead of the protein bar. It was like, oh yeah, I forgot about those.

This experience perfectly illustrates the secretary’s study findings. The oranges weren’t visible when the fridge was closed, so they didn’t cross my mind. But by placing them front and center at eye level, I made them the first thing I saw when I opened the fridge. If those oranges had been tucked away in the crisper drawer or hidden in the pantry, I probably wouldn’t have remembered them.

By making them visible and easily accessible, I nudged myself towards a healthier choice without even thinking about it. This simple strategy, making healthier foods more visible and accessible while hiding less healthy options can be a powerful tool in shaping your eating habits. It’s not about willpower. It’s about setting up your environment to work for you, not against you.

Another fascinating study that shows just how easily our perception can be tricked when it comes to food and drink, focused on how the shape of your drinking glass affects how much we think we’re drinking. The researchers invited experienced bartenders to pour what they believed was a standard shot of alcohol. One and a half ounces, into different types of glasses. They used short wide glasses and tall narrow glasses of the same volume, and the results were unexpected.

On average, the bartenders, professionals who pour drinks for a living, poured 28% more into the short wide glasses than to the tall narrow ones. Even more surprising, when asked, these bartenders were confident that they had poured accurately.

So, why does this happen? It’s all about how our brains process visual information. We tend to focus more on the height of the liquid in the glass rather than its overall volume. In a tall, narrow glass, the same amount of liquid appears to be more because it’s reached a higher point in the glass.

And so, this illusion doesn’t just affect bartenders. It impacts all of us in our daily lives, especially when it comes to calorie dense drinks like soda, juice, or alcohol. So, think about it. If you’re using those enormous, beautiful wine glasses at home, you might be unknowingly serving yourself larger portions than you realize.

The implications of this study go way beyond just alcohol. Consider your morning juice or that soda with lunch. If you’re pouring it into a short, wide glass, you’re likely giving yourself more than you think. Over time, these extra ounces can add up to significant additional sugar or calorie intake.

So, how can you use this information to your advantage? Well, if you’re trying to cut back on high calorie drinks, opt for tall, narrow glasses. You’ll likely pour less and feel just as satisfied. Now, on the other side, if you’re aiming to drink more water, a short, wide glass might help you to consume more without feeling like you’re forcing it.

So, this isn’t about strict measurement or denying yourself, but rather understanding how these subtle cues can affect our behavior and using them to our benefit. By simply changing the shape of your glasses, you can effortlessly reduce your intake of calorie dense drinks without feeling deprived. Bear in mind that these small changes can have big impact over time. It’s not about perfection, it’s about making easy adjustments that align with your health goals.

Now, there’s a dining habit that we’ve all experienced that can significantly impact your eating. The difference between family style and plated meals. So, this isn’t just about how food looks on the table. It’s about how these serving styles subtly influence how much we eat.

In family style dining, dishes are placed in the center of the table for everyone to serve themselves. It seems social and generous, but it can lead to overeating. Why? Because it’s all too easy to reach for seconds, or thirds, when the food is right there in front of you.

On the other hand, plated meals, where your portions are served individually, create a natural end point to your meal. Once your plate is empty, you’ve got a clear visual cue that you’re done. This simple boundary can be surprisingly effective in preventing overeating.

Here’s a personal insight that I also want to share. If there is one habit that you will be so glad that you have broken in the future, It’s going back for seconds or continuing to eat after your plate is finished. I broke this habit years ago and the impact was immediate. I lost weight without feeling like I was on a diet.

This principle extends beyond your dining table. Think about buffets, office potlucks, or social gatherings. In these settings, it’s easy to keep grazing without realizing how much you’re consuming. The food is there, it’s accessible, and there’s no clear stopping point. By being aware of this tendency, you can make conscious choices.

At home, try plating your meals instead of serving family style. At social events, take a moment to consider if you’re eating because you’re hungry or just because the food is there. Again, this isn’t about restriction, it’s about being mindful of our choices. By creating clear endpoints in your meals, you’re giving yourself the power to eat in a way that aligns with your health goals, without constant willpower battles.

Next, let’s unwrap the surprising truth about package sizes and how they sneakily influence our eating habits. Now, you might think that buying in bulk is just smart shopping, right? And it might be. But research shows that it can lead to some unexpected consequences for our waistlines.

Studies have found that when we have larger packages of food, we tend to consume more and faster. It’s not just a little more, we’re talking significant increases. For example, people given a large bag of chips ate 25% more than those given a smaller bag, even when they weren’t particularly hungry. So, why does this happen?

Our brains use package sizes as subtle cues to how much we should eat. Similar to the drinking glasses. A bigger package subconsciously tells us that there’s just more to go around. And so, we feel free to indulge in more. Plus, larger packages make it harder to gauge how much we’ve actually eaten, leading to mindless overconsumption.

Now, here’s where it gets really interesting. The cost versus consumption paradox. We often buy larger packages because they’re cheaper per unit. It seems like a great deal, right? But here’s the catch. While we might save money per ounce or gram, we end up spending more overall. And consuming more calories than we would with smaller packages.

I mean, think about it. That jumbo bag of chips might cost less per serving, but if it leads you to eat 25% more, are you really saving? Not only are you likely spending more in total, but you’re also consuming extra calories, you might not even want or need. This doesn’t mean you should never buy in bulk. But it does mean that being aware of how package sizes can influence your eating habits.

Consider portioning out larger packages into smaller containers when you get home. Or for snack foods, opt for single serving bags even if they cost a little bit more per unit. The extra cost might be worth it if it helps you to manage your portions more effectively.

So, as I wrap up this fascinating topic on the psychology of eating, I want to emphasize the power of small environmental changes.

Throughout this episode, I’ve shared insights that reveal how our surroundings subtly shape our eating habits. Often, without us even realizing it. I’ve explored how the simple act of leaving evidence of what we’ve eaten, like chicken bones or candy wrappers can naturally curb our consumption.

I’ve also shown you how the visibility and accessibility of food, whether it’s candy on a desk or oranges in the fridge, significantly impact what we choose to eat. I’ve also discussed how the shape of our glasses can trick our perception, leading us to pour and drink more than we intended.

Do you recall the family style vs. plated meals comparison? I highlighted how serving methods can influence portion sizes and the likelihood of overeating. And let’s not forget about the surprising impact of package sizes on our consumption habits.

The beauty of these insights is that they offer a clear path to mindful eating that doesn’t rely on willpower or strict dieting. And instead, I’m advocating for effortless changes that work within your lifestyle, not against it. “Knowledge is power.”

And so, here are some simple adjustments that you can make. First, use smaller plates and tall, narrow glasses to naturally reduce your portion sizes. Second, keep healthier snacks visible and easily accessible while storing less healthy options out of sight. Maybe put those in the vegetable crisper drawers.

Third, portion out snacks from large packages into smaller containers. Fourth, opt for plated meals over family style servings when possible. And last, create points of pause in your eating by serving food in bowls rather than eating directly from the packages.

These changes might seem small, but their cumulative effect can be great. By reshaping your environment, you’re setting yourself up for success without the need for constantly being on guard or calorie counting.

I want you to remember that this isn’t about restriction or denying yourself pleasure, but rather, creating an environment that supports yours and your family’s health goals effortlessly. You are not fighting against your habits. You’re gently guiding them in a healthier direction.

As you implement these changes, pay attention to how they affect your eating patterns. You might be surprised at how easily you can reduce overeating without feeling deprived. This is the power of understanding and working with the psychology of eating. “Small changes, big results.”

Now, let me be clear. Willpower is not the answer. It’s like a muscle that gets fatigued with overuse. When we rely solely on willpower to resist temptation or to make healthier choices, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Eventually, that willpower will run out. Often, leading to frustration and a sense of personal failure.

So, instead of battling against your environment and habits with sheer force of will, I want to advocate for a smarter approach. By making small strategic changes to your surroundings and routines, you can effortlessly guide yourself towards healthier eating habits. It’s about working with your psychology, not against it. And this is where coaching with me becomes a huge benefit.

As a coach, I don’t just give you a list of foods to eat or avoid. I work with you and your existing food preferences, understand your unique environment, habits, and challenges. Together, we create personalized strategies that make healthy eating the easy choice, not the forced one.

Coaching with me helps you to build sustainable habits and create an environment that supports your goals. It’s about understanding the “why” behind your eating behaviors and addressing the root causes or beliefs, not just the symptoms.

Through coaching, you will learn to navigate challenges, customize solutions to your lifestyle, and building lasting change. Lasting change doesn’t come from short term diets or willpower. It comes from understanding yourself, your environment, and how you want to make them work together to set yourself up for success. If you’re tired of the willpower battle and you’re ready for a more effective approach, coaching with me might be the key to unlocking your potential for lasting positive change.

As I wrap up today’s episode, I hope that this has been a fun topic for you, and that you’re feeling empowered by these experiments and the knowledge that small environmental changes can have big impact on your eating habits.

Again, it’s not about willpower or strict diets. It’s about creating an environment that naturally supports better choices. To help you put these insights into action, I’ve created a free guide called the “How to Mindlessly Eat Less Cheat Sheet.” It’s packed with practical tips and strategies based on the research that we’ve discussed today.

You can download it at elizabethsherman.com/mindless-eating, and that link will be in the show notes. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your eating habits or struggling to make lasting changes, know that you are not alone. I have been there, and I’ve helped thousands of clients navigate these challenges.

If you’re ready to take the next step towards effortless, healthy eating, I want to invite you to schedule an “I know What to Do, I’m just Not Doing It” strategy call with me. During this call, we’ll discuss your specific challenges and create a personalized plan to help you achieve your health goals. To book your call, visit elizabethsherman.com/call, and that’ll be in the show notes too. Small changes can lead to big results.

That’s all I have for you today. Have an amazing week, and I will talk to you next time. Bye-bye.

Thank you for tuning in today. Now, if you enjoy the podcast and are ready to take the next step in addressing your health concerns, I would love to invite you to schedule an I Know What To Do, I’m Just Not Doing It strategy call.

In this 60 minute session, we will explore what’s holding you back and create a personalized action plan. You will gain clarity, support, and practical steps to move you forward. Visit elizabethsherman.com/call to book your call now. You can transform your health and I would love to be there to help.