It is regrettable, but true: the mere realization of the fact “I am already full” is often not enough to put aside the fork and knife. Professor Brian Wansink (Cornell University) and Professor Pierre Chandon (Institute of Business Management at Fontainebleau) interviewed two groups of students – French and American. As options for answering the question “When do you stop eating?” both “internal” reasons (for example, “when I am already full”) and external (for example, “when the film on TV ends”, “when I have to go to work”) were proposed.
When processing the responses, the researchers immediately noted a clear difference between the representatives of the two groups. It turned out that the French for the most part were guided by internal motives associated with the degree of saturation. And the Americans, as a rule, pointed to external signals to stop the meal.
This, first of all, shows how important food culture is. The French, with all the richness and sophistication of their national cuisine, are less likely than Americans to suffer from excess weight. And this is not surprising – it is customary for them to have lunch and dinner at a strictly defined time. A Frenchman, no matter how busy he is at work, will never miss a meal. Lunch is a ritual: salad, soup, main course, dessert, discussion of the nuances of recipes … In America, they are guided by completely different principles. Here, for many, food is not an end in itself, but just a “means of maintaining homeostasis.” The inhabitants of the country, the descendants of immigrants, having lost their national culture of eating, have not found a new one, and now – alas – they haphazardly intercept when and what they have to.
And we? Admit it honestly: have you ever missed your lunch break because of an emergency in the office? Or dine in front of the TV, because I really want to watch the series, but it’s a pity to spend time watching movies and eating separately? .. That’s it.
You can, of course, draw the right conclusions, give up uncontrolled snacks and give yourself the word to have lunch at the appointed hour. Indeed, let lunch be a ritual! Let’s set the table, invite guests … But even this is not enough to learn how to get up from the table on time. Eating with friends is fraught with many traps, falling into which we eat more than we really want. On average, dining together will eat 35% more than eating alone. If there are 6 people at the table, you risk eating almost twice as much as usual!
HOW TO AVOID THE TRAP
Of course, this does not mean that you need to eat “alone and in the dark.” You just need to learn to control your behavior at the table, pay attention to “internal” signals. Of course, in practice, everything is much more complicated than in theory. However, in order not to be led to “external” provocations, one thing is enough: to devote lunch time … exclusively to lunch. Say a firm “no” to food in front of the TV screen, which will only end with the news release. Skip the newspaper at breakfast unless you want to swallow fifteen pieces of croutons before you turn the page. And at dinner, so as not to imperceptibly chew a package of cookies in the naive conviction that “there were only two things,” take just two things, and take the rest out of sight. If you want to continue the banquet, you will have the opportunity to think while you get up and go for more.
And, if we are talking about banquets, in order not to eat more than you really need, follow a few simple rules:
- Stay close to the little ones.
- Immediately add a generous amount of fresh vegetable salad.
- Wait until everyone starts eating first, and only then start eating yourself.
- Try to chew to the rhythm of the slowest eater.
- Avoid situations in which you may be offered supplements (or in which you yourself may ask for it): always leave at least a little on the plate to give the impression that you are not done with this portion yet.
- Keep a glass of clean, still water on hand: taking a few sips from time to time, you will eat less.
- Alcohol weakens your sense of self-control, so opt for weak wines and do not finish your glass to the bottom with every toast.
- Plan: Decide in advance what and how much you intend to eat. But this must be done before meals: when you take the knife and fork, it will be too late.
- Don’t neglect good manners. All of them – from the rules for using a knife and fork to not talking with a full mouth – ultimately work for you because they allow you to stretch your meal. And the slower you eat, the more accurately you will be able to pick up the “internal” signal. And then calmly move the plate away, put the cutlery and say – “Thank you, enough, I don’t want any more.”