Could You Plan Out Every Single Thing You Eat?
By Elizabeth Angell, Allure magazine
Why is losing weight so hard? We all basically know what we need to do: Make good food choices, eat moderate portions, and burn as many calories as-if not a few more than-you take in. We regularly make the right choices in other areas of our life. (I hear cigarettes are delicious, but I'm not tempted to smoke them, and while I occasionally buy shoes I know I shouldn't, I don't regularly spend a lot more money than I earn.)
Related: What's Beautiful Now: The Allure American Beauty Survey
When it comes to food, it turns out planning is the key. In a study recently published in Psychology and Health, McGill Psychology professor Bärbel Knäuper asked 177 subjects to set themselves the goal of consuming more fruit for a period of seven days. Everyone in the study ate more, but the students who made a concrete plan, wrote it down, and also visualized how they were going to carry out the action-when, where and how they would buy, prepare and eat fruit-were twice as successful as those who simply tried harder.
Related: From Curves to Waifs and Back Again: What Makes a Sexy Body Now (and Then)
I'm going to give this a try, since it seems so simple. But I have to say: I don't know if I can eliminate all unplanned eating from my life. Sometimes making a last-minute choice about what to have for dinner can bring a bit of spontaneity to an otherwise overplanned, overscheduled day.
What about you: do you think you could anticipate-and visualize-every food choice you make?
More from Allure:
• 10 Hairstyles That Will Make You Look 10 Years Younger
• 17 Bad Skin Habits
• 31 New Hair Ideas for 2011
• 10 New Sexy (and Speedy) Makeup Looks
• Perfect-Skin Secrets From Hollywood's Best Derms and Facialists
Photo Credit: Getty Images
