Avoid these sneaky saboteurs when it comes to how much food you're actually eating
Walk into an all-you-can-eat buffet, and you know you're
in the clutches of a fat trap. Being the smart guy you are, you approach
the scene with caution, or at least plan to offset any indulgences with
a workout later. A more perilous scenario is when your dining
experience doesn't include steamer trays and you assume your gut is
safe. Look before you eat to avoid this trio of pig-out pitfalls.
1. Customization
There's a downside to having it your way: In a Duke University study,
people underestimated the calories in a Chipotle burrito by 192—even
though they saw calorie ranges when
selecting their fillings. So before
you order, visit the restaurant's website to find calorie stats for your
combo of ingredients. Then decide if you really want that or a
stripped-down version.
2. Crunch
Texture is tricky. At the University of South Florida, people asked
to mind calories and given hard brownies ate more than those given soft
ones. We're trained to think soft foods like ice cream are fattening and
hard foods like celery are not, says study author Dipayan Biswas, Ph.D.
That bias may make you overeat high-calorie foods with crunch. Always
check labels before indulging.
3. Proximity
Call it the long arm of the lard. Researchers at St. Bonaventure
University found that snacks put within easy reach disappeared faster
than food placed 6 1/2 feet away. At the end of a tiring day, we default
to easy options, says study author Greg Privitera, Ph.D. So make good
food convenient: In the morning, take some vegetables out of the crisper
and put them on the fridge's top shelf.
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