Want to lose weight? How you eat may be just as important as what you eat

I know this is going to sound very Ward and June Cleaver of me, but it is a belief I’ve held dearly for years…and according to a recent study, it looks like I’ve been right all along. The study showed that adults who never watch TV during family meals and eat mostly home-cooked food are much less likely to be obese.

It really didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out, but it’s one of those very simple things we tend to forget about that can make a huge difference in your life.

Previous studies have scratched the surface of the relationship between eating behaviors and obesity. We’ve known for years that more frequent family meals are tied to less obesity risk. The current study, however, found that the presence of family wasn’t the determining factor.

In fact, the researchers found that the number of meals people enjoyed with family wasn’t linked to obesity risk at all.

The study looked at 12,000 people from Ohio and found that eating at home without the TV on was what made the difference.

And that’s good news for the growing number of Americans who live alone. While it’s nice to share meals with family, now you know that you can still have healthier habits even when you’re eating alone. Just kill the screen, and enjoy a home-cooked meal.

If you break that simple advice down piece by piece, it makes perfect sense.

It’s natural to eat more food when you’re engrossed in television rather than the food in front of you. According to the study, one-third of adults ate most or all family meals while watching a screen, versus 36 percent who never did. The people in that second category — the ones who never watched screens during meals — had a 37 percent lower risk of being obese than the ones in the first category.

Distracted eating makes it so you don’t truly enjoy each bite. And with your mind occupied by your other senses, you don’t notice when you’ve eaten enough. Removing distractions will help you connect with your meal — which serves the dual purpose of making the meal more satisfying and curbing overeating.

Now for the second tip: Eat home-cooked meals. This is another no-brainer. Restaurant meals and take-out are almost always less healthy than those cooked at home. When you’re choosing your own menu and portions, you’re more likely to avoid the unhealthy ingredients and massive servings that many restaurants have come to embrace. So, again, it makes sense that the study found that adults who cook all their family meals at home are 26 percent less likely to be obese.

This study shows that how you eat may be just as important as what you eat. So even if you don’t live with family, you can reduce your obesity risk by focusing on your meal — and making sure it’s healthy and home-cooked.

It’s finally here!

Today is the day!

My brand new book, The A-List Diet has officially been released! And it’s the perfect way to put the information I just shared with you to good use.

Inside The A-List Diet, you’ll find over 100 pages of mouthwatering recipes and easy-to-follow meal plans that don’t just take the guesswork out of healthy eating…they’ll actually help you lose weight—and enjoy every bite along the way!

So if you haven’t already, pick up your copy of The A-List Diet today by clicking here. I can’t wait for you to get started!

 

Source:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-obesity-meals-tv-idUSKBN16928E