The brain is one of the body parts that play a major role in weight loss and there are several mind tricks that can be quite helpful. Being the major organ that regulates weight, checks the status of food stores, and initiates changes in response to the food storage capacity the brain is very important.
If you are striving to lose weight and maintain a healthy diet, the brain can help you overcome this. Below are 7 mind tricks that you can use and how to trick the brain for a healthy body.
1. Spend less time on television
Avoid spending many hours watching television. The brain’s activity is hastened as you stare at the screen. The more you watch, the more you tend to eat. Spend more time in other activities such as reading and outdoor gardening.
2. Pause in between every bite
Eat slowly as you savor the food in between every bite. Studies show that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to send gastrointestinal signals that influence food intake. After a while, your brain will eventually inform you that you no longer need the food. This suppresses hunger for longer and you end up eating less.
3. Brush your teeth after every meal
Your body and brain are immediately notified that mealtime is over whenever you brush your teeth. The cleanliness and freshness serve as a signal to the brain. The guilt of having to eat again, on the other hand, keeps you away from eating.
4. Use a weight loss mantra
Self-fulfilling prophecy has been known to help people solve various problems. Focusing on what you cannot do has been known to result in you getting stuck. The more you tell yourself that you can’t, the more you block yourself from seeing the possibilities that you can.
Repeat positive statements and always maintain positive thoughts. Regularly tell yourself words like “I am happy that I now have my desired weight”, or “I will resist the hunger to eat all the time today”.
5. Eat only when your stomach rumbles
The brain is informed that you are hungry the moment your stomach rumbles. However, in other cases, some feelings mistaken for hunger may mislead us. Feelings such as anger, nostalgia and even moments of stress can lead to eating when one is not hungry.
Learn to recognize and differentiate the two. Alternatively, you can find better ways to handle these feelings apart from eating. If you think that it’s medically related, consult your doctor.
6. Eat in front of a mirror
Looking at yourself when eating triggers your goal. It reminds you that you are trying to lose weight. This mind trick will subconsciously be making you stop eating too much food.
7. Serve in small plates
Despite how hungry you are, what you see on the plate is what will motivate you to eat. The more food you see, the more you will eat.
Instead of using large plates that are not filled with food, serve your food on smaller plates. The illusion that the plate is already full will stop you from eating too much food.
The brain facilitates in making weight loss possible. To guarantee 100% success in weight loss, take good care of your brain. In addition to the above mind tricks, sleep more; reduce stress and exercise to keep the brain active.