Beginner's Fitness Programs

We love chocolate cake, and it is really difficult to choose a plate of fruits over a slice of triple chocolate cake! It feels like we are constantly in a losing battle in our diet war, and steadily gaining weight. Is there any way to turn this tide back? Well, there is.

Usually, these studies are done by medical scientists, but one study was done by economists as a part of consumer behavior. They found out if you set a mental budget of calories, such as the Weight Watchers © point system, it is much easier to control your appetite. They suggested that:

1. you must actively want to lose weight, and avoid foods which can cause weight gain.
2. you should gather the information about food calories, sugar/fat/salt content so that you know exactly how much you are eating
3. you need to set a mental calorie budget

I think that the second part is a difficult one, since many people don’t have any idea what they are eating. That is why Weight Watchers © is one of the great systems for losing weight. There are also several books and computer programs which list food information. There are even smartphone apps for listing calories, and these could be very handy if you often eat out.

At least, you can set up your calorie budget today; then start from there.

Source: Resisting That Triple-Chocolate Cake: Mental Budgets and Self-Control. Journal of Consumer Research, June 2010

• Back to Articles
• Back to Healthy Weight Loss
• Back to Home Page

Comments are closed.