INSTEAD OF AUTOMATICALLY PICKING UP THE WORK-CELEBRATION CUPCAKE THAT DOESN’T EVEN TASTE GREAT, PAUSE TO THINK: DO I EVEN WANT THAT?
TALK TO YOURSELF Ask, Does it taste good? How hungry am I? “We often eat whatever is in front of us,” says Linda Bunyard, a registered dietitian at the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center, in Baltimore. “We can avoid a lot of unwanted calories by becoming aware of our tendencies and cutting back on some of the unnecessary eating.” And say no entirely to food that’s just plain unsatisfying. (Stale. Movie. Popcorn.) “Have you ever eaten just because everyone else was?” asks Bunyard. “Or because food was right there in front of you? Break this habit. You have only a limited number of calories to spend in a day, so save them for the yummiest ones.”
FEBRUARY 2016
121
REALSIMPLE.COM
