Want to lose weight fast, without changing what you eat? Quit multitasking.
That's right. Sitting at your computer and catching up on e-mail and the latest video of crazy cat antics (yes, we like those, too) while you eat lunch could be making you fat. Not only do you eat more when you're in front of the screen (any screen), but you also eat more sweet stuff later.
Why? According to a new study, the problem seems to be that if you're distracted while you munch your meal (the folks in this study played video solitaire), you have a fuzzier memory of what you ate. So you feel less full afterwards -- and hungry for dessert. Thirty minutes after lunch, the computer-solitaire players ate twice as many cookies as the distraction-free group. (Another study found this dessert craving 2.5 hours later, too. And several previous studies have found similar overeating patterns in people who ate while watching TV.)
Here's how to lose weight the easy way:
- No peeking at small screens. Don't just shut down the computer at mealtimes; turn off your smart phone, iPod, and any other distractions except your adored partner across the table. (Turn that one on and you might just burn a few extra calories later.)
- Cut back on the big screen. Overweight women eat half their calories in front of the TV. Americans and Canadians sit glued to the tube about 5 hours a day. Cutting TV time in half and doing something else instead (doesn't matter what) burns 120 extra calories a day. That's 840 calories a week, gone, without changing anything else.
- Practice mindful munching. Slowing down and focusing on each mouthful makes the meal memorable and reduces dessert cravings later. Cool!
