How Much You Eat

You may have learned a lot about how different factors influence your food choices, what you eat and how much you eat. But do you know your environment, especially the social environment also influences these food behaviors as well? Yes, Other people can be a really bad influence on how much you eat.

We will help you find out the reason behind this bad influence and some tricks to avoid this influence.

Your next challenge is to keep your food choices under your control instead of giving all of the control to others. In other words, you will be the one who decides how much you are going to eat.

So, your challenge is to finish your meal first.

Well, this challenge does not mean that you should scarf down on your food without even noticing what and how much you are eating. The challenge is to meet someone for a meal, whether with your friend, colleague, or family member and once you are eating with them, try to be the first one to stop eating. If the other person stops before you, there is a higher chance that you would stop too, even if there is a lot of empty space in your stomach.

So, make it a challenge to try to wrap up your food at least 5 – 10 minutes earlier. And your actions would not be controlled by the other person you are eating with.

Now back to the environment and its influence on how much you eat. We are going to talk about two environmental factors which can influence how much you eat;

• Social Environment

• Food Environment

Let's talk about the social environment:

Have you ever noticed when we are with other people, we suddenly try to behave like them? Your friend is ordering a pizza, so you will also order that. Your partner has finished eating so you left your food on the plate saying I am also full. This behavior is known as "norm matching".

This norm matching can lead you to make certain food choices that you don't want to make in the first place and may regret later on. So, Let's dig deeper into this norm matching.

We are going to tell you three ways that can trigger this behavior and some psych tricks and tips to avoid it as well.

Food Choices:

You have a mind of your own and can make healthy food choices for yourself. But these food choices may change when you are with others. You choose healthy food for yourself. But when you are with your friends, all of them having pizza, would you have your healthy salad then? Probably Not.

And that's totally normal. As humans, we all want to fit in our circle. No one would like to feel judged. And that's the reason your food choice changes from salad to pizza. But you can make better choices with the help of some psych tricks we are going to tell you.

• Plan Ahead: If you want to avoid decision fatigue, then try to plan your meal ahead. Choose a meal option according to your calories, budget, and taste.

• Don't Ask Others: Focus on your own order, don't ask others what they are ordering, and don't tell them what you intended to order as well.

• Order First: You have to plan your meal options ahead, so try to order before everyone else.

Food Handling:

Not only our food choices but our behavior and actions are also influenced by others. Your partner didn't fill up your plate, so you won't either. Your friend is having some extra cheese and fries with his order, so you would too. Even if we didn't want to, we sync most of our eating actions with the people around us.

But here are a few practical tips that can help you avoid that and help you handle your food differently.

• Make Conversation: Instead of focusing on the food of the next person, try to involve yourself in conversation. The more you will enjoy your company the less time you will spend on checking out their food.

• Eat Slowly: If you don't want to be left out with your empty plate while your friends didn't even finish half. Try to eat slowly. Take smaller bites, so that you don't have to order another plate to just accompany them.

Food Consumption:

You have often noticed when you are with your family and friends you often eat more than when you are alone. Why's that?

That's because your social environment or other people can make you eat more food than you regularly do. Various researches have also shown that. According to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Eating with someone else makes you eat 44% more calories than when you eat alone.

Well, that does not mean that you cannot enjoy a meal with your other people. We have some strategies for you that can help you eat less even with the company of others;

• Go for Calorie Options: When you know you are going to eat more, try to go for low-calorie options. You can also choose satiating food, like something green or high in protein. This will make you feel full even on eating less.

• Divide the portion: The main reason why we eat more when we are with others, is that we don't eat mindfully, we get so much involved in the next person that we don't realize how much we are actually eating. So, instead of piling up your plate, divide your portion into two, so that when you finish one, you can wait and see if there is still a need for the other portion. If you are still hungry you can definitely have that but if not then save that for leftovers.

• Find Another Way of Bonding: Well, it is not necessary that you have to go to a fancy restaurant or a pizza shop to meet your friends or colleagues. You can go out for a walk, watch a movie, or play your favorite sports with them. There are plenty of activities, just go for one that doesn't revolve around food.

Final Words

Now, take a few minutes and think, what is that social eating habit that is making you change your food choices? Do you hesitate to order first and wait for others? Do you eat more food when with your loved ones? Or do you keep eating because there is still food on your partner's plate?

Well, don't worry, no matter what peer pressure you are feeling, the psych tricks and tips that you have learned will help you get through this. Just choose the ones that make you feel good about, and you are all set to achieve your goals.