6 Tricks to Maintain Your Figure When You’re a Gourmand

It is not always easy to lose weight or, at least, maintain your figure when you are greedy and have a good appetite (not to say a big appetite).

Only, contrary to what you tend to think, this is not a fatality. Indeed, there are some small tricks to re-educate yourself to a normal diet so that your stomach stops begging.

In this article, you will discover a few gestures to put in place daily that will allow you to fulfill your gluttony, but not your waistline!

1. Take the time to savor your meal

A watchword: you need to eat gently and take the time to taste the dish. The example of the chocolate tablet is quite enough: rather than swallowing it in fourth gear, why not let it melt in your mouth? This makes it possible to make the pleasure last and to have the impression that it does not end. Thus, you are not tempted to jump on a second square, then a third, then a fourth… A single square will satisfy your desire for chocolate.

Tip: place your cutlery down between each bite and take the time to chew. It is only after the mouth is empty that you should take your fork again. Repeat this gesture throughout the meal. You'll see, this gesture will allow you to eat more gently and take your time. Thus, your stomach will have time to reach the center of appetite, also called "satiety," and you will have a full belly before the end of your meal. No cravings in front of the television, assured!

2. Invest in small dishes

We do not mean eating from a children's dinette, but rather serving your portions in reasonably sized dishes. Indeed, it is enough to look at what happens often in restaurants: a giant plate arrives, but it has only a small piece of some fancy delicacy, so, as a result, you are disappointed and do not feel like you got what you paid for. Would you have the same reaction if this same food was served to you in a dessert plate? Certainly not.

It's psychological: rather than serving meals on XXL size plates, it's best to do it on dessert plates. Indeed, visually, your plate will appear to you to be too full, rather than too empty, when, in reality, it is a normal portion. Strangely, it is even possible for you to say to yourself, "It's a lot," and for the effect of satiety to come at the right time. Everything is in the head!

3. Learn to split into doses

One of the major problems behind weight gain is portion non-management. While the average portions are generally indicated on packages of pasta, rice and other starchy foods, many of us do not pay attention and do not follow these dosage recommendations. Thus, while, on a packet of pasta, 60g per person are indicated, it is not unusual to find plates containing double the recommended portion.

There are, thus, completely unbalanced plates: whereas 1/3 of starches, 1/3 of protein and 1/3 of vegetables should be found there, it is common for starchy foods to take 2/3 of the plate and replace vegetables, which are certainly the most important part of the meal… Vegetables are too often relegated to decoration and placed on starchy ones to make them look "pretty."

When we realize that the most important thing is not the quantity present on the plate, but the quality of the food we eat, perhaps the unsightly pounds will leave us in peace.

4. Avoid frustration

To deprive yourself of food that you love for months for the sole purpose of losing a few pounds is guaranteed failure! Indeed, it is very likely that you will lose pounds at first, but, by the dint of deprivation, you will be frustrated and will not keep the pace for more than a few weeks. Also, the day you crack again for a piece of chocolate, it's a safe bet that you will not stop at one piece. And this is the beginning of the end… By adopting this bad attitude, we usually take the kilos that have been painstakingly shed back, or even more, very quickly.

So, rather than making your diet a series of bans, why not manage your gluttony by agreeing to indulge yourself without excess? For example, if you're used to testing a new hamburger every Tuesday night, do not end this ritual, but rebalance things throughout the week by establishing real balanced plates with no other gaps. To forbid one's food is to risk to crack in a disproportionate way. Therefore, assume that nothing is forbidden and no food makes you fat since it is consumed in a reasonable quantity and pace.

5. Make the right choices at the supermarket

In order not to be tempted to succumb to all the fat and sweet goods present in your pantry, it is better to avoid buying too much. If you want to maintain your figure, remember – your healthy diet starts at the supermarket! At shopping time, it is imperative to make the right choices and to be astute. For example, if you cannot do without your daily dose of chocolate, choose your favorite dark chocolate (less caloric and full of benefits, unlike the others) divided into tablets, rather than a full bar. Alternatively, if you eat cereals in the morning, choose unrefined grains, such as oatmeal, rather than special diet cereals, such as Special K, which are stuffed with sugars.

Tip: always do your shopping just after eating, as it will avoid your stomach from guiding your choices. Indeed, having your stomach filled will save you from cracking in front of delicacies that do not appear on your shopping list.

6. Move

It's not because you're a gourmand that you cannot move. The WHO recommends at least 30 minutes of activity per day. Whether it's brisk walking, swimming, running, boxing or any other activity that takes you away from your sofa, there's something in it for you. The whole thing is to take your courage in both hands and get into it.