• Home
  • Blog
  • CBD
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Balancing Today

Learning To Balance It All

  • Ashley’s Life
  • Around DC
  • Motherhood
  • Self Care
  • Work-Life Balance
  • Fitness and Workouts
  • Weight Loss

in Weight Loss

Book Review: Mindless Eating

Hi all! This is Ashley’s friend Becky again. I wrote last week about my experience gaining weight and not even realizing it, which brought me to reading the book Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think. This book is written by food psychologist Brian Wansink, who by the way, has the most amazing About the Author picture in the world.

Book Review: Mindless Eating
See? Magnificent.

Anyway, all of the conclusions drawn in the book are based on research and experiments. The author’s research lab is actually a restaurant where they serve meals to patrons every couple weeks. This is when they observe various aspects of eating behavior.

One of these experiments was studying portion size. For most Americans, we stop eating when the food on our plate is gone, not when we’re full. It’s all about volume, not actual calories consumed. To show this, the experiment is with tables of 4 people eating soup. 2 people have regular soup bowls, but the other 2 have soup bowls that are secretly being refilled by tubes under the table. So for those 2 people, they keep eating but the soup doesn’t go away, and in the experiment, they ate 73% more than the 2 people with normal bowls. But what is even more interesting is that the 2 people who ate 73% more rated themselves as the same level of full as the 2 with normal bowls. After all, everyone was under the impression they’d only eaten about a half a bowl of soup. The takeaway from this is that we can eat more than necessary without being aware of it, so we should serve ourselves about 10-20% less. We’ll likely feel as satisfied because we still ate a full plate of food, just a little less.

Another experiment is about seeing evidence of how much we eat. In this experiment, the author threw a Super Bowl party for college students. The main food was chicken wings. For half the guests, their chicken bones were cleared from the tables regularly. For the other half, their plates were never cleared, so they had a constant visual reminder of how much they ate. Those with the visual reminder ate 28% less than those who didn’t have their chicken bones in front of them.

This takeaway is for a person who is in a food pattern where you serve yourself dinner, eat your dinner, then go back for just a LITTLE more. (This is 100% me!) Based on this experiment, when eating dinner and almost done, I should leave just a couple forkfuls of my dinner on my plate and just wait. The food remaining there is a reminder of what I’ve already eaten, and leaving it there makes me less likely of getting another helping, plus it gives my body time to digest and feel full. I’ve been trying this for a couple weeks, and it really does work. Apparently after practicing this for a month, my food habit should change and I’ll no longer feel compelled for a second helping.

These are just two examples of really fascinating food experiments and the lessons learned. I’ve always been fascinated in psychology and why we humans behave the way we do, so this book was particularly interesting to me. It’s a very quick read, and the author is great at keeping a sense of humor throughout the whole book. I really, really enjoyed it.

Related Posts

  • Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We ThinkMindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
  • A Miracle for JacobA Miracle for Jacob
  • Finding Balance in Pregnancy – Take 2Finding Balance in Pregnancy – Take 2
  • Big Girl by Kelsey Miller ReviewBig Girl by Kelsey Miller Review
  • This Is Why You’re FatThis Is Why You’re Fat
« Gift Ideas For Working Moms
Day In The Life: Getting Back On Track »

let’s connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Categories

Archives

More about Ashley

I'm Ashley, a full-time working mom who lives in the Washington, DC area. Balancing Today is all about learning to balance family, work, wellness, and most of all, life's simple joys! Read More!

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Looking for something?

1 year ago I was severely depressed, lonely, and l 1 year ago I was severely depressed, lonely, and lacking purpose! Finding CBD and Green Compass changed everything. I am filled with joy and peace, I have become friends with women who really care about me, my life, and my goals, and I have a crystal clear purpose! 

Today is the Green Compass Play Big Conference and I’m so excited! New products are launching today!! 

If you’re feeling empty, lack purpose, need to make extra money, or would benefit from all the ways CBD helps the human body, trust your gut! Send me a message and let’s talk!
I’m so thankful for this little girl and getting I’m so thankful for this little girl and getting to be home with her. I will never take this time for granted. My eyes have been opened to how much I’ve missed along the way and I don’t ever want to go back to a lifestyle where work was before my family. I am treasuring each day and soaking up the little moments. Today was a good day.
I need to be honest... -It’s terrifying seeing I need to be honest...

-It’s terrifying seeing DC shut down and filled with troops. I am scared for my friends and colleagues in the District. 
-I’m anxious about tomorrow’s inauguration 
-I’m stressed out by my to do list 
-I’m nervous about the days ahead 
-I miss my parents and brothers 
-I wish my kids could just go back to school and spend time with their friends 
-I want to just lay down and binge watch Bridgerton again 

This is my reality this morning. This is how I’m really feeling. So I took my CBD, put both Focus and Calm on, ate a filling breakfast, spent time with my kids, cleaned up my to do list, sat outside for a few minutes, and cleaned my desk before starting the work day. 

Do what you can. Take care of yourself. You’re not alone!
One thing on my heart this year is to start each w One thing on my heart this year is to start each week with a reading. To take a few moments to sit, to take weight off my shoulders, and to focus on my root, heart, and crown. 

Crown Card (top) represents the part of me that wants to reach beyond myself. It can give you an idea of how to serve others✨The Orphan - We are in a time of universal orphanage - of nature, of each other, of our own hearts. The Orphan is to study the deep challenging energy of our time. 

Heart Card (middle) represents what is currently residing in my heart and tells of deep longing, calling, or conflict✨The Tear - Droplets of letting go! Appears when there is grieving yet to do, and once acknowledged, will bring a shimmer of clarity to our dewy eyes.

Root Card (bottom) represents my grounding and current state✨The Pilgrim - Seeks wisdom, experience, and meaning. The outward journey is always an inward journey.
Some of my goals for this year included saving mon Some of my goals for this year included saving money, planning out dinners for the week ahead, and getting back to the simple things that spark joy. Tonight’s dinner was the perfect culmination of all 3 goals.  I loved BLTs growing up, they’re easy on our budget, and my family loved them! What’s a dinner from your childhood you remember fondly?
Has my life changed since I started using CBD??? 1 Has my life changed since I started using CBD??? 10000%! CBD gave me the head space, freedom from anxiety, and control back to be able to focus on ME!! Did taking CBD cause weight loss, no!, but with the absence of stress, anxiety, and pain from using CBD I could focus on my body, health, wellness, and fitness. CBD has been a big piece of my puzzle these past 10 months. This time last year I was miserable and now, I’m thriving!
The past month has been one of the most fulfilling The past month has been one of the most fulfilling months for me personally in who knows how long! On December 1, I took a leap and decided to start a business selling Green Compass CBD after 9 months of using CBD to reduce my anxiety, lessen feelings of panic, and to manage my stress and body aches/pain (and boy has it changed my days!!). 

Over the past 46 days I have made incredible new friends, have helped men and women start using an organic CBD they can trust, made enough money to pay for an Airbnb getaway for my family, and have seen first hand how many people out there just need help! 

Help with anxiety. Help with the burnout they’re experiencing. Help with being overwhelmed from this pandemic. Help with managing the feelings of stress from virtual learning and work. Help finding a way to make an extra income. Help with joint and muscle pain. And help with needing a community. 

If you’re wanting to know how CBD can help you, take a leap and send me a note! 

If you’re needing to make extra money and don’t know where to start, let’s talk! 

I hope that all of my friends and followers here on IG know I’m an open book and love helping people reach their goals! If you’re even just a little curious about CBD or Green Compass, I’m here for you!
Start a side business for YOU! Start a side busin Start a side business for YOU! Start a side  business to invest in YOURSELF! Start a side business to make YOUR own money! Start a side business because YOU want the joy that comes from helping others! 

Investing in yourself and joining Green Compass could truly be the best decision you ever make for yourself. Is it normal to be scared, nervous, and even insecure before starting a side business? 100%! What I can reassure you is that I’m going to help you every step of the way! You will have a mentor, a friend, a business partner, and a cheerleader from the moment you message me! 

If additional income would help you, let’s talk. If a community of friends would help you, let’s talk. 

Take a leap! I’m here for YOU!!
One thing on my heart is to start each week with a One thing on my heart is to start each week with a reading. To take a few moments to sit, to take weight off my shoulders, and to focus on my root, heart, and crown. 

Crown Card (top) represents the part of me that wants to reach beyond myself. It can give you an idea of how to serve others✨The Stone - “The stone tethers us to Earth, helping to ground and connect us to stillness, quiet, and peace. 

Heart Card (middle) represents what is currently residing in my heart and tells of deep longing, calling, or conflict✨The Prayer - “Prayer leads us beyond our ego. We are in a state of prayer any time we are not the center of our own thoughts.”

Root Card (bottom) represents my grounding and current state✨The Shaman - “This card reminds us that the force of healing is ultimately not our own. We must shape it and share it with the world.”
Starting the week off with some fresh flowers. The Starting the week off with some fresh flowers. They bring me joy, make me happy, and bring life to my desk. Is there something you do for your work space/home environment that brings you joy each week?

Copyright © 2017 · Balancing Today is running the Genesis Framework using the Market theme and is powered by Accelerated WP.