365 Days With Self-Discipline: 365 Life-Altering Thoughts on Self-Control, Mental Resilience, and Success

Day 109: On the Size of Container s

Moviegoers  who  were  given  fresh  popcorn  ate  45.3%  more  popcorn

when it was given to them in large containers. This container-size influence

is  so  powerful  that  even  when  the  popcorn  was  disliked,  people  still  ate

33.6%  more  popcorn  when  eating  from  a  large  container  than  from  a

medium-size container.

—Brian Wansink

 

104

Sometimes  weird  tips  can  go  a  long  way  toward  helping  you

accomplish some common goals, such as losing weight.

In  the  cited  study,  the  size  of  the  popcorn  containers  affected  how

much people ate from them. What’s interesting is that, even if they didn’t

like popcorn, when they were eating it from a larger container, they still ate

more than people who were eating from a medium-size container.

Conclusion?  If  you  want  to  eat  less,  and  consequently,  increase  your

chances  of  success  when  dieting  without  the  need  for  more  willpower,

consume in smaller containers: smaller plates, bowls, and glasses. When the

plate is bigger than the food on it, it looks like there’s less food than when

it’s a small plate filled to the brim with a smaller amount of food.

As a bonus random dieting tip for today, if you’re struggling not to eat

something, go and brush your teeth. For some strange reason, brushing your

teeth  —  at  least  in  my  experience  —  makes  you  less  likely  to  indulge,

probably because you don’t want to lose the freshness you now feel in your

mouth (plus things don’t taste well immediately after brushing your teeth,

so it gives you time to pause and think before you cheat).

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