THINK FUN WHEN EXERCISING AND YOU WILL EAT LESS LATER
Think of your next exercise workout as a
"fun run" or as a well-deserved break, and you'll eat less afterward.
Think of it as exercise or as a workout and you'll later eat more dessert and
snacks to reward yourself.
These new findings
from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab study involved two studies where adults
were led on a 2 km walk around a small lake and were either told it was going
to be an exercise walk or a scenic walk. In the first study, 56 adults
completed their walk and were then given lunch. Those who believed they had
been on an exercise walk served and ate 35% more chocolate pudding for dessert
than those who believed they had been on a scenic walk.
In the second study,
46 adults were given mid-afternoon snacks after their walk. Those thinking they
taken an exercise walk ate 206 more calories of M&Ms, which was over twice
as much -- 124% more -- than those who had been told they were on a scenic
walk. "Viewing their walk as exercise led them to be less happy and more
fatigued," says lead author, Carolina Werle, professor at Grenoble Ecole
de Management in France.
Together, these
studies point to one reason why people in exercise programs often find
themselves gaining weight. According to Werle, the notion is that some
exercisers have a tendency to reward themselves by overeating after their
workout."
For beginning or
veteran exercisers, the bottom line is this: "Do whatever you can to make
your workout fun. Play music, watch a video, or simply be grateful that you're
working out instead of working in the office," said Brian Wansink, author
and Director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab. "Anything that brings a
smile, is likely to get you to eat less," he added.
The article, published
this month in Marketing Letters, was coauthored by Dr. Brian
Wansink of Cornell University and Dr. Collin Payne of New Mexico State
University.
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