Is 'the boredom diet' the key to weight loss?
From breakfast through snacks to the evening meal, the choice of food on offer for modern Brits is great and varied. But according to new research, if you're hoping to shift a few pounds before that summer holiday, it could pay to be bored.
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Scientists at the University of Buffalo and Vermont found that women who stuck to the same lunch every day for a week consumed 100 fewer calories over a 24-hour period.
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The researchers, whose study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, claim that a restrictive eating routine, rather than a varied lunch menu, means we become habituated to certain foods, reducing the chances of overeating.
Nutritionist Zoe Bingley-Pullin agrees, and claims we are "far too overstimulated" when it comes to food choices.
She told the Daily Mail: "We sometimes forget that food is just fuel and we spend far too much time thinking about it. My advice is have fewer options, but the right options.
"If a healthy eating plan is convenient it's more likely to be sustainable."
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Others disagree, however, and Lee Holmes, author of the book Supercharged Foods suggested taking food routines too seriously could lead to orthorexia, where sufferers are obsessed with healthy eating.
She told the Mail: "To eat for optimum health it is important to go with your gut instinct and listen to what your body needs."
What do you think? Is sticking to the same meal the way to lose weight, or do you listen to your 'gut instinct'? Leave your comments below...
