The 3 Ways Restaurants Make Us Fat
by Kevin DiDonato, MS, CSCS, CES
Everyone, from time to time, splurges a little bit and goes out to eat, or grabs a quick meal at a fast-food chain.
However, if you are not careful, you may fall for some common tricks that are present in every restaurant or fast-food chain.
Let me explain…
Three Sneaky Restaurant Tricks
Eating one meal out will not necessarily destroy your weight loss goals.
However, the more frequently you eat out, the harder it may be for you to lose weight and keep it off.
You see, restaurants and fast-food chains have many secrets that are designed to help them sell more food and make more profit.
The sad news is it usually results in you eating more calories, fat, trans-fats, and sodium, which could ruin the gains you have made in your weight loss goals.
Before you go out to eat next time, keep these three tips in mind:
1. It’s Awfully Loud In Here
Restaurants are very crafty at getting people in and out of their establishments.
The number one way they do this: they blast loud music.
Not only does louder music give you a headache, but it makes you eat faster – meaning they can get you in and out quickly.
This could spell bad news for your belly, since it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to let your brain know that you are full.
So that burger or steak you just wolfed down in order to soothe the ringing in your ears, still hasn’t registered in your brain.
This may easily lead to overeating, which means that you pack in more calories, which could lead to more weight gain.
2. They Design the Menu Differently
Take a good, hard look at your menu.
Do you notice anything out of the ordinary?
Most restaurant menus are missing the dollar sign or the word dollars after the price.
Why is this?
Studies show people who see the word dollar, or even the little dollar sign, are less likely to buy that product.
What about the pictures? Are they placed there for a reason?
Of course they are!
Restaurants use pictures (mostly of the most expensive products) in places where your well-trained eye will most likely see them.
This option is by far the most expensive and most likely, the unhealthiest as well.
It is done this way, because people are more likely to buy something when they see a picture of it.
3. The Walls are Painted a Certain Way
Psychologically speaking, a well-designed restaurant has a wide variety of colors on their walls for you to look at.
Is this by chance?
Certain colors have been shown to evoke certain emotions in people.
Take for instance the color red or yellow; both are considered “warm” colors, which may stimulate a wide variety of emotions.
However, in the restaurant business, red and yellow have been shown to stimulate hunger, which could make you want to eat.
Chances are, that desire to eat and the loud music, may easily lead you to overeat and put too many calories in your body, therefore promoting weight gain.
Avoid the Great Restaurant Traps
You are now armed the next time you step foot in a restaurant or fast-food chain by understanding and watching for these five tips.
This will help you to avoid these common traps, and work on dropping the pounds, and getting the lean and mean body that you had when you were in high school.
Everyone, from time to time, splurges a little bit and goes out to eat, or grabs a quick meal at a fast-food chain.
However, if you are not careful, you may fall for some common tricks that are present in every restaurant or fast-food chain.
Let me explain…
Three Sneaky Restaurant Tricks
Eating one meal out will not necessarily destroy your weight loss goals.
However, the more frequently you eat out, the harder it may be for you to lose weight and keep it off.
You see, restaurants and fast-food chains have many secrets that are designed to help them sell more food and make more profit.
The sad news is it usually results in you eating more calories, fat, trans-fats, and sodium, which could ruin the gains you have made in your weight loss goals.
Before you go out to eat next time, keep these three tips in mind:
1. It’s Awfully Loud In Here
Restaurants are very crafty at getting people in and out of their establishments.
The number one way they do this: they blast loud music.
Not only does louder music give you a headache, but it makes you eat faster – meaning they can get you in and out quickly.
This could spell bad news for your belly, since it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to let your brain know that you are full.
So that burger or steak you just wolfed down in order to soothe the ringing in your ears, still hasn’t registered in your brain.
This may easily lead to overeating, which means that you pack in more calories, which could lead to more weight gain.
2. They Design the Menu Differently
Take a good, hard look at your menu.
Do you notice anything out of the ordinary?
Most restaurant menus are missing the dollar sign or the word dollars after the price.
Why is this?
Studies show people who see the word dollar, or even the little dollar sign, are less likely to buy that product.
What about the pictures? Are they placed there for a reason?
Of course they are!
Restaurants use pictures (mostly of the most expensive products) in places where your well-trained eye will most likely see them.
This option is by far the most expensive and most likely, the unhealthiest as well.
It is done this way, because people are more likely to buy something when they see a picture of it.
3. The Walls are Painted a Certain Way
Psychologically speaking, a well-designed restaurant has a wide variety of colors on their walls for you to look at.
Is this by chance?
Certain colors have been shown to evoke certain emotions in people.
Take for instance the color red or yellow; both are considered “warm” colors, which may stimulate a wide variety of emotions.
However, in the restaurant business, red and yellow have been shown to stimulate hunger, which could make you want to eat.
Chances are, that desire to eat and the loud music, may easily lead you to overeat and put too many calories in your body, therefore promoting weight gain.
Avoid the Great Restaurant Traps
You are now armed the next time you step foot in a restaurant or fast-food chain by understanding and watching for these five tips.
This will help you to avoid these common traps, and work on dropping the pounds, and getting the lean and mean body that you had when you were in high school.
