First Seen, First Eaten

by Anne Middleton, on December 15th, 2015

Its holiday time, but you probably didn’t need us to break this news to you.  And along with holidays comes gluttony and increased calories.

It is an enormous challenge to pass up the temptation of luscious creamy dips and mouth-watering potatoes swimming in butter.  But a new study offers insight for how to manage the walk of shame down the buffet line.

A 2013 investigation found that, “Serving healthy foods first in buffet lines improved overall meal selection.” 

In other words, the first foods encountered on a table of treats are the ones most selected. The research showed that:

• Over 75% of diners selected the first food they saw

• The first three foods a person encountered in the buffet comprised 66% of all the foods they put on their plates

• For example, 86.4% of diners took fruit when it was offered first while 54.8% took fruit when it was offered last

Researchers suggested that, “health-conscious diners, can (should) proactively start at the healthier end of the line.”

The Promise to Change

The Gallup Health and Healthcare survey discovered that 51% of adults vow that they have a sincere desire to drop surplus weight, but that most (75%) are not willing to put in the work to slim down.

Last year, Americans made weight loss their number one resolution for the New Year and it is sure to top the list again this year. 

New Year’s resolutions are insanely difficult to keep. In fact, the Washington Post revealed data that showed “25% of us don't stick with it for seven measly days.”

In order to stack the odds in your favor, there are loads of apps that can assist you in this health focused lifestyle goal. Some of the best free apps to download on your Smartphone include:

My Fitness Pal takes your weight, height, goal weight and lifestyle into account before giving its recommendations

Fitocracy turns your weight loss journey into an additive online game, motivating you to go that one step further.

Fooducate immediately allows for better food choices and weight loss

Fitness Buddy offers enough diverse exercise routines to keep even the easily bored from slacking off

Shop Well users create personal profiles then head to the nearest grocery aisle and start scanning barcodes. The app delivers a score for each food. You’ll want to avoid foods with low scores and scoop up the ones closest to a perfect 100

The common denominator for these and the multitude of health and wellness apps is that you must remain untethered and possess a state-of-the art wireless technology gadget to benefit from the information.

With a phone from T-Mobile, the selection of a portable device is endless. And by purchasing this electronic gadget from the folks at T-Mobile, you’ll receive expert guidance on how to download, organize and interact with apps of all types.

Remember, an app is only useful if you have access to it.  The coverage plan you choose will be crucial, especially when you are in remote locations, like “over the river at Grandma’s house.”

Verizon embraces the latest methods of network communication. They are the nation’s largest, most reliable 4G LTE network.  From Sacramento to Nantucket, Verizon even covers the Frozen North communities of Alaska.

So this year, give yourself the best opportunity for success in achieving your health goals for 2016!

 

 

 

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1. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0077055

2. http://www.gallup.com/poll/166082/americans-desire-shed-pounds-outweighs-effort.aspx

3. http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

4. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2015/01/07/its-january-7-and-a-quarter-of-us-have-already-abandoned-our-new-years-resolutions/