How To Eat Less Chocolate? Take A Short Walk!
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Do you have a stressful job and eat chocolate to relieve that stress? How about a short walk instead? Scientists at the University of Exeter found that office workers who exercised just a tiny bit afterwards consumed only half the amount of chocolate than those who didn’t.
15 Minutes, 50% Difference
Published in the journal Appetite, the research suggests that employees may find that short breaks away from their desks can help keep their minds off snacking.
The study had 78 regular chocolate-eaters stay abstinent from chocolate for two days and then invited them to a simulated work environment. Divided into four groups, the participants were asked to spend 15 minutes on a treadmill set above moderate intensity and then had to complete a task at a desk.
The first group was given an easy one, the second something more difficult. The third and fourth had to complete the same jobs as the first two groups, but received a rest period before they started. All four groups were given easy access to chocolate treats right on their desks and were allowed to eat them whenever and how much they chose to.
No matter if they had been on the easy or difficult task, the people in the groups who did the treadmill session and then directly started their tasks ate only about half the amount of chocolate (15 g) than the other two (28 g). Which is interesting, as apparently task difficulty – and therefore stress – made no difference in cravings.
Step Away, Boost Your Energy
Adrian Taylor, lead researcher in the study, commented:
We know that snacking on high calorie foods, like chocolate, at work can become a mindless habit and can lead to weight gain over time. We often feel that these snacks give us an energy boost, or help us deal with the stress of our jobs, including boredom. People often find it difficult to cut down on their daily treats but this study shows that by taking a short walk, they are able to regulate their intake by half.
It therefore might be a good idea to step away from your desk for a couple of minutes instead of directly reaching for that candy bar.
Picture courtesy of John Loo.
6 Comments
Well :), I think it is ok to have just a piece of low sugar dark unprocessed chocolate, it’s good for the brain :), just as long as it’s not the sugary kind.
Interestingly, as a child I hated dark chocolate and was much more liked the sweeter kinds. These days those make me shudder and I much more enjoy the dark ones, like you.
hi evil, i can’t resist eating chocolate 🙁
As Tatianna said, the occasional piece is no problem.
If you can’t control how much you eat, try to not have any at home – which would be the ultra-strict approach – but that can just make the cravings worse.
Alternatively, break the bar into a several portions, each portion being your daily allowance. Put your daily portion on the desk, table or wherever you want to eat it, and store the rest away out of sight.
hello evil,
one small question. i’ve heard that it’s better if you eat chocolate (or any kind of sweets for that matter) after “real” meal rather then on empty stomach. reasoning behind this is probably smaller spike in insuline levels etc in bloodstream i imagine. however, does this make reasonable difference or it just doesn’t matter?
also, keep up the good work! cheers
It may make a small difference in terms of insulin, but I think the bigger advantage out of eating sweets after a real meal is that you will eat less of them. Most of the time, we are prone to overeat on sweets when we are hungry and eat them instead of “real” food.