Mythbusting Monday: Does eating in a blindfold help you lose weight?

Has anyone seen my dinner?

In my search for myths to bust, sometimes I run out of inspiration and have to take to Google to sleuth out the fads. It turns out that, in an episode of How to Lose Weight Well, they said, “Eating while blindfolded and in the dark can reduce calorie intake by 25%”.

Excuse me, I have questions…

Ok, so clearly, eating blindfolded AND in the dark (a rather belt and braces approach methinks) means you can’t see what you’re doing so there will be a lot of mess and yes, you’ll likely eat less if you manage one meal this way without giving up and turning the light on.

But I don’t know about you, I quite like to see what I’m eating. Partly because eating is a sensorial experience and the visual appeal of food is part of the enjoyment. But more practically, I’d quite like to not have spag bol down my front and all over the table thanks. Just me? Thought not.

Where do we even start with this one? How is this practical or sustainable? It’s fine to have a weight loss goal if it’s for the right reasons and is medically justified but getting there is best done without crazy fads, slowly and sustainably, with a balanced diet that still permits all foods and doesn’t involve blindfolds (unless that’s what floats your boat!)

I know it’s January but please, don’t try any of these nonsensical fads. If you want to make healthier changes to your lifestyle, weight loss or otherwise, then do so in a way that you stand a chance of maintaining.