Why do some people think about food all the time, while others are relatively calm? Many factors play an important role here: eating habits in childhood, genetics (that is, heredity), and determination or willpower. However, researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) have come up with an interesting explanation: thinking about food—or imagining that you’re eating—can actually reduce your real need for food.

Yes, you read that right!

But before you actually reach for pizza or sweets, you can trick your brain into thinking you’ve already eaten… And this will help you end up eating less. This is a kind of mental game that can help you control hunger and the feeling of being hungry, even when you really are.

Why does thinking about food potentially mean less food?

In the mentioned experiment, participants first imagined eating 30 M&M (or similar) candies. Then they were actually given real candies. The comparison was made with another group that only imagined eating 3 candies. The result: the group that imagined eating more actually ate less than those who imagined eating less.

Why? Because the process of imagining something repeatedly caused our brains to partially get used to the idea of eating (we're talking about habituation, a gradual adjustment or reduced responsiveness), and so the desire for real food diminished.

So: if you imagine that you’re already eating a lot, your brain thinks, “aha, I’ve already eaten/tried this,” and you don’t get such a strong craving for food. And when it’s time for a real meal, you eat less.

What does this mean in practice?

If you ever feel “oh no, I’m hungry again” and you know it’s not because you truly haven’t eaten, but more because you thought, “uh, now I’ll eat something”… and that very thought takes over you and you fall into the trap. When this happens, use a simple technique: pause for a moment, imagine you have a huge portion of your favorite food (pizza, candy, chocolate…) in front of you. Visualize yourself eating it. Bite by bite… At least 30 pieces… A lot. Really a lot… Once you finish, in your mind, you’ll often notice that your body and brain already feel some sense of satisfaction and a reduced desire.

And then, when you go to eat for real, you will probably not want as much as you would otherwise. With this approach, you can manage to eat less without feeling like you’re on a strict diet.

An interesting point and a note on folk healing practices

In folk remedies and traditional practices we often find methods where you can consciously interrupt a hunger attack. For example, you drink a glass of warm water or tea, or you take a moment to breathe and reflect before starting to eat. These practices have not been researched with the same strict scientific methodology as the study mentioned above, but they have the same essence: not to react instinctively but consciously. When you mentally create a sense of fullness or at least sufficiency beforehand, you can more easily control how much you actually eat.

If we connect this with the CMU study, which says that thoughts about food can reduce actual food intake, and the traditional advice to stop, breathe, and reflect before a meal and then eat, we get a powerful combination—without expensive diet products and without extreme restrictions.

When and for whom does this help?

Imaginary eating is not meant only for those who want to lose weight, but also for those who often find themselves eating more than they need out of habit, stress, boredom, or always the same routine. This is especially dangerous when you sit down in front of the TV at the end of the day and absentmindedly eat two spoons of ice cream just because it’s “that time.” If you were to do a mental visualization beforehand, you might “eat” much more in your head first, and then your real intake will definitely be less.

Try it.

What science says

As already mentioned, the study from Carnegie Mellon University was published in the journal Science and showed that a mental representation of drinking or eating can be enough to reduce later consumption of food. In one experiment, participants who imagined eating 30 candies actually ate significantly less than those who imagined eating only 3. This means it was not just the thought of eating, but also the amount and repetition of the visualization that mattered.

Interestingly, this result was not because people thought the food was less tasty or convinced themselves to eat less. The result was due to habituation in the sense that the brain gets used to the idea, and then the desire to eat decreases.

Homemade and cheap solutions

When you feel hungry, first stop and don’t rush straight to the fridge or kitchen. Take 30 seconds to reflect. Close your eyes, or at least stare into space. Imagine you have your favorite food in front of you… Imagine eating a large piece, take a bite, enjoy it mentally, picture how tasty the food is, and repeat this more than ten times.

Next, imagine that you’re eating even more! Another 30 pieces… Believe me, you’ll then be half as hungry as before.

After this visualization, move back into real life. Take a real portion. Observe it… Only then eat it.

If you still get a strong craving for more, take another minute for visualization and repeat the process.

With this simple method, you will activate your brain, which often acts impulsively, and slowly redirect the flow of thoughts into a more conscious state. It’s important, though: don’t use this as an excuse to constantly wander around the fridge. Do this only if you’re truly hungry and your body needs fuel. This method is especially effective when you eat more than you need, not when you are truly exhausted or hungry.

If you have doubts about this method, you can try something else as well… Prepare an herbal tea that soothes appetite (like warm nettle, mint, or linden flower tea). Make brewing tea a ritual and each time make only one cup of tea. No more! In the meantime, your hunger will probably pass, or at least be reduced…

Conclusion

If you’re ever bothered by the feeling that you’re hungry again, there’s another very effective method: reduce the quantity of food. If you feel like you’re gaining weight, smaller portions are the first step to a slimmer body.