Variety may be the spice of life — but too much of that spice may have contributed to our epidemic of obesity.  A study in this month’s  The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition tested the idea of putting a meal on cruise control to see if study participants ate less if they ate the same thing every day.

The study involved two groups of women and lots of macaroni and cheese. One group of sixteen women were obese and the other group were not.  Some were assigned to eat macaroni and cheese every day and the others ate it once a week. Those who ate the mac and cheese every day soon began to eat less of it than those who ate it once a week.

Interesting study.  How can we apply this finding to help us in our quest for health and fitness beyond gorgeous?  Well, we could decide to eat red light foods every day until they don’t tickle our taste buds any more.  That’s probably not a good idea.  We may gain more weight than we eventually lose — and after laying off for a while, we would likely get the taste for high glycemic foods back.

But maybe it would help to have some of our meals on cruise control.  If you have the same thing for lunch every day, for example, you don’t have to decide what to eat. You don’t have to choose and possibly make an unwise choice.  You just grab it and eat it.  Having the same thing keeps you from focusing on food.  It’s going to be there. You don’t have to think about it.

If you decide to go this route, don’t even buy or have other things on hand.  Buy enough to have the same thing for lunch every day for a week. It can be something you like, but it should be on the green list. Click here to read about low glycemic foods and the Green Light/Red Light eating plan.

You might eat a wrap of a whole grain tortilla with a slice of deli meat and cheese with some veggies piled on.  That is a filling, low glycemic option that should hold you through the afternoon.  Skip the chips and eat a piece of fruit or some raw veggies if you need more.  Or pick another lunch that suits you. The trick is to eat the same thing every day.

I’ve noticed that my naturally-thin husband eats this way.  He eats one particular breakfast cereal every morning.  For lunch he has the same kind of sandwich — deli turkey breast on whole wheat.  If I don’t have time to fix supper, that’s okay with him. He’ll eat soup (chicken with wild rice).

Thin people often eat the same foods habitually — but those of us who struggle with weight issues like to browse and choose.  So let’s try the thin method for a while.  Pick a meal — or maybe two meals — to put on cruise control.  Let’s see what happens.

But remember — God didn’t make you with a cookie cutter.  Some folks will hate this plan and so it won’t work for them.  That’s okay. Do what works for you, as long as it is healthy and gets you to your goal.

Eating to live and living for Christ,

Susan Jordan Brown