How Words with Friends Can Help You Lose Weight

Bag of Doritos calling your name?  Keeping your brain busy can help you ignore unhealthy cravings, according to new research in the Journal of Personal Social Psychology.

Snack cravings are a lot more complicated than see donut, want donut, says study coauthor Lotte Van Dillen, Ph.D., of Leiden University. When you see something you desire, you start fantasizing about it, and it gains more and more power over your behavior, she says. “But you can cut off this thinking pattern by putting your brain to better use." Read: If your mind’s occupied, your cravings don’t have time to build up momentum.

Harness your hunger with your cell phone. When you start to crave junk food—like that hour before bed—fire up Words with Friends. Playing a fun, but mentally stimulating game on your phone is enough to occupy your brain and shut down your food cravings before they really get going, Van Dillen says.

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