MEAL SIZE MATTERS

For many of us, one of the main goals of achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is learning how to eat less. Part of the problem is that we don’t have a realistic idea of what constitutes a serving. In an era of jumbo meals, super-sizing and free refills, overgenerous portions of food and beverages have become the norm. In addition, eating habits that you learned from a young age–that it’s okay to have seconds, that you should clean your plate, that dessert always follows a meal–can be difficult to break. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible. You can train your body to feel full with less, just as it has become accustomed to needing more. Try these suggestions:

• Serve meals already dished onto plates instead of placing serving bowls on the table. This allows you to think twice before having a second portion.
• Try using a smaller plate or festive party bowl to make the food seem like more.
• Eat slowly and savor each bite. When you eat too fast, your brain doesn’t get the signal that you’re full until too late and you’ve already overeaten.
• Eat foods that are healthy and low in calories first. You can eat a lot of these foods without taking in a lot of calories. When at a party–hit the vegetable trays first.
• When eating, focus on your meal and your company. Watching television, reading or working while you eat can distract you. Before you know it, you’ve eaten much more than you wanted to.
• Stop eating as soon as you begin to feel full. Don’t feel as if you need to clean your plate.
• Designate one area of the house to eat meals, such as the kitchen table, and sit to eat your meals.
• If you’re still hungry after you’ve finished what’s on your plate, wait 20 minutes, mingle with other guests, and then if you are still hungry, nibble on something low in calories, such as fresh vegetables or fruit.
• When ordering at a restaurant, request a take-home container. When you receive your meal, put part of it in the container. Or ask that one-half of your meal be put into a container before the meal is served. Portion sizes in restaurants can be two to three times the amount you need.

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Jim