How to Control Meal Portions for Weight Loss

It takes 20 minutes for our stomachs to tell the brain that we're full. When we eat family style, it's too easy to keep refilling the plate. Often we end up eating too much, just because it's in front of us. Here's how to control portion sizes to lose weight.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• area to set out the food
• understanding of standard portion sizes
• desire to lose weight

1. Stop serving meals family style. Having all the food in the center of the table and passing it around, leads to refilling the plate and overeating.
2. Set out the food on a buffet or the kitchen counter. Fill the plate once with a reasonable amount of food and take it to a table to eat.
3. Note vegetables The recommended meat portion is the size of a deck of cards. Fill the rest of the plate with vegetables and the rice/potato/pasta. The largest portion on the plate should be the vegetable.
4. Learn the correct portion size for different foods. The oversize meals served in restaurants are not normal sizes. See the link below to learn about portion sizes.
5. Do not return for seconds. There was enough food on the plate for adequate nutrition. Cook only one portion of the meat for each person. Then there are no second portions to tempt anyone.
6. Put away the food left in the serving bowls or pots and pans for another meal. Make clear to everyone that it is saved for another meal so people won't snack on that food.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't eat in front of the TV. Savor the food as you eat. Eat less, but enjoy it more.
• Don't eat standing up in the kitchen or straight out of the refrigerator. Put the food on a plate.
• Don't eat food right out of the package. Mentally we discount that and end up eating more. Put the food on a plate.