subject: Downsize Your Diet to a Whole New You [print this page] Downsize Your Diet to a Whole New You Downsize Your Diet to a Whole New You
Today when practically everything can be super-sized, it's not a surprise that more and more people are packing on the pounds. However, watching what you eat isn't always synonymous to depriving yourself. Instead, it's all about being in control of what you eat and not the other way around.
What follows are some easy, portion-control tricks you can employ so your food doesn't get the better of you:
Having trouble downsizing? Try this: If you need the visual stimulation of an overflowing plate, then make sure it's overflowing with the right stuff like vegetables and fruit. Mind what goes into the dressing though. You might be loading up on the carbo-loaded salad dressings, too.
Give yourself time to feel full If you're thinking about going back for seconds, hold off for about 10 minutes so your stomach has time to tell your brain that it's full. If, after that time has elapsed and you still feel hungry then get some salad or fruit instead.
Use a smaller plate Going down a plate size (say, from a dinner plate to a salad plate) helps to automatically downsize your meal because it limits what you can put on it.
Resist the urge to finish everything on your plate We all have a tendency to eat what we're served no matter how distorted the portion sizes are. However, one thing we need to keep in mind is that nowhere is it written that you always need to have a clean plate. Regardless of how big the servings are, the best thing to do is to eat a healthy portion, and save the rest for another day.
Go from snack-size to bite-size Instead of buying a pint of Chunky Monkey, opt to get an ice cream stick or a cone. Rather than buying big bags of chips and what-not, buy the single-serving bags instead. Whenever buying or ordering something, make the conscious effort to have the smallest size as your default setting.
Never eat straight out of the package Put temptation out of the way by getting just the right portion or serving from the bag, carton, or box. Hide it away before you enjoy your treat.
Read the fine print The package may look small, however, it may be hiding several servings instead. Before eating your favorite bag of chips, or chugging that bottle of diet soda, make sure that it serves just one.
