This is actually a very good way of losing weight utilizing a easy to use system. Put quite simply it is nothing more than portion control. We live in a world of the Super size, so instead of using the oversized mugs and plates, which are becoming standard these days, you can use smaller mugs and plates. This will help greatly in optimizing portion control and ultimately will help you control your food portions.
Our eyes control most of our appetites, so by fooling your eyes into believing that you have more food on your plate than you really do, you can go a long way to helping yourself control your weight.
Although you know logically that you are fooling your stomach through your eyes, we have been so conditioned to these little signs and signals (such as stopping only when our plate is completely empty), throughout our lifetime, that we tend to respond to them automatically.
It is only a very few cases that you will find these little tricks do not work, and in these cases you will need to exert more control over yourself to stop from overeating, but you will still find that these little tricks can help you.
And all of the methods that I have mentioned below work along those lines, and are quite easy for you to incorporate into your busy lifestyle as the most effort you will need to put into it will be to get a few plates and mugs.
Use smaller plates and tall thin glasses
Using smaller plates, thinner glasses, and smaller mugs will also help you if you are used to clearing the food off your plate regularly.
And the best thing about this is the psychological impact that it has on you. Because you are still clearing the plate off of whatever food you are putting on it, you won't necessarily feel any difference in fullness, as most times an empty plate has become a signal to your stomach that it is full.
Portions count ? get the correct portion size
It doesn't really matter whether you keep your old oversized plates and mugs or whether you exchange them for something smaller. All that really matters is that you keep your portion sizes under control.
And if you can't do that through tricking your eyes into fooling your stomach, then you will have to do that through normal means, and this will mean that you need to exert some will power.
The key to doing this properly though, is to know your portion sizes. If you don't know what size portion of pasta you can eat in one sitting, or how much butter you should really use at one time, or even how much a proper portion of cereal is, you will go over the limit ? even with small plates and glasses.
On my part, I like to have my coffee out of oversized mugs so I have therefore learnt to take only half of the mug as my quota. This works for me, and fits in nicely with my portion sizing.
For things such as juice, which is good for you but which, in excess, can be bad for you, I have learned to take half of a small tumbler at one setting.
It was difficult at first, getting used to having only half of any liquid in my mug or glass at any one time, but it does work and you do get used to it.
To get correct portion sizes for foods and things, I consulted with my doctor to find out exactly what constituted as a portion for different foods, and was able to resolve that little matter as well.
Since food is the bane of my life, I stay away from large plates and dishes and instead use small, light coloured plates. In this way, I can better stay on the portion sizes which I know are right for me.
But what about when you go out to a restaurant? What happens then? Do you just throw your portion resolutions out the window and settle in for a good chow-down?
Not really. You need to realize that you can't order a small portion of steak from a restaurant; instead you will need to take what comes and eat only the correct sized portion, leaving the rest.
If you want you can have it bagged to take home, or if it makes you feel better, share with your companion. As long as you stay away from stuffing yourself silly, you will find that even going to a restaurant is not a problem.
Bistro Electronic Portion Control
Calorie counts are based on serving size, so knowing what a true portion size should be is a huge component of healthy weight loss. You won't always have a nutrition label to read whenever you eat, so measure out your servings religiously when you eat at home. Once you know what a serving size should be, it will be easier to eat correctly when you're away from home.
Essential tools in a weight loss kitchen are a food scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons. I don't know about you, but when I'm hungry, my guesses about portion size seems to get larger with my hunger! Measure your foods instead of guessing.
One way to control portion sizes is to NOT put bowls of food on the table. Fill your plates in the kitchen and then take them to the dining room to eat. This keeps food out of sight so that it's not as tempting to overeat.
The answer to "seconds" should be no! If you've planned your meals based on single servings and then go back for more, you're doomed to weight loss failure.
Scheduling meal times will help prevent those snack attacks discussed earlier. Also, if you are scheduling your meals, you're less likely to get that "starved" feeling and start shoveling in the food. That's a sure way to tempt yourself to disregard your allotted serving sizes. The best time to eat is when you're hungry but not starving.
How many meals should you eat in a day? The traditional number is three - breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most people eat much more than that. Doctors and nutritionists are now saying that five or six smaller meals is a better way to go. This is particularly true for people with diabetes. Eating smaller, more frequent meals keeps insulin levels from those dangerous highs and lows. It also controls that extreme hungry feeling that can cause overeating.
When you're eating your meal, eat slowly and savor the flavors. It takes about twenty minutes for your brain to send the message that you're not hungry anymore. If you rush through eating, you'll be consuming way more than you need to for that full feeling. I'm sure you've had that feeling of "I just can't eat one more bite!" That's the reason you've reached that point.
Keep track of what you eat by using a food diary. Note down what your portion sizes should have been and then what they actually were. How many additional calories did you consume? Were you "really" that hungry? Write down what your mood was or if you were under extra stress at the time you ate.
If you really must eat between your scheduled meals and snacks, choose a food that will fill you up but not fatten you up - such as fruit.
Regulating portion sizes is not as easy as it sounds but it is definitely worth the effort. Measure, measure, measure until your inner eye recognizes true portion sizes. Soon, you'll have lost that 20 (or however many) pounds that you wanted to lose.
Both Paul Arnold & Jude Wright are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Paul Arnold has sinced written about articles on various topics from Web Development, Global Warming and food cravings. www.womensweightloss.org is a online diet information site covering and general. Paul Arnold's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.
Jude Wright has sinced written about articles on various topics from Debt Consolidation, Affiliate Programs and Cure Anxiety. Jude Wright is the owner of "9 Weeks to Weight Loss" at . Stop by and get your free report about how hunger affects your weight loss efforts.. Jude Wright's top article generates over 110000 views. to your Favourites.
Birthday Gifts To Deliver A conference t-shirt, cap or rugby shirt is a welcome conference gift. Other useful wearable conference gifts include badges and lanyards that identify attendees and encourage them to interact with each other.