5 tips for smaller portions
One of the keys to losing weight for me has been to not only ensure I’m eating the right foods but also the right amounts. So here are my 5 tips for eating smaller portions.
1. Use a smaller plate. Seriously. This is a very good starting point. Your eyes are often bigger than your stomach and by using a smaller plate, it will look like more food since it takes less food to fill the plate. My favorite plates are Corel and they’re slightly oval in shape. Very nice size for adults as well as kids. I find that while I don’t often overeat when I use a regular size plate, I tend to waste food. And that’s not good.
2. Eat more often. I know, this sounds like it goes against conventional wisdom but it works for me. Eating 5 small meals per day helps cut down on wanting to snack, among other things. And it helps keep portions to a more recommended size. Plus, when I know I’ll be eating again in a few hours, I tend to put less on my plate.
3. Drink more water. It’s a tested and true method of eating less. One of the reasons this is true is because people often mistake thirst for hunger. It’s easy to do! If I’m feeling a bit hungry but not really sure I should eat something, I drink a glass of water. That helps fill me up and tells me whether I’m actually hungry or if in fact, I was truly thirsty. I find that more often than not, the water did the trick.
4. Measure. Now, this doesn’t mean you must use a scale and weigh everything out. In reality, we all know we just don’t have the time (nor the desire!) to stand there and weigh and measure everything. Instead, a good rule of thumb is a deck of cards, your fist or the palm of your hand. Each portion should be no larger than one of those items. Except things like leafy greens and other vegetables. You can get away with eating more of those as long as they’re not caked with things like cheese. 
5. Eat more satisfying foods. Sometimes the foods we eat don’t really satisfy our hunger nor our bodies. And pretty soon after eating, we feel hungry again. Part of this is because these foods aren’t dense enough. They don’t have enough fiber and other nutrients our bodies need for optimum health. When we eat more dense foods, we eat less because we feel full faster.
All of these things together help reduce the amount of food we feel we have to eat. In our household, they all help cut down on wasted food, too. And of course, that helps cut down on the amount of trash we put out each week. In fact, we don’t put out a trash can every week. We only have garbage pick up once a month for an average-size 30 gallon can.
Bonus Tip -
6. Eat Slowly. The faster we eat, the more food our bodies think it takes to feel full. When you eat slower, chewing your food thoroughly, it takes less food to fill up. This is because eating isn’t purely a physical sensation - it’s a psychological one as well. When you eat, your body releases hormones into it’s system and these hormones send a message to your brain which then triggers your brain to tell your stomach when it’s had enough. Generally speaking, I find that when I take at least 20 minutes or more to eat, I eat less.
I hope these tips are helpful to you. If you have others that work for you, please feel free to share them in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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