Apr
Sometimes it’s not so much what we eat as how much we eat that gets us into trouble. The truth is that just about any food is fine in moderation. It’s when we overeat and take in more calories than our bodies can burn that we start to gain weight.
One simple way you can start losing weight or cutting calories is by watching how much you eat at each meal. Here are 5 tips you can use to help keep from overeating. If you stick with them before you know it you’ll see your waistline starting to shrink.
1. Eat small, frequent meals
When you get too hungry between meals it is really easy to overeat. Instead of eating 3 large meals a day, try breaking your meals down into 5-6 small meals and space them out evenly throughout the day.
2. Have some protien for breakfast
It has been shown that people who eat breakfast tend to weigh less than those who skip it. This is partly because when you eat breakfast you don’t get as hungry during the rest of the day.
You can get even more mileage out of your breakfast by including a source of protein like cheese, eggs, lean meat, cottage cheese, yogurt or nuts at breakfast time. The protein helps you feel full longer and keeps your blood sugar nice and steady so you won’t be as likely to get mid-morning cravings or overeat at lunch time.
3. Drink a glass of water before you eat
Drinking a glass of water before you sit down to a meal will help you feel fuller sooner so you aren’t tempted to gorge yourself. Or, you can get a similar benefit by starting your meal out with a bowl of broth-based soup or any other food with a high water content. If you decide to try soup, skip creamy soups since they tend to have a lot more fat and calories.
4. Doggie bag half your meal before you eat
The portion sizes at restaurants are usually much larger than you actually need. When you order your meal ask your server to bring you a doggie bag.
When your food arrives immediately put half of it in your doggie bag before you start eating. You will still get a filling meal at the restaurant, but you will avoid overeating. At the same time, you get an extra meal to eat later at home! It’s a win-win situation.
5. Try portion control plates
One of the easiest ways to control how much you eat is by using portion control plates. These plates have markings that divide them and show you how much of the plate you should use for each of the food groups like vegetables, meat and grains.
You just dish up and fill each section with the proper food and your portions come out perfectly balanced. Using portion control plates not only helps keep you from overeating, but it also helps make sure you are eating a balanced diet. Learn more about these plates here: Click here to learn more about portion control plates
Try implementing these easy tricks and before long you should start to notice yourself losing weight. Good luck!
