Trying to diet? Are you having trouble defeating your bad eating habits? Try these painless tricks for eating less without even noticing.

 

Serve meals on small plates. If you buy large plates, look for plates with a wide, colorful brim so the eating surface in the center looks smaller. The trick here is to make your serving size look bigger than it is, which will help you serve yourself and eat less. Follow the same plan with bowls. Serve treats in fun, tiny dessert bowls that will make desserts look more indulgent and bigger than they are.

 

Buy tall, skinny glasses for beverages. If you serve your drinks in tall, slim glasses, you’ll feel like you’re drinking a lot even if you’re not drinking as much as you would in a big, fat glass. Make your low calorie beverage feel like a treat by adding a fun garnish such as a cherry, pineapple wedge, or slice of cucumber.

 

Don’t eat anywhere but at the table. Force yourself to eat only when sitting at your formal eating spot and you’ll cut down on snacking. Much of our excessive calorie intake happens while standing and eating out of the box (or bag), eating in front of the television, or eating while on the computer.

 

Sneak in vegetables. If you have a recipe that calls for all meat, cheese, and starches, add in a complimentary vegetable or two to add color, flavor, and fiber. Try adding spinach and artichokes to lasagna and broccoli or green beans into casseroles. You’ll improve the taste, texture, and nutritional value of the meal while reducing calories per serving.

 

Read up on the digusting facts behind some of the worst junk foods. Gross yourself out by watching “Supersize Me” and think about some of the less appealing parts of the movie every time you crave fast food. Do you have a weakness for sausages or hot dogs? Educate yourself on the ingredients and you’ll findit much easier to say no thank you at the next barbeque. Do your best to reinforce positive feelings about healthy foods, and encourage negative feelings about junk food.

 

Hopefully these pointers will help you eat fewer calories and shed pounds.

 

image

Tagged with:

Filed under: Food and Drink

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!