Do You Know How To Eat?

When people are trying to lose weight, most think about what they eat rather than how they eat. By making simple changes to the way you eat, you can avoid over-eating.

• Slow Down - Almost everyone eats too fast. It takes 20 minutes before the stomach can tell the brain it is full, yet the average meal lasts only about 10 minutes. The result is that we eat far more than we need.
• Sit at the Table - Try not to eat cookies and chips while browsing in the pantry or grabbing a snack as these calories add up. Eat every single bite of food while sitting at the table. The extra effort will scare off weak cravings and allow you to see how much you are eating.
• Small Plates - A serving of food looks small on an oversized dinner plate. By using smaller plates, your serving sizes will tend to be smaller and therefore be more accurate.
• Only Eat from a Plate - Eating from bags, shared dishes (like chip or popcorn bowls), or straight from the container hides how much we are really eating.
• Move the Serving Dishes - Do not put serving dishes on the table - it is far too easy to have a second or third scoop. Leave the serving dishes in the kitchen. You can still have seconds, you just have to get up to get them.
• Eat Often - Eat less at meals but tell yourself you can go back in a few hours for more food if you need to. Have nuts, yogurt and fruit in between breakfast, lunch and dinner.
• Crave from a Plate at the Table - When you have cravings, first try to wait at least 5 minutes. If you are still craving the food, do the following: get a small plate, put a few bites of the craved item on the plate (no more than one serving, read the label), put the package away, take your plate to the table and eat your food without distraction.
• Liquid Calories - Watch the number of calories you drink, especially soft drinks, juices, and alcohol.
• Eat Better Desserts - Eat only the finest, most expensive desserts you can find and afford. You will eat less and enjoy them more.

Health Jigsaw