Seven Sensible Suggestions to Curtail your Food Consumption and Lose Weight

Can be easier than you think

There are many ways to trick your mind and body into thinking you’re eating more than you’re actually consuming.  These psychological deceptions can be valuable in helping dieters eat less without the side effect of constant hunger.  Just a few lifestyle changes can help you can cut down the amount of food you, and you won’t even know it’s happening.  Here are seven sensible suggestions to try this diet season.

1. Start using a smaller plate.  Choose a salad plate for your main meals instead of a dinner plate.  This way, when you put food on the plate, it will look much fuller, even though there is actually approximately 25 to 30 percent less.  You will be cutting down your portions,  but it won’t feel like you’re depriving yourself.
2. Chew each bite of food 20 times. Now this may seem impossible for some foods (such as soups or mashed potatoes), but if you can chew each bite of food 20 times, it will take longer to eat.  You will also get the full flavor and texture of the food experience.  Plus, chewing the food thoroughly aids in digestion, as the enzymes secreted by the salivary glands will have more time to work.
3. Put down your utensils between each bite. Just setting your fork, knife and spoon down on the table for a short amount of time while you’re chewing will make you more mindful of what is going in your mouth.  It will also take longer to eat your meal.  Remember that it often takes your brain 15 to 20 minutes to realize that you’ve eaten enough, but by that time, you’ve already consumed more food than is necessary for your meal requirement.
4. Don’t deprive yourself of anything you love, even if it is high in fat or calories. Just take a smaller portion on a smaller plate, and adhere to the guidelines listed above.  If you push yourself into deprivation mode, you will inevitably fail and gain any lost weight back.
5. Calories do count. Don’t get caught up in fad diets where they permit you to eat all you want of certain types of food.  You can still easily pack on hundreds of extra calories when you pig out on so-called “permitted” foods.  Sensible portions are always best.
6. Keep a food diary and record everything you eat. Sometimes all it takes is a visual record of everything you’ve put in your mouth over the course of a week to make you realize how much you’re eating.  The handful of pretzels you picked up from a co-worker’s desk should be recorded, along with the salad and yogurt you had at lunchtime.
7. Use online support aids. There are many online diet and weight loss tools available that can keep you on track, such as FitDay or TheDailyPlate.  Use them to set goals, record your food intake, analyze calories and nutritional content and much more.  And it’s totally free.

If your aspiration is to shed some pounds this year, try a few of these tips to see if they can assist in reaching your ultimate weight loss goal or avoid luring yourself from fast food coupons marketing strategy — and in helping maintain it for the rest of your life.

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