New Day Your Way

Strategies for Cutting Back Painlessly

A lot of the food we eat, we eat out of habit. Very few of us wait until we are genuinely hungry, because we don't know what real hunger feels like. Try these well-tested strategies and you'll surprise yourself when you find that you can comfortably reduce the amount you eat without feeling hungry at all. To begin, try reducing your portion sizes by half. Eat what you like, but eat half. For example, rather than a whole sandwich at lunch, just eat half. Then...

Wait 15 Minutes to Find Out if You're Still Hungry

It's a neat trick and it works: having consumed half of your sandwich, wait 15 minutes rather than carrying on eating, and you'll probably find you're no longer hungry. This is because the brain takes 10 minutes to receive the message that the stomach is full. If you still feel genuine hunger, then fill up on raw vegetables and fresh fruit.

Sit Down to Eat

Don't eat while you're standing up, moving around or rushing about-otherwise you'll end up wolfing down a snack while preoccupied with something else, and you won't be conscious of what you're actually swallowing.

Never Eat from the Carton

Always dish up your food on a plate. If you don't, you'll have little idea of the size of the serving you're eating. Chances are you'll eat more than you need.

Chew Properly

Chew each mouthful about 35 times-most people chew fewer than 10 times and barely taste the food before they swallow. But giving the taste buds time to savor the flavor is crucial, because it kick-starts the digestive process, allowing the body to extract as many nutrients as possible from each bite of food. Eating slowly and experiencing the full flavors of your food tends to signal the brain that you're satisfied with less.

Put Your Knife and Fork Down Between Mouthfuls

Do this practice and you'll break the conveyor-belt aspect of moving forkfuls of food up to your mouth and down again rhythmically before you've even thought about what you're doing-plus, it gives you time to enjoy what you're chewing.

Steer Clear of Fast-Food Outlets

Fast-food portions are over-sized so don't fall for "better deals". And don't be tempted by any meal deals, such as special low-price three-course lunches or "all you can eat" buffets-you'll simply eat more than your body requires.

Don't Buy "Economy Size" Packets of Anything

"Economy" often means eating double the quantity. If you must and it's genuinely in the name of economizing, then divide up the contents into single serving snack bags as soon as you get them home. And resist the urge to sample while you're doing this.

Know What a Single Serving Looks Like

Always check the label and find out how many/what quantity of whatever food you're eating constitutes a serving. Now measure it out and take a good look at it, so you can remember what it looks like next time you give yourself a plateful of food. You might be shocked at how much you've been eating.

Get Out of the "Finish Off with Something Sweet" Habit

Are you someone who doesn't feel you've finished a meal off properly unless you've had dessert? Or if not dessert, then chocolate? Substitute dates or dried fruit instead, and chew well: you'll satisfy the sweet craving just as effectively, but with far fewer calories.