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Your mother was right about some things: Your eyes really can be bigger than your stomach. Research has shown that when people use large bowls, plates and serving utensils, they serve themselves more and consume more food. In a 2006 study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 85 nutrition professionals were asked to serve themselves a bowl of ice cream. Researchers provided a variety of bowl and spoon sizes. Subjects with larger bowls served themselves 31% more ice cream; when they used a large spoon, they dished 14.5% more into their bowls. Although the super-sized plates may look slick, put those away for special occasions. When you see a large canvas, you want to fill it! ACTION TIP: Eat from smaller salad plates and small bowls for daily use. Without even realizing it, you'll serve and eat less. If your dinnerware is oversized, it might be time for new dishes that won't dwarf your properly portioned meals.

3. Pre-portion your foods.
How often do you eat straight from the bag of crackers or chips? How is it possible to track your food or know how much you eat without measuring it? That's just one reason you should never eat directly from a box or bag that contains multiple servings of a food. Grab your measuring cups and a small bowl (see #2 above) to keep your calories in check. Why? Because it's easy to overeat when you're reaching into a bottomless bag of food. ACTION TIP: Instead of reaching into the chip bag or a big bowl of chips at a party, pre-portion your snacks into a smaller container (or plate) so you know exactly how much you're eating. Then, put the big bag away (or walk away from the chip bowl). You are much less likely to overeat enjoy the smaller portion you served yourself. So dish it up, put the rest away, and taste every bite (see #1 above).

4. Know your pitfalls.
We all have food weaknesses. That food that you can't resist. The food you can't stop eating once you started. The food you have trouble saying no to, even if you're not hungry. The food you think about even when it's not in the vicinity. Maybe you'll never shake the grip this food has you on, but the first step is recognizing it. Take a minute to think about your food weaknesses. Once you know what they are, you can take extra measures to prevent overeating these particular foods, whether you avoid repeated exposure to this food or plan the rest of your day's intake planning to enjoy a bit of this favorite food. ACTION TIP: Make a list of your food weaknesses and the places you encounter them. Come up with solutions to avoid those encounters, like not venturing down the snack food aisle in the grocery store or choosing a different route to bypass the co-worker who always offers free doughnuts. Stick with your plan of avoidance until you build up the strength to face that food without giving up your control.
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About The Author

Sarah Haan Sarah Haan
Sarah is a registered dietitian with a bachelor's degree in dietetics. She helps individuals adopt healthy lifestyles and manage their weight. An avid exerciser and cook, Sarah likes to run, lift weights and eat good food. See all of Sarah's articles.

Member Comments

  • SooooHaaaaard to stay focused - 3/7/2013 4:47:27 PM
  • The suggestions are helpful even if you try some of them. Breakfast is not the only meal anyone eats. One suggesion missing is: Take a preplanned lunch to work and eat it away from your desk.
    - 3/5/2013 7:06:33 PM
  • BAGETTE12
    I like that word... paradigm.. Its nice.. =) - 3/5/2013 5:46:58 PM
  • HOOKTONTRAVEL
    I'm with Forestpal. I definitely do better if I skip breakfast as compared to eating it. the discipline to fast, though, is tough. My problem isn't the stomach hunger, but the obsession with putting things into my mouth continuously once i've begun to do so. If I wait until 3 in the afternoon to eat, even when I eat more it's not as much as when I start in the AM and eat steadily all day... - 3/5/2013 4:25:29 PM
  • SUEINF
    I find it helpful when I have the urge to eat outside of regular meal times or late at night is to brush my teeth. That leaves my mouth fresh and no lingering taste of something that I may have eaten earlier.
    Also when I have a bad craving for something sweet, which is my trigger for over eating, I keep breath mints around at all times and have a couple of those. That seems to stop the thoughts of wanting something sweet and over doing. - 3/5/2013 4:03:01 PM
  • I believe some people react differently to breakfast. I recently read a blog where the dieter gradually delays breakfast time. For me, breaking fast triggers hunger struggles the rest of the day. My food diary shows I eat less on days break fast is later. Love the whole article. Have found the rest of it absolutely true for me. - 3/5/2013 11:52:20 AM
  • I've come to the point where I'm exercising enough that I need to consider eating a little more - of the right foods of course. It's quite a paradigm shift. Kinda' surprising for me, since I've always focused on eating less, rather than eating more because I'm burning so much cycling. I like these ideas though and I use most of them. - 3/5/2013 9:44:14 AM
  • I feel absolutely ravenous - all the time. Otherwise, I'd be able to take home a doggy bag. I like the suggestion of replacing unhealthy foods with healthy foods and not worry so much about portions. - 3/5/2013 9:22:46 AM
  • Hey! I don't WANT to eat less! If I eat less, I will feel deprived and hungry, regardless of the tricks I try to play, like drinking water or using a smaller plate. I see absolutely nothing wrong with eating mass quantities of fruits, veggies, salads, and other low-calorie foods. - 3/5/2013 9:01:39 AM
  • Good tips to follow! I've been using a food diary to log my daily intake, and it has helped immensely. Just seeing how many calories are in the foods I eat has helped me to cut down on portion size and keep me from mindless snacking. I used to be driving home from work and be thinking all the way about what I was going to eat when I got in the door. The things I would snack on were usually cookies, candy, or other quick treats that were easy to grab & eat. Now I try to eat a cheese stick or a Fiber One bar. I don't want to totally cut foods from my diet for fear I will start craving them and then binge. However, by writing the foods I eat into my food diary, it makes me more accountable for what I'm eating. I used to think nothing of eating 10 homemade cookies on the day I baked them. Knowing how many calories are in them....now I allow myself ONE! I love to bake, so I try to do my baking on days that I know I will be taking them to church or to a friends house to share. Otherwise, I put whatever I bake into the freezer and only take out a little at a time. The food diary has been a big help for me. I also log my exercise/workout into the diary too! - 3/5/2013 9:00:44 AM
  • as a child i was told children were starving in the world,was told this house be longs to the clean plate club,,and eating fast was the rule of the house, so im learning now to stop take a min to remind my self to slow down when i eat and yes that helps when geting full faster ,i also try to eat breakfest in the morning it helps ,,didnt think it would but it does only time i skip breakfest is when i no my dinner will be a little higher in calories ,,,but i still try to eat at least a grapefriut wwhen i do so , smaller bowles and plates work great to ,,we tend to by the extra large plates our hav the extra large plates so when we but the food on the plate we say wow theres no food on the plate ,,,so smaller plates and bowls help out so much your mind dont say wow not to much on my plate and feel cheated to wow i have alot of food on my late ,,i find eating a salad as im eating my dood helps not sepret - 3/5/2013 8:21:11 AM
  • PTANGELES
    Very helpful. Having the restaurant package up half of your meal before it's served is a great idea.
    I totally understand the need for ads, but they are now appearing over part of the text in articles -- they make reading the text difficult. It's distracting. - 2/12/2013 10:25:22 AM
  • AUNTMO3
    I switched to smaller plates and bowls and it does help ! - 2/11/2013 7:26:56 PM
  • LINDABRENT,
    That's actually a good thing! It means you're getting your metabolism going. You know how some people are always eating but they're a healthy weight? That's part diet (eating healthy things) and part metabolism. When you eat breakfast you kickstart your metabolism earlier thus giving yourself a faster metabolism.

    Unless I'm wrong. Any other ideas?

    I'm just very pro breakfast. I skip breakfast maybe once a year and when I do I get very grumpy. But I do find that I need a snack 2-3 hours later.
    - 2/11/2013 1:29:57 PM
  • AZURE-SKY
    Tip #10 - Drink a glass of water before eating a meal. This will help to fill you up before you even start eating.

    Tip #11 - If you feel hungry, it might actually be thirst. They both feel the same. So, before grabbing an unplanned snack, drink a full glass of water, then wait at least 10 minutes. If you're still physically hungry, then eat something. Most times, that feeling of hunger will be gone, because you were really thirsty. - 2/11/2013 12:16:28 PM