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Nutrition Articles  ›  Quick and Easy

9 Simple Tricks to Eat Less

Cut Calories, Not Satisfaction

-- By Sarah Haan, Registered Dietitian and Nicole Nichols, Health Educator
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5. Keep a food journal.
Keeping a food diary is the best weight-loss tool. Several studies have confirmed this, and most SparkPeople members would agree, too. One recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that dieters who kept track of their food lost twice as much weight as those who didn't. Writing down what you eat will encourage you to think about your food choices all day, and consider what you've already eaten and what you plan to eat later. This means you'll make conscious choices more often and usually curb your calorie intake as a result. Whether you jot foods down on a sticky note, keep a small paper pad in your purse or use SparkPeople's free Nutrition Tracker, writing down everything you eat will keep your calories in check. ACTION TIP: If you don’t' already, start tracking your food. Even if you don't list all the calories, fat or carbs you eat, even a simple list can make a big difference. Don’t forget to include beverages, sauces, condiments, and other small "tastes" in your log! Extra calories can be hiding in these items.

6. Use the proper plate method.
Most meals we eat at home or in restaurants are backwards: big portions of meat and carbs and very few (if any) vegetables. If your plates put veggies in a supporting role, you're probably consuming too many calories and hurting your weight-loss efforts. Using a perfectly portioned plate can help! ACTION TIP: Fill half your plate with disease-fighting vegetables, a quarter with lean protein and a quarter with your whole grains. This method automatically piles your plate full of filling, low-calorie veggies that also provide fiber, vitamins and minerals to fight disease. It also helps control portions of starches and protein, which can sometimes become larger than necessary. Keep in mind that using a smaller dish still helps, even when using the proper plate method.

7. Pack in the protein.
Studies show that protein plays a key role in regulating food intake and appetite; people who consistently consume protein regain less weight after a significant weight loss, too. Protein helps increase feelings of fullness because it takes longer to digest. When you skip protein in your meals and snacks, those pesky hunger pangs might encourage overeating! So get into the habit of consuming protein at each meal and snack. ACTION TIP: Stick to lean sources of protein: Beans, hummus, egg whites, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products (cottage cheese, yogurt, cheese, and milk) can all give you muscle-building proteins without added fat.
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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
  • 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