Tip #8

Portion Size

Don’t be a victim of “portion distortion.”  We live in a “super-size” society and it shows.  Most of us eat more than we need to at any given meal, which translates into excess calories that will be stored as fat.  Studies show the eating less can actually lengthen your life span and quality of health significantly.  The following are a few tricks that will help you reduce your portion sizes.

First, don’t skip meals and snacks.  Skipping meals or snacks makes you hungrier and therefore more likely to overeat.  It can also slow your metabolic rate.  Typically, a meal or snack should be eaten every 3 to 4 hours.

Next Eat Slowly!  It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to receive the message your stomach has been satisfied.  It’s amazing how much we can gobble down in just 5 minutes.  Chew and enjoy your food, put your utensil down between bites, take a “breather.”  If you can extend your meal to 15 to 20 minutes you will be much less likely to eat more than your body needs. 

And last associate portion sizes with objects that can help you gauge the correct amount to eat.  For instance, an appropriate portion of meat is about the size of a deck of cards, fruit about the size of your fist, and vegetables about the size of two fists.  You should be able to fit an entire meal on a 6” salad plate.

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Remember!

We don’t gamble with our health and you shouldn’t either.