Five Tricks For Eating Fewer Calories

Mind is All

Have you committed yourself to a weight loss plan? Are you having trouble defeating your bad eating habits? You can use these tips to reduce your caloric intake without feeling too much pain.

Buy smaller plates. If you serve meals on big plates, use plates that have a wide decorative brim so you'll only put food in the smaller inner part of the plate. The trick here is to make your serving size look bigger than it is, which will help you serve yourself and eat less. Use this same trick for bowls and dessert dishes. Serve treats in fun, tiny dessert bowls that will make desserts look more indulgent and bigger than they are.

Use tall, slim glasses for drinks. The height of the glass will trick your eye into thinking you have more than you do. Make your low calorie beverage feel like a treat by adding a fun garnish such as a cherry, pineapple wedge, or slice of cucumber.

Eat only at the table. Make yourself set the table and sit down every time you eat and you’ll cut calories without realizing it. Much of our excessive calorie intake happens while standing and eating out of the box (or bag), eating in front of the television, or eating while on the computer.

Squeeze vegetables into recipes every chance you get. Because vegetables are usually high fiber and low calorie, you can lower the caloric impact of a calorie-dense meal simply by slipping in a few veggies. For example, try spinach and mushrooms in an Itallian pasta dish, or snow peas or asparagus in hot dishes. Every time you can replace a high-calorie ingredient with a fresh vegetable, you’re reducing the caloric intake of that dish while increasing your fiber and nutrition.

Help yourself develop a disliking for unhealthy foods. If you’re tempted to eat McDonalds, watch “Supersize Me” and allow yourself to get disgusted. Do you have a weakness for sausages or hot dogs? Once you learn what those are made from, you may be able to resist them. Fill your mind with positive thoughts about healthy foods and negative thoughts about unhealthy food.

These guidelines can empower you to eat fewer calories and live more healthfully.