Reducing With Smaller Portions

Many people underestimate the volume of food they eat. Or they may forget about the soft drink between meals, or the nibbles while preparing dinner. Extra calories every day, even from low fat foods, can result in unwanted pounds.

Take control of your portions:

• Start reducing your portions by taking a little off your plate to moderate what you normally eat
• If you are often tempted to have seconds at meals, cook only what you can eat. Or refrigerate any extra portions before you sit down to eat.
• Instead of ordering a double patty burger, make it a single.
• When eating at a restaurant that serves jumbo portions, ask your server to bring a doggie bag and wrap up half the food to take home - before you start eating (you’re less likely to eat food that's not on your plate).
• Fill up on larger portions of vegetables which have few calories and important nutrients.

Record your calories for a week. Write down exactly what you eat, how much and when; a kitchen scale and calorie chart will help. This process takes some effort but it can give you a more precise evaluation of what needs to change in your diet to keep your food intake where you want it.

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