We live in a world of Super Size. If we get served a normal serving of food we feel like we are not getting our money's worth and will hunt out the place that will give us the most for the least. Take a look at the average statistics from the last 20 years:
2 slices of pizza from 500 calories to 850
Cup of Coffee from 45 calories to 330
Movie Popcorn from 270 calories to 630
Cheeseburger from 333 calories to 590
Our portions are becoming out of control, and unfortunately so are our waistlines. Here are a few simple things we can do to get back on track.
1. DOWNSIZE
It's not just food that has become super size, our serving ware has as well. It's human nature to feel like you have to fill the plate, and with all the "starving children in Africa" as our parents so commonly told us growing up, we need to eat it all up. Sometimes the most simple fix is the best: use smaller plates, glasses and eating utensils. If you have a smaller plate you can still fill it up, but you are eating a considerable amount less.
2. DON'T PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE
You just finished your plate of food and that casserole dish is staring you in the face: it's a show down. You know you shouldn't eat more, but it's so yummy and it's right there..... you will almost always lose. I like the out of site, out of mind tactic. If you sever your food from the kitchen and then sit at the table to eat, the rest of the food won't be staring you down like Clint Eastwood daring you to make it's day and eat more.
3. DRINK WATER
It's a strange thing, but a lot of times when we think we are hungry we are actually just dehydrated and in need of water. Make sure you are getting plenty of water and you will not feel as hungry.
4. CHECK LABELS
You grab a package of crackers and it brags that they are only 130 calories per serving. Great! 130 calories is a good amount for a quick snack. You scarf down 20 crackers and are feeling pretty good about yourself.... oops! That was 130 calories for 10 crackers. You just downed 260 calories - twice as many as you thought you did. Pay close attention to portion sizes. The average granola for example, has a serving size of 1/2 cup. Who only eats a 1/2 cup of cereal for breakfast? Make sure you know what portions are.
5. MEASURE
This leads me to our next item - measure your food. Even if you only do this for a few weeks, it will give you a visual of what a portion size actually looks like. Most people think that a chicken breast is a portion, but in actuality it's more like 1/2 of a chicken breast. We have become so desensitized to what a portion looks like that we need to remind ourselves again.
6. NIX THE TELEVISION AND COMPUTER
Don't eat in front of the television or computer. If you become distracted from your food, you are not paying attention to what you are eating and you WILL eat more than you think you do. Take the time to really enjoy your food and let your brain engage in the process: you will be more satisfied for longer periods of time.
7. DON'T EAT OUT OF PACKAGES
Never eat directly out of the package a food comes from. Big traps: chips, pretzels, crackers. If you are just grabbing directly out of the package, you are not going to know how much you are actually eating. Take the time to count out a portion and put it into a bowl or bag and eat from that. Once it's gone, that's all you get, and you know exactly how much you ate. You will be surprised at how small a portion is, and realize you have been actually eating 2-3 (or more!) servings.
8. DON'T FAKE IT!
In a world of marketing, there are a lot of catch phrases that are used to hook you into thinking you are eating healthy. Don't buy into it, and do your research. Low-fat doesn't mean low calories. More often than not a low-fat item will have the same amount of calories and be laden with sugar to make up for the lack of taste taking the fat out has left. Many people feel because something is low-fat or sugar-free they can eat more, but this is not the case. We are coming back to checking those labels. Plus, your body doesn't know what to do with fabricated ingredients and will not process them properly. You are much better off just eating the real deal and keeping the portions in check.
9. DON'T DRINK YOUR CALORIES
There is 140 calories in one can of Coke. If you super size this and get a Big Gulp you are looking at a whopping 400 calories! Orange Juice has 112 calories for 1 cup, but people rarely drink just 1 cup of juice and are more than likely consuming well over 200 calories in that morning glass of goodness. That Grande Coffe Mocha you enjoy on your way to work? 260 calories. The sad thing about these calories is they are empty of any nutrients, so you body cannot use anything in them. You become hungry because your body is signaling you that it needs nutrients to run properly. You just consumed all those calories with nothing you body can use, so it will signal you it needs nutrients by making you hungry, thereby more calories will be consumed. By eating your calories, you will be getting the nutrients you need, thus satisfying your bodies needs and staying satisfied longer and needing less.
10. EAT OFTEN
You have gone all day without eating because you are trying to drop a few pounds before you have to squeeze that backside into your swim suite. By the time afternoon comes you are famished and need something to eat - NOW. At this desperate point all rationale has gone out the door and you will eat anything you can get your hands on. This is a dangerous trap. If you eat throughout the day, your body continues to get the tools it needs to function properly and stays happy. Then you can make smart choices about what goes in the mouth because you aren't a starved lunatic looking for anything edible to put in your mouth.
