10 Simple Ways To Eat Less

If you?re planning to lose weight or trying to eat healthier, it?s not just as simple as ?eating less?. This is because of all the environmental factors which affect our calorie intake. Are you an active person? Are you just relaxing at home? How much food is being served? The list is endless.

The good news though is that you can control many of these factors ? it?s just a case of being mindful of them until they become habits. Here are 10 simple ways you can use to help yourself eat less and keep your calories in check:

1. Enjoy Every Bite

Focusing on each bite helps you practice mindful eating, which?has been proven to cut down calorie intake. Slowing down also allows you to recognize your feelings of hunger so you can realize when you’ve had enough, rather than quickly cleaning your whole plate and regretting it afterwards.

2. Use Smaller Plates, Cups and Bowls

Research has shown that people who use larger bowls, plates and utensils tend to serve themselves more food which leads to more calories consumed. Although those bigger bowls may look good, they?re doing damage to your waistline ? try and save them for a special occasion. Eating from smaller plates will lead you to subconsciously serving less food.

3. Keep Yourself Busy

Night-time eating can be the undoing of many of us, especially if we spend most of the evening in front of the TV watching our favorite programs. Taking up activities such as painting, knitting or crocheting can help reduce the urge to binge eat. If those don?t appeal to you, why not try building a toy model or working on a .

4. Know Your Pitfalls

We all have that food we can?t resist and think about even when it?s not in the vicinity. Once you’ve recognized what your personal weakness is, you can take extra measures to prevent overeating these foods and avoid repeated exposure to them. Draw up a plan and stick to it until you feel strong enough to face that food without giving up control.

5. Save The Booze Until Dessert

Alcohol often sparks uninhibited eating. If you enjoy a beer or glass of wine with your meal, skip on it until the end. Then, offset the calories by choosing fruit for dessert ? why not try a bowl of strawberries with a glass of Merlot, or a Chardonnay paired with a slice of plum and peaches.

6. Keep Baby Carrots Nearby While Cooking

Limit yourself to tiny tastes of your oven cooking and nibble on when you feel like you need to snack on something. Also make sure you have a glass of ice water nearby.

7. Pack In The Protein

Protein helps increase the feeling of fullness because it takes the body longer to digest. Get into the habit of eating protein at each meal or snack to avoid those dreaded hunger pains. Foods such as lean meats, beans and egg whites can all give you muscle building proteins without added fat.

8. Don?t Skip Meals

Missing meals during the day often leads to you paying the price at night when your resistance is lower because of fatigue. If you?re struggling to eat breakfast, try and settle on one or two morning snacks you can eat on the go. Alternatively if you often skip lunch at work, bring some food from home so it becomes a no-brainer.

9. Doggy Bag It

Most portions at restaurants are set up for overeating. We all like a good deal for our money, but make sure it doesn’t clash with your health. A full meal can contain over 1000 calories and that?s even before the desserts have arrived.

Also it can be difficult to keep track of how much you’ve eaten, especially if you?re distracted talking to friends or family. Ask your waiter or waitress to pack up half your meal before it hits the table to cut back on the calories.

10. Keep Snacks Out Of Sight

Do anything you can to cover the snacks in your house ? wrap them, pack them, stick them in hard-to-see spots in the cupboard, fridge or freezer. Keeping them out of your eyes gaze helps you forgot about their existence and reduces temptation to binge.