How to eat less: 12 steps (with pictures)

Obesity is becoming a serious problem, not just in the United States, but all over the world. One of the best ways to lose weight is to eat less, but you might have a hard time doing this if you're already used to eating larger portions or had trouble controlling your hunger. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to help you eat less and feel less hungry throughout the day. Making changes to your diet can improve the quality of your health.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: reduce your portions

Step 1. Measure each serving

This is one of the best ways to eat less. Sticking to a limited portion can help you eat less.

Consider buying a kitchen scale or measuring cups. Use these instruments daily to measure all of your meals and snacks, or when preparing food.
Typical serving sizes for the five food groups are: 85 to 125 grams of protein, ½ cup of cut fruit, one cup of vegetables, two cups of green vegetables, ½ cup of cereal, and one cup of milk and of yogurt or 50 grams of cheese.
At each meal, serve yourself a portion of protein (about 100 g of food), 1 or 2 fruits or vegetables and a portion of cereals.

Step 2. Use small plates

When measuring your portions, it may seem like there are fewer meals on your plate. You may feel that you are starving yourself too much when you start measuring your meals.

Using small plates can trick your brain into thinking that there is a large amount of food. On your small plate, the same portion of food will occupy a large space.
Use salad plates or even saucers to reduce the size of your dish.
Consider buying blue plates. Research has shown that people are more likely to leave food on their plate if it is blue.
Buy smaller tupperware or disposable plates to wrap your meals. If you are used to packing your meals, be sure to use smaller containers.

Step 3. Eliminate all temptation at mealtimes

When you are at the table, remove all possible temptations. It can help you stay more focused on your meal and decrease the chances of overeating.

Do not bring bowls or trays of food to the table when possible. This may prompt you to serve yourself a second time.
Try to put all of your meals in suitable containers after you have served yourself a serving. Wrap up any leftovers and store them in the refrigerator.
If you feel like you're going to need more foods, it might also be helpful to just skip the healthier, lower-calorie foods. If you need to help yourself a second time, consider having vegetables and fruit.

Step 4. Leave the meal on your plate

Try to leave leftovers on your plate, no matter how much you eat, whenever you need to eat.

Many of us are used to not wasting food and finishing meals, even when we are full. Forcing yourself to leave something on your plate at every meal causes us to break that habit.
Start by leaving a piece or two on your plate. It can be difficult to leave more at the start.
Wash your dish immediately after you decide you're done eating and after leaving any leftovers on your plate.
If you don't want to waste, wrap your food and have it for lunch the next day or save it for another dinner.

Step 5. Order small portions at the restaurant

Restaurants have a habit of serving larger portions. When you eat, be sure to stick to your portions.

You'll have a hard time figuring out how much meal to eat when you're away from home (especially if you don't have a kitchen scale handy). Make rough deductions as much as you can. For example, a cup is roughly the size of a woman's hand, 85 to 125 grams of food is about the size of a deck of poker cards, and ½ cup is roughly the size of a woman's hand. 'a computer mouse.
Try to eat the smallest portion of the meal available in the restaurant.
Try to get an idea of how much food you can eat and set aside the excess. Ask for wrappers to take the rest of the food home.
Just like at home, always leave some meals on your plates when you go out to eat.
You can also ask the waiter to wrap half of the meal before serving you.

Part 2 of 3: controlling your hunger

Step 1. Drink plenty of fluids before your meals

Studies have shown that drinking low-calorie or non-calorie fluids can help you control your hunger and eat less.

If you were too hungry before a meal, drink a glass of water or a bowl of broth or vegetable soup. Your tummy will actually be full, and the flavor of the food may make your brain believe that you have actually eaten.
Try having unsweetened coffee or tea, flavored water, or a glass of skimmed milk.
Also, be sure to drink enough clear fluids throughout the day. If you don't make up for all the fluid you lose, you can get seriously ill.

Step 2. Eat satiating foods

Eating the right kinds of food can also help suppress your hunger throughout the day.

Eat lean protein with every meal. Lean protein is a great choice for suppressing hunger. Your body takes a long time to digest them and sends signals to your brain that you are full. Make sure to include 1 or 2 servings of lean protein with every meal and snack.
Choose fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are high in fiber. Along with protein, fiber helps keep you fuller for longer. They add bulk to your meals and allow you to be fuller with a small amount of meals.
Here are some examples of foods high in protein and fiber: grilled salmon salad, brown rice with chicken or tofu stir-fry, Greek yogurt with fruit or nuts.

Step 3. Go for the mint flavors

Research has shown that having the aroma of mint in your mouth can help reduce hunger pangs throughout the day.

Brush your teeth after every meal. When you keep your mouth clean, you won't want to snack on anything to lose that minty clean feeling. Try to carry a brush with you at work to avoid snacking in the afternoon.
Take a piece of chewing gum. A lot of people just wish they had something to chew on. Chewing gum can help you skip meals and trick your brain into thinking you're eating.
Also, try drinking mint tea or having unsweetened peppermint candies. Again, the mint flavor can help reduce feelings of hunger in general.

Step 4. Distract yourself

Most of the time, cravings for food and feelings of hunger surprise us all of a sudden. At that moment, we have the impression that it is an irrepressible urge that must be satisfied instantly. Distracting yourself can help you deal with this feeling.

It doesn't matter if it's your sweet tooth or if you feel a little bored in the afternoon, use some distraction techniques to avoid thinking about food.
Often, hunger lasts only 10 minutes or so. Distract yourself for at least 10 to 20 minutes before satisfying your urge (if the need still arises).
Try tidying up a storage room, folding clothes, walking for a while, taking a shower, reading a book, answering received emails or surfing the Internet.

Part 3 of 3: get full by eating less

Step 1. Take between 20 and 30 minutes to eat your meals

Many doctors and dietitians recommend taking at least 20 minutes to consume your meal. This gives you plenty of time to feel full, which will help keep you off more servings.

The 20-minute rule is explained by the fact that it takes exactly 20 to 30 minutes for food to travel through the entire digestive tract. The intestinal cells then secrete a hormone called cholecystokinin which sends a signal to the brain to signal that the body is full and will no longer need food.
If you eat quickly and finish your meal in less than 20 minutes, you are more likely to eat more than you need and until you feel fuller.
Try setting a stopwatch or checking the time to help you stick to this rule.
Drink a few sips of water between bites, put down your fork or talk to those around the table to slow down the way you eat.

Step 2. Take your time to chew your food well

Chewing food carefully and taking your time on each bite is very important in this process and can help you feel full, even with a small portion.

Take your time on each bite. As you chew a food, think about its flavor, texture and flavor. Use as much sense as possible to savor every bite of your meal.
Focusing on your meal and on each bite can increase your level of fullness and allow your brain to enjoy the meal in question.
When you take large chunks and don't chew them well, your brain doesn't receive any signals of fullness or pleasure, which can cause you to eat more.

Step 3. Do not set yourself any dietary restrictions

Many people will try to limit certain types of foods or reduce the consumption of certain treats for dieting or will aim for better health. However, restricting your diet excessively can have negative repercussions.

Remember that the body is unable to gain or lose weight quickly. Drastically changing your diet, consuming very few calories, or limiting your intake of certain foods is not a way to eat healthy.
Never indulging yourself with treats every now and then can lead to overeating a particular food or having a binge eating.
Treat yourself from time to time. This can be once or twice a week or every Friday evening. Establish a schedule that works best for you and will help you maintain a healthy weight.

Advice

Eat slowly. It takes 20 minutes for our body to realize that we are full, and eating quickly causes us to exceed our level of fullness.
Use small plates. We have been used to consuming everything on our plate and using a small plate is like consuming a small amount of food.
Stop taking sugary drinks and start with calorie-free drinks or water.
If you just feel like grabbing something and you're not really hungry, hold back and stop thinking about the urge. Always take the time to ask yourself this: “Be careful! But do I really need to eat this or is it just a craving? This will prevent you from snacking all the time.
Whenever possible, play sports. There really isn't a better way to lose weight, especially if you already have a balanced diet.
Avoid using the “all or nothing” rule when it comes to healthy eating. Remember that every little bit counts.
Learn to tell the difference between boredom and hunger. Most of the time, you can drink water and make the feeling of hunger go away. In fact, you really weren't hungry.
When you're in a fast food restaurant, don't order the largest portion of a meal just because it's more profitable. Remember, you don't need all that food.
Don't try to drink 8 glasses of water a day! It won't really improve your health, but just replaces the water lost through sweat.