If you are trying to lose weight or improve your fitness, you need to be mindful of the food you eat. Not only the types of food but also the quantities you consume. One of the biggest challenges for anyone on a diet is reducing their food intake. When you’re hungry it can be difficult to stop yourself from eating whatever you want, and you might find you still feel peckish and your stomach is growling after a meal.
But eating smaller portions and eliminating snacking is the best way to maintain your weight, and it can benefit your health in other ways too. If you suffer from acid reflux or bloating after meals then eating in a more restrained way will help you sleep at night and prevent you from reaching for the heartburn medicine.
If you find yourself making constant trips to the fridge at night or piling your plate six inches high, don’t give up. There are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to reduce your food intake without succumbing to extreme hunger, By following these four tips you will achieve your fitness goals without difficulty and will feel like a new person when you look in the mirror.
Serve smaller portions
However much food is on your plate, that’s how much you will eat. So by serving yourself smaller portions, you can trick your body into getting full up quicker. Put less food on your plate than you normally would, or even buy smaller plates. Before long, your new portion sizes will be a regular habit.
Adjust your ratios
When you plate up your food, take a look at how much space the different foodstuffs take up. If your dinner is mostly meat and carbs with a few limp vegetables scattered on the side as an afterthought then your ratios are all off. By simply increasing the number of vegetables and reducing the rest, you can eat more healthily without having to lighten your plate. Vegetables should take up half of your plate, while the remaining space should be filled with healthy protein, carbohydrate, or fats.
Drink water with each meal
Health experts recommend that you consume eight glasses, or two liters, of water each day. For some people this is easy, but others find it more difficult. But drinking water with each meal is a great way to fill yourself up before you eat more food than you should. Place a large jug of water on the table for every meal and take regular sips throughout. This not only fills you up more quickly, but it also serves to slow down your eating, leaving more time between each bite.
Be more mindful
Mindful eating is a practice that has begun to take off in recent years. It involves focusing on your sensations and thoughts when consuming food, being mindful of how it makes your mind and body feel. This practice helps you enjoy your food more thoroughly as well as forcing you to take more time with it. It has been shown to reduce overeating and help you distinguish between genuine hunger and the desire to eat because you are bored or stressed.
