A common sense approach to weight loss: your food portion sizes
There’s certainly no shortage of weight loss plans. The number and variety of such programs can be bewildering. Isn’t there a simple, straightforward way to lose weight without counting, weighing and navigating food exchange calculations? Read on to see how regulating your food portion sizes and eating your meals in individual courses can make weight loss a snap!
To begin, allow yourself one daily treat to look forward to, in a satisfying amount. Choose just one of your favorite forbidden foods. Read the label and decide on reasonable food portion sizes to eat each day. Make the size small, but satisfying. When you sit down to enjoy this treat, serve it on a pretty plate. It’s special. Eat and chew slowly, so that you get every last tidbit of enjoyment of the flavor, texture and forbidden pleasure.
With meals, do plan healthy menus with foods you like. Let’s say you’re having lasagna, a salad and French bread for dinner. Now this may sound like a dieter’s dream, but it’s absolutely OK as long as you monitor food portion sizes. Make the salad large, with lots of your favorite veggie additions – the more, the merrier. Serve it on an attractive plate as your first course. Again, eat slowly, chew well and enjoy every last bite.
Eating slowly allows your stomach to fill slowly. You’ll be surprised to find a sense of fullness ensues. You start to feel satisfied. Yet the calories you’ve consumed are minimal. Kick back for just 5 or 10 minutes before moving on to your next course.
Now for the lasagna. Again, use a plate that makes a nice, restaurant style presentation. Eyeball the lasagna. Reduce this food portion size by one-third of what you’d normally eat. Do the same with the French bread. Use less butter or better yet, brush the bread with olive oil. Add some minced garlic, sliced olives and diced onions. You’ve got a lot of flavor, fewer calories and the cholesterol-lowering benefits of the garlic and onions. Savor each bite and eat slowly! You may be shocked to discover you’re actually full before you finish your plate.
Make breakfast and lunch lighter as well. Fruit, muffins and yogurt are good breakfast choices. A chef’s salad with turkey, chicken or other lean meat is a low-calorie, satisfying lunch.
Follow this plan, day by day. Learn to eat slowly, make your food a visual feast and cut your food portion sizes. Eat one course at a time. Have your daily treat. This is a program that’s easy to stick with and lose all the weight, gradually and painlessly. Soon you’ll have the figure you crave!