Everyday Systems

I'm already thinking of gradually and progressively decreasing food on my meal-plate every day but is there a sure-fire approach to this?

I'm not sure it's as necessary to decrease the amount of food as it is to make sure it's in the "right" proportions. 1/2 of the plate vegetables, 1/4 starch, 1/4 protein (including nonmeat protein sources). By increasing vegetables and limiting starch and protein, you're automatically reducing calorie intake.

I've always liked this:
http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/d ... d.portions

I'm not sure the links at the end of the article still work, but this is a current link to AICR's New American Plate:
http://www.aicr.org/site/PageServer?pag ... p_index_21

The best way is wait. Stick to three single plate meals an N-day and time alone will start to unconsciously whittle down your portions. The sight of excess right there in front of you is a very effective disincentive.

Jumping the gun can be dangerous... you don't want to overshoot and find yourself starving between meals and then breaking the rules. Get these habits down like iron before you even consider further interventions -- and my bet is that at that point you won't need them.

If you feel antsy to do something -- add more healthy bulky fruits and vegetables to your plates. They'll crowd our denser, more caloric stuff, and are great in themselves. They'll look like more than they are, which will trick you into feeling fuller (it's not just your stomach that gets hungry, but your "bigger than your stomach" eyes). They're a positive, additive method of portion control.

Reinhard

So Pepper,
It seems like I'm the Johnny on the Spot to reply to your messages this morning! I'll share a few of my strategies for cutting portions. . .but as I said in the cereal post, it's more important to build your habits before you worry about that.

From Reinhard's original info about No S.

What do you mean by "seconds?"

As I mentioned in a post to the No S diet group, by "no seconds," I officially mean one physical plate, and I think for beginners especially it's good to stick with this, even if it means a fairly overloaded plate. If the amount of food on your one plate is a little bestial and disgusting, that's part of the educational process.

Now that I've been at this a number of weeks, here's what I'm doing:
1. At restaurants, I either order an appetizer (that I really want!) for my meal or ask for a to-go box when my food is served and divide it before I even take a bite. My goodness, servings are so large I've even gotten two meals out of the take out boxes!

2. Use a smaller plate; my dishes have the regular modern sized dinner plates which actually measure much larger than dinner plates of 50 years ago. I also have what they call dessert or salad plates--smaller than the dinner plate but still will hold plenty.

3. Invest in some inexpensive divided plates with covers to take food to work in for lunch. Those are usually a bit smaller as well.

I started this message before I headed to the pool for my morning water workout so I'm guessing there a lots of other answers for you now. . . so I guess I'm not so Johnny on the Spot after all!

Take it slow--don't start off depriving yourself--it took a while to add those pounds-so take it off just as slowly.

LA Loser

I've been using a system inspired by blueskighs, which I call "virtual blog". I assemble my plate/meal and then I consider whether if I posted a picture on my blog would my readers (and myself) consider it a reasonable portion? Or would I be embarrassed? (Of course it might be even more effective if I really did it, but I can't be bothered!)

For example, yesterday I made some mini pizzas with split english muffins as bases, and gave myself three, but then decided it just looked too much, and put one back.

It has also had the side effect of making my meals nicer and healthier, as I take more care to make the meal look nice, and that usually means adding more salad veggies or fruit.

LM

ok,well the deal is I don't think I've eaten in excess for a while at all. My plates are like 10" in diameter or maybe 1'(my foot is 12" so thats what i'm visualizing right now). I've already set in the habit of only one plate or bowl(because I find it easier to eat rice in a bowl) a meal. No biggie for me. Just seeing if I'll gradually find myself eating less if i don't feel like I'm eating excess right now

pepper wrote:ok,well the deal is I don't think I've eaten in excess for a while at all. My plates are like 10" in diameter or maybe 1'(my foot is 12" so thats what i'm visualizing right now). I've already set in the habit of only one plate or bowl(because I find it easier to eat rice in a bowl) a meal. No biggie for me. Just seeing if I'll gradually find myself eating less if i don't feel like I'm eating excess right now

I expect you will naturally cut if you're eating too much now.

If you want to hasten, take a look at Wosne's post on The Best Diet: No Diet! Those seem like reasonable, easy strategies that wouldn't feel too "diety."

is there a sure-fire approach to this?

I suspect not

I think if you just kind of have patience and let it happen somewhat naturally that would be great. That is what I am doing with myself. I find the process is up and down.

Blueskighs

I call "virtual blog". I assemble my plate/meal and then I consider whether if I posted a picture on my blog would my readers (and myself) consider it a reasonable portion? Or would I be embarrassed?

London Mum,

that was funny and clever! I wonder how much putting up pictures of my plates and bowls has made an effect on me. That being said, it IS a kind of gentle way to use our "eyes" to "measure" our portions.

I love it!

Blueskighs