Only One Helping
Occasionally I will post random tips and ideas that are small, but simple ways to live a healthier lifestyle. Today’s tip is an easy one to incorporate and will help you eat smaller portions, consume fewer calories and in turn, help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight.
When you sit down to eat dinner, instead of putting all the serving dishes on the table in front of you, put them on the counter and fill your plate before sitting down. Tell yourself (…and stick to your promise) that you will only eat what’s on your plate and that you won’t go back for seconds. (Unless of course, you truly are still hungry…more on that later.)
I promise this little trick works! When dinner is ready at my house, I line up all of our plates, dish up the food and then we sit down at the bare table to eat. Normally, the only thing you’ll see on our table during dinner time is salt and pepper. When we are done eating, I am a lot less likely to add more food to my plate if it requires that I have to stand up and go get it. Not because I’m too lazy, (lol!) but because I have to consciously make the decision to GET UP and GO GET IT. It forces me to really think about whether or not I’m still hungry.
If we are conscious about the food we eat, we will be in tune with our hunger signals and recognize if it’s our stomach that wants the food, or if it’s just our tongue that wants it. Don’t let your tongue win the fight. If you have finished eating and you think you might want more, wait a good five or ten minutes to really determine whether or not you are truly hungry. It takes about that much time for our food to reach the stomach and send the signal to our mind that we are full.
Think about it. If most of the serving dishes are on the table, sitting right in front of you – looking and smelling so GOOD - you have to use a lot more self control and will power, to NOT grab another big spoonful of food… that most likely, your body really doesn’t need anyway.
Good luck today as you continue on in your efforts to feel good about yourself and improve your health. It really does require life-long dedication and diligence, but the results of a healthy life will be well worth it!
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6 Responses to “Only One Helping”
annie
August 21st, 2008
Hi Liz, this is something we have done in our family for a long time now. Another great trick is to place a bottle or jug of water on the table so that instead of eating more food you can just fill up on water 
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Jessica
August 21st, 2008
SO TRUE
I think back to my family meals growing up and the serving platters all over and, well, no wonder….
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MizFit
August 22nd, 2008
Yes! We do this too. My parents insist on “family style” dinners where all of the food is on the table, and I see the difference. With the food right there, it’s just too easy to grab seconds (or thirds). I also make my 5 yr old wait a couple of minutes before getting seconds. Often his stomach catches up with his head before the seconds come and he finds he’s not hungry anymore.
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cathy
August 23rd, 2008
this is SUCH a simple tip- but sooo sooo brilliant! what an “over looked” topic! i mean something so small- yet making a biggg difference to our body!
as always, awsome advice!