If portion sizes have expanded beyond 1 cup of solid food, mindless eating most likely plays a role. Create a physical pause in your meal to bring more awareness to the portion of food you are eating. Do this by using a small salad plate and measuring out ½ cup of total food. You might select ¼ cup of two different foods or 2 tablespoons of 4 different foods. Eat that food slowly, taking small bites and chewing well. If you would like to eat more when that food is gone, measure and place ¼ cup of food on your plate. Eat that food slowly, taking small bites and chewing well. If you would still like to eat more, place another ¼ cup of food on your plate. This works well at a restaurant, family gathering or most situations if you transfer food in small portions from the served plate to a smaller salad plate.
