Anyone who’s trying to shed excess weight knows that the key to weight-loss lies in eating less and exercising every day without fail. While it’s not that difficult to include some form of physical activity in one’s daily routine, reducing portion size remains a big challenge for weight-watchers, as their metabolism and appetite have become accustomed to large quantities and all-day eating.
To effectively reduce the amount of food you consume each day, you need to make some clever changes that will automatically help you eat less with every meal. Here are some practical tips and tricks to help you limit your food intake on a daily basis.
Drink two full glasses of water before each big meal
One very effective technique limit your portion size is to drink two full glasses of water an hour or thirty minutes before mealtimes. This practice will not only leave you feeling full, it is also completely free of any side effects—all you’re doing is drinking the safest beverage in the world in order to reduce your appetite. The added benefit is that you end up drinking way more water than you would otherwise.
So the next time you feel hungry, reach out for a glassful of water. Squeeze in a few drops of lemon to make it taste better.
Consume foods that induce a feeling of fullness
Contrary to popular belief, you need not starve yourself in order to lose weight. Instead, choose your meals carefully and opt for foods that will make you feel full sooner and leave you feeling satiated for longer.
Opt for whole grain bread instead of cheese-laden garlic bread; have a whole fruit instead of dessert; eat low-fat yogurt instead of cheese; and take a second helping of salad instead of another bowl of rice. Increase your intake of fiber-rich foods such as dried fruits, nuts and grains as they take longer to digest and keep hunger at bay for a few hours.
The key is to have foods that will give you energy and satiate your appetite minus the excess carbs and calories. With practice you will be able to pick foods that make you feel full for longer. For instance, some people can kill mid-evening hunger pangs with a cup of green tea while others may need a bowl of sprouts or a rich, creamy chicken soup.
User smaller plates
While some believe using smaller plates does not really help people eat less, this technique has been shown to have a psychological effect on a person’s thoughts about how much they are getting to eat. Whatever the size of your plate, the general tendency is to fill it with food, particularly when you have been depriving yourself all day. When you use a smaller plate, you will inadvertently take a smaller serving.
If you don’t believe this works, try it out and then see if it makes a difference. In fact, begin with coffee or tea. Start using smaller mugs and in a few days’ time your brain and body will get used to the reduced quantity of your favorite beverage.
Also, chew your food well and enjoy each bite. Start eating slowly and relishing your meals—give your brain time to know that your stomach is full. When you eat fast and just gulp down food, your brain cannot register your feeling of satiation fast enough, which makes you eat more than you should.
Consider Bariatric surgery to reduce the size of your stomach
If you are obese and have not succeeded in losing weight through diet and exercise, your physician may recommend weight-loss surgery as a last resort to gain back your health and your life. Weight-loss surgery is a sophisticated surgical procedure where an expert Bariatric surgeon reduces the size of your stomach so that you’ll feel full sooner and as a result consume less food with every meal.
Gastric bypass is the most well-known weight-loss surgery and the oldest method to help obese and overweight individuals lose weight. While highly popular, this technique has its disadvantages. As a result it has made way for more advanced procedures such as Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy (where a large portion of the stomach is removed from the body) and LAP-BAND (Laparoscopic Adjustable Banding). I have been researching Gastro Center NJ.
LAP-BAND is fast gaining popularity as a preferred weight-loss surgery as it does not involve any alterations in the stomach’s original structure. The stomach is made smaller by tying a band around its upper portion. You can check this link http://www.baybariatrics.com/procedures/lap-band to learn more about the ground-breaking procedure.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
