Session 2:
Eating the Foods You Love

Usually not. In fact, sometimes trying to go “cold turkey” is unrealistic option because depriving ourselves of something makes us want it all the more. So in many cases you don’t need to cut out a food entirely, you just need to cut down on your portion sizes. On the other hand, if you find you are just unable to make strategies like this work, then it’s more effective to avoid those foods completely. We’ll talk about avoiding dangerous foods later in this session.

Smaller portions

You might already know that average serving sizes at restaurants have expanded enormously over the past 20 – 30 years.

And that’s not just for foods. The average drink size has also more than doubled.

But here’s something you might not know: the expanding portion size problem is lurking inside your home. For example, the average dinner plate is about 70% bigger than it was 30 years ago!

Studies have shown that the larger our plate, the more we eat. So to limit how much you eat, start using smaller plates and cups.

Another helpful tip: We only remember the first bite and the last bite of the food we eat. Everything in between is quickly forgotten.

Here are a few more ideas for how to reduce your portion sizes of food and drinks:

• Don’t eat out of a large bag or bowl and avoid “family style.” It’s too hard to keep track of how much you’ve eaten.

• Eat a small amount of healthy fat at the start of a meal; it will help your hunger go away faster.

• Focus on your food – the way it tastes, smells, looks, and sounds.

• Try not to read, drive, or watch TV while you eat.

• Eat slowly. Try putting the fork down in between bites to slow your pace.

• A lot of us were raised to feel guilty if don’t eat everything on our plate. It’s time to flip that upside down. It’s ok if you don’t eat everything.