1. Eat breakfast. While it seems like skipping a meal is an easy way to cut calories, skipping breakfast usually backfires when hunger comes raging back mid-day, often leading to overeating.
2. Choose small portions and eat slowly. Slowing down at meals and choosing smaller portions can help avoid overeating by giving the brain time to tell the stomach when it’s had enough food. Limiting distractions-turning off the television, computer, or smartphone can also help us focus on the food.
3. Eat at home. Fast food, restaurant meals, and other meals prepared away fro
m home tend to have larger portions and be less nutritious than the food we cook for ourselves.
4. Eat mindfully. Taking time to think about why you’re actually eating is a good way to avoid needless calories Hungry? Make the healthiest food and drink choices possible. Not really hungry? Choose something else to do or have a piece of fruit instead of a full meal. When you do eat, focus all of your senses on the food, so that you can truly enjoy what you are eating. More information about mindful eating can be found at The Center for Mindful Eating and the website for the book Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life