By David Blyweiss, M.D.

If stepping on the scale lately sends you into shock, you may be looking for ways to lose some of that excess weight. In my next bulletin, I ’ll share my four-step plan for lasting weight loss. But no matter which weight loss plan you try, one critical secret of success is portion size. Research shows that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25 percent. And that can add five, 10, 15 pounds or more in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, going for the skinny portions can be easier than you think. Here are some of my favorite tips that you can use to jumpstart a healthy weight loss plan.

1.  Buy A Food Scale. Food scales can help you keep track of your daily caloric intake and prevent you from overeating. These are perfect for measuring out one ounce of healthy, yet fattening, foods like cheese, nuts or chocolate. You can also use measuring cups to portion out healthy amounts of pasta, rice, sauces, and other foods that can undermine your diet.

2.  Use Smaller Plates. The truth is, we eat most of what is on our plate, no matter what size plate we use. Take control of your portion sizes by downsizing your plate size. Does this simple trick really work? Absolutely! Studies have shown that people feel more satisfied with less food when they are served on 8-inch salad plates in place of 12-inch dinner plates.

3.   Say Yes to Salads. Eating a salad before lunch or dinner is a sure-fire way to keep from overeating. It will help curb your appetite and give you a sense of satiety sooner. To prove that salads can cut calorie intake, Pennsylvania State University researchers gave women large, low-calorie salads (three cups total) for lunch before serving them the rest of the meal. The women ate about 100 calories less at these meals compared to meals when no salad was served. But, to reap full portion control benefits from rabbit food, load up your salad with veggies or even lean meat like turkey cubes. The fiber in the veggies will help you feel fuller and lean meat’s protein will give you an instant energy boost. Then dress the whole thing in no more than two tablespoons of a low-cal dressing.

4. Single out Trigger Foods. Buy healthy snack foods in single serving sizes or divvy up full size packages into smaller, individual bags. It may be difficult to stop eating, oh, say, a tub of hummus or a jar of cashews, but choosing a small container or resealable snack bag will give you a psychological limit.

5.  Master The Mini Meal. You can make sure your blood sugar stays on an even keel by eating small healthful meals throughout the day. Mini meals are by far the best way to prevent overeating because you’ll never get too hungry and lose control of your portion intake.

6.  Pack in protein. Protein is not only good for you, it makes you feel full. Remember, there’s more to the protein category than just meat. Try slipping some yogurt, an egg, low-fat dairy, or fish into every meal.

7.  Get smart about nutrition labels. In addition to serving size, make sure to read the servings per container information to understand how many servings a food package contains.

8. Take your time.Put your fork down between bites to help you eat slowly. It’s also smart to wait before you take seconds. It takes about 20 minutes for your body to register that it’s full. If you’re still hungry after 20 minutes, try a small second helping.

9.  Get a doggie bag before you eat. To help keep restaurant portions reasonable, ask your waiter to pack up half your entrée before you start to eat.

10. Treat yourself. Last, but not least … indulge! Treating yourself once in a while to a “forbidden” food will keep you from feeling deprived; a sense of deprivation can easily lead to overeating. Stop a binge before it starts by indulging every now and then.

Remember, your fork is the most important tool you have to help you control your weight and improve your overall health.

References:

Ovaskainen ML. Accuracy in the estimation of food servings against the portions in food photographs. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;62:674-681.

Rolls BJ. Salad and satiety: energy density and portion size of a first-course salad affect energy intake at lunch. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004;104:1570-1576