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wikiHow to Eat Less During a Meal

Three Methods:Controlling Portion SizesEating MindfullyUsing Tricks to Feel FullCommunity Q&A

Eating less during meals can be challenging. It's easy to overeat during regular meals, especially if you're not paying attention to signals from your body. To cut back on eating, assemble meals using the right portions and the right types of food. Learn to eat mindfully by paying attention to taste and texture. You can also use tricks, like using smaller plates, to make yourself feel full faster.

Controlling Portion Sizes

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    Opt for protein. Protein is essential to a healthy diet and leaves you feeling full faster than most foods. A solid serving of protein at meals can help you eat less, as you'll fill up faster. Make sure to opt for healthy sources of protein, like lean meats, fish, and poultry.[1]
    • Check serving sizes when fixing protein. Some protein foods may be high calorie, so you may want to avoid large servings.
    • If you're ordering at a restaurant, see if you can get half of something like, say, a steak boxed up before being served. You can take it home and eat it later. Restaurant servings tend to be larger.
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    Choose high fiber foods. Fiber tends to fill you up. Stock your plate with high fiber foods at meals. In addition to helping you feel full faster, fiber will keep you full long term. This will prevent you from snacking after dinner.[2]
    • Go for low calorie sources of fiber, like beans, vegetables, and whole grains.
    • When eating out, swap white grains for whole grains when you can. Ask for brown rice instead of white rice, for example.
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    Eat water-based foods. Water will fill you up without adding calories to your meal. Fruits and vegetables tend to have high water content, so pack your plate with plenty of produce. Go for things like grapes, cucumbers, lettuce, and tomatoes. Soups that have a lot of broth also have a high water content.[3]
    • When eating out, order a side salad or have a salad before your main meal.
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    Measure your food. Invest in measuring cups or a kitchen scale at a local department store. These devices will help you correctly measure out portion size. If you're just estimating, it's easy to go overboard when preparing your food. For instance, if your can of beans says half a cup is a serving, make sure you only take half a cup of beans.[4]
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    Read labels. Oftentimes, you accidentally consume more calories due to deceptive labeling. This can cause you to ingest larger portions that you realize. While a pre-made side salad may claim it's only 250 calories, this may be the "per serving" amount. The package itself may contain two servings, giving you 500 calories for a side dish.[5]
    • Make a habit of checking serving size each time you're preparing a meal. If a food contains multiple servings in a package, make sure to only eat that amount.
    • Avoid eating straight out of a package, as this makes it hard to measure how much you're eating. Instead, measure out a serving and eat only that.
    • If you have difficulty not eating, say, an entire package of chips, look for bags with only one serving per package. You can go for 100 calorie bags of chips as side dishes instead of larger bags that contain two or more servings.
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    Invest in portion control plates. Portion controlled plates are plates divided into sections for starch, protein, and vegetables. You can buy portion controlled plates at some department stores or online. You can use them to eat less by filling your plate with the correct portion sizes of food at each meal.[6]
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    Use tricks to gauge portion size. Portion size can be confusing, especially if it's explained in terms like "ounces" and "cups." There are a number of general rules of thumb you can use to remind yourself of proper portion sizes without having to stop and measure.[7]
    • A serving of meat is about as big as a bar of soap.
    • A serving of pasta should be roughly the size of your fist.
    • Three ounces of fish is about the size of a checkbook.
    • A teaspoon of oil is about the size of your tip of your thumb. A tablespoon is about the size of your whole thumb.
    • Servings of fruits and vegetables should be the size of a baseball or tennis ball.

Eating Mindfully

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    Create a relaxing eating environment. If you want to eat more mindfully, create the right atmosphere. You're more likely to slow down and enjoy a meal if you've set up a nice atmosphere for yourself. Sit down in a dining room or kitchen and eliminate distractions before eating.[8]
    • Set the table. Even if you're eating alone, having the table set can set a calm environment for eating.
    • Dim the lights. This will help you stay relaxed and enjoy your meal.
    • You should also keep food out of sight to avoid eating in the kitchen between meals. Keep snacks in high cabinets so you will have to work to get them.
  2. 2
    Prepare your food yourself. If you make meals each day, this can reduce the amount you eat. Preparing food at home means you control the portion size, helping you eat less by making smaller portions for yourself. This can also help you transition into mindful eating, which slows down eating habits in general. You will learn to appreciate the food and the work it takes to prepare it, slowing you down while eating. Take time to peel, chop, and prepare your food.[9]
    • As you prepare your food, notice the sights, smells, sounds, and textures.
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    Eliminate electronic distractions. When you sit down to eat, keep electronics out of the room. Turn your smartphone off and do not eat in front of the television. Give your full attention to the food.[10]
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    Pay attention to tastes and textures. Eat your food slowly and focus on the tastes and textures. Chew each bite multiple times and savor the flavor. Be aware of what you're eating the entire time, focusing all your energy on your food. If you slow down the pace of your eating, you will feel full faster. This will result in you eating less overall.[11]
    • It can help to set down your spoon or fork between bites.
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    Stop eating when you are 80% full. Your stomach can take up to twenty minutes to tell you that you are full. To avoid overeating, stop when you are feeling about 80% full. This is a Japanese method known as Hara Hachi Bu.[12]
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    Eat with other people. Whenever possible, eat your meals with other people around. Having company while you eat may help you maintain a healthy weight and encourage you to eat less.[13]
    • Sharing meals with your family can also help strengthen your relationship.
    • Try to eat lunch with your coworkers whenever possible.
    • If you live alone, try to invite your friends over for dinner.

Using Tricks to Feel Full

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    Drink a glass of water before eating. Before each meal, drink an 8 ounce glass of water. Water will fill up your stomach, but has no calories. Going into the meal somewhat full will cause you to eat less overall.[14]
  2. 2
    Wear tighter clothing when you eat. Tighter clothing will feel snugger as you fill up on food. Wearing something like a form fitted jacket or blouse while eating will help you feel full faster. As your clothing gets tighter, you may feel uncomfortable and want to stop eating earlier than usual.[15]
    • Make sure not to wear anything so tight it's difficult to eat. You want to make sure you're still getting enough food overall.
  3. 3
    Use smaller plates. Cleaning your plate will make you feel like you've eaten a full meal. You can trick your brain into feeling satisfied by using smaller plates. You will not be able to fit as much food on them, and will feel full after consuming smaller portions.[16]
    • Make sure your plates are big enough to hold proper portions of vegetables, proteins, and grains. You want to make sure you're getting the right amount of food.
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    Brush your teeth after filling up. After you finish a meal, you may have a habit of picking at food while storing leftovers or grazing from the fridge after dinner. To prevent this, brush your teeth after a meal. As food will not taste right after having brushed your teeth, this can reduce your desire to graze. You also may not want to go to the trouble of brushing your teeth again later.[17]

Community Q&A

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    • Talk to a doctor before starting a new diet.
    • Avoid eating in the car.

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