Food Intake

How to Reduce Food Intake and Not Feel Deprived

Even if we make minimal changes to our lifestyle habits, we can easily lose weight by simply reducing our food intake. However, eating less can result in us feeling deprived and hungry if we are accustomed to eating more. Drastically reducing our food intake quickly may also lead to feelings of deprivation and hunger too.

Below are some simple tips for helping to reduce food intake without feeling deprived:

- Thinner Slices.

Some of us would normally slice ourselves large, thick slices of chicken, turkey, ham, beef, or pork. If this is the case, we can dramatically reduce our portion sizes by slicing them thinner. When we are buying meat at the deli counter, we should ask them to slice it very thinly, or if we are slicing it ourselves we should us a sharp knife so we can easily slice the meat wafer thin. We can then eat the normal amount of slices, but our intake will be much less because the slices are at least half the portion size we would normally eat.

- Change to a smaller serving spoon.

Most regular serving spoons measure 1/4 to 1/2 cup portion of food, which is acceptable for vegetables and low calorie foods, but this may be too much for more fattening foods. To avoid this, we should serve ourselves with either a tablespoon or teaspoon. Obviously we will be able to see that our portion size is smaller than normal and it may take a while to adapt to the smaller serving size, but over time we will eventually get used to it.

- Change to a smaller plate.

Rather than using a large size dinner plate for our meals, we should change to a smaller plate such as a salad or dessert plate. If we have normally been used to a large plate, this may seem a little inadequate in relation to the quantities we usually eat, but if we consider the size of our stomach, this volume of food is sufficient to satisfy us without making us feel over full.

- Change to a smaller glass or cup.

If we normally drink wine, soda, or sweetened tea or coffee with our meals, reducing the size of the glass or cup we drink from will reduce our calorie intake. A small glass can hold approximately 4 ounces of liquid, and depending on the type of beverage, can add an additional 50-150 calories to our meal. We can resolve this issue if we can get into the habit of simply drinking water with our meals and snacks.

- Make gradual changes.

For some of us, making drastic changes immediately may be challenging, so we could try gradually reducing our portion size over time. We could start by cutting down on certain foods, or get into the habit of leaving a little food on our plate at each meal rather than completely eating everything. It is usually our mind that is craving food, not necessarily our stomach. We will find these gradual changes becoming easier and more acceptable as the days and weeks go by and we progress towards our weight loss goals.

Food Intake