10 Tricks for Eating Less without Feeling Hungry

Doing the math is simple – you have to eat less and burn more calories to lose weight. Even if you consume solely healthy foods, moderation is essential. The problem with moderation is that it often tends to leave you hungry.

I am certainly against strict restrictions and fad diets – these lead solely to muscle loss and they deprive the body of essential nutrients. If you are used to big portions, however, even a small change will be difficult to introduce.

A few basic principles can be used to do portion control and decrease the consumption of excessive amounts of food. Here is my list of top 10 strategies.

Usually we eat more than we should because of the mindless margin, but you can use the same principles to subtly influence your behavior and mindlessly eat less. Over time this calorie difference can help you drop weight. It’s slow, but it’s steady. And best of all, it’s painless.

10 Simple Ways To Eat Less Without Noticing
1 The Plate Size Trick

Putting a little bit of food on a large plate is probably going to make you feel very bad. The psychology of giving yourself a satisfactory meal is simple – you have to switch to smaller plates.

A small plate will look full, even if you put very little food on it. Try this trick and I promise you that you will be happy with the results.

Using smaller plates and filling them up is a proven way to eat less without noticing.

2Serve Yourself a Little Bit Less

If you eat approximately 80 percent of the food that you previously used to consume, you will feel full and barely notice the difference.

Start doing portion control by serving yourself a little bit less than usual. There is one more thing you can do to give yourself a sufficiently big portion. If you decrease the quantity of meat you consume, for example, you could give yourself a bit more in terms of veggies or salad.

3Use Taller Glasses

Cutting down on liquid calories is essential for weight loss. The plate trick applies to glasses, as well. You need taller, rather than wider glasses. The quantity of liquid will look bigger in such a glass.

You can cut down on your liquid calories by choosing taller glasses rather than shorter, fatter ones.

4The Importance of Eating Protein in the Morning

Skipping breakfast is a huge mistake. You need to eat a morning meal and you also have to make smart nutritional choices.

Studies show that a breakfast high in proteins is great for decreasing hunger levels throughout the day. People that eat a nutritional breakfast like the one comprised of eggs or a wholegrain turkey sandwich, for example, are capable of reducing the size of other meals throughout the day.

5Eat at Least Three Meals Per Day

Eating more frequently will make it easier for you to control cravings. If you opt for one or two large meals per day, you will most certainly overeat. Though skipping meals can make controlling your appetite more difficult, eating more than three meals a day has not been shown to have any benefit, and may even be worse for appetite control.

Eat when you’re supposed to and you shouldn’t need any extra food.

6Get Rid of Bad Snacks

Even if you want to control yourself, knowing that a pack of chips is in the kitchen cabinet will make restriction very hard. Keeping snacks out of sight (and even out of the building) will simplify the task of consuming less.

Having access to a few healthy snacks is a good idea. Eating a little bit of raw nuts or plain yogurt between meals will help you control cravings but make sure that you are sticking to healthy options.

7Eat Slowly

Do you eat very fast? If so, you will be done with the portion and you will still feel quite hungry.

Learn to chew thoroughly and slow down a little bit. In the beginning, you will have to make conscious effort to decrease the pace and stop shoveling food in your mouth. Once you get used to it, however, you will start enjoying the process.

8Always Put Food on a Plate

Eating directly from the package will most frequently result in overeating. You can’t keep track of the amount you have consumed and you will continue eating until you have gone too far.

Put food on a plate and do portion control. Having a visual idea about the exact quantity will give you a chance to eat the right amount and stop at the right moment.

9Stop Eating in Front of the TV

TV shows get you distracted and you will never notice how much food you consume while watching your favorite reality series.

Distracted eating will usually result in overeating. Pay attention to the meal and learn to enjoy it. Sit at the table instead of on the couch. Give yourself 30 minutes of relaxation and have a good meal.

10Stop Looking at Health Claims and Miracle Diet Options

Diet foods and low calorie options are usually highly processed. Avoid such products at all costs.

The best foods for you are the ones that have no label on them. Go for fresh fruits, veggies, wholegrains and lean meat. Cooking food yourself will give you a good idea about what goes into each meal. You know which ingredients are the healthy ones – stick to these foods.

Many health claims and miracle diet options are simply reliant on marketing tricks. Your body needs essential nutrients and you can get all of them by making meals yourself. A little bit of portion control will also help you lose weight without reliance on miraculous products.

This is it! Start slow and learn to enjoy the process. Food is anything but your enemy. Knowing how to pick good foods and how to do a little bit of portion control will result in amazing health and appearance benefits.