"To be honest, it's a bit tricky for me to keep my portions in check because I eat out A LOT. So what I tend to do is think of my meal at a restaurant as two -- one for dinner, say, and one for next day's lunch. Most restaurant portions are way too big anyway, so I'll eat about half of my dinner (sometimes a bit more!) and then ask to take the rest home. Splitting it up makes the guilt go away -- not to mention the tummy-ache!"
"I find that overeating can be a real problem when I'm eating out. At home, I have much more control, but at restaurants, it can be more challenging because portions are so huge. I never force myself to clean my plate and I stop eating when I'm feeling satisfied. I avoid buffets and I never, never 'supersize' anything!"
"I stop eating when I'm getting close to being full and I don't load up my plate. I should still be able to see some plate when I sit down to eat. In the summer, I eat more frequently but smaller portions."
"I've never been one to eat an entire box of cookies or chocolates in one sitting ... but chips? Chips are another story altogether! So here's what I do: I pour a little cereal bowl full and put the chips away. If I can see the amount I'm eating, it's in my control. If I have an entire bag on my lap, the remote, and a rainy night at home to myself, all hell breaks loose and that bag is NOT going back into the cupboard! Bowls are a rear end's best friend."
"I remind myself that since I haven't been able to work-out since my daughter stopped agreeing to go to the child-minding service at the YMCA I used to belong to, and have had to make do with less exercise in irregular increments, I need to watch what I eat now. I load up on water or club soda so I can't pack away as much food."
"My diet is quite healthy most of the time. I eat a lot of protein with Omega-3 fatty acids, complex carbohydrates, fruits and veggies. Although, I think the key to my success is keeping my food intake in check is the fact that I don't deny myself of all of those foods that are considered "bad" for me. Sure, I can't eat chocolate cake every day (although I'd love to!) but I won't feel guilty if I splurge every once and a while. Moderation is key. If I can sustain a healthy diet during the week, come Saturday, I will indulge in a snack that is anything but healthy. You have to treat yourself, because if you put your body into a constant state of denial, you're sure to binge."
"Water, water, water. Not only is water fantastic for cleansing your system and improving your complexion, it also fills you up really quickly. I drink a lot of water while I'm eating and because it fills me up so much, I can't eat as much food. I find that this is a great way to control the amount of food that I eat at mealtime."
Natalie Bahadur is the web editor of styleathome.com. Read another of her stories for CanadianLiving.com, Things men want to tell women -- but don't.
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