It was 36 degrees (2 Celcius) this morning and we wanted to bike to bagels. That is freaking cold to bike in! I had on my technical turtleneck and 2 jackets. I could barely move my upper arms, LOL! Plus thin gloves and my biking gloves. When it’s that cold, it’s really hard to get any speed up, since muscles are just stiff. All I could think of was hot coffee during the ride. So I had 3 cups at Panera! Plus an Asiago cheese bagel.
It was a little warmer after we sat for a while with the temps in the 40s. The sun burned off the fog so it felt better coming home. Just absolutely gorgeous, though. Fall is my favorite season and weather like this is one of the reasons why.
It’s no secret that I enjoy food, and I would eat a lot just because I like to! However, that is not conducive to weight loss (or maintenance, either…). While I don’t like those really huge portions that are served at restaurants, I do like to feel that I am getting a full plate when I eat. You eat with your eyes first, and if you think a portion is too small, you are likely to take seconds or eat more than you need. Here are some of my tips that I use to keep my eyes satisfied.
1. Use a small plate. When you see my meals, the plates look full because I use smaller plates. Or I guess they are considered salad plates. Anyway – the biggest plate I use is 8 inches across, and a couple are 6 inches. Same thing with my oatmeal bowls. They are small. My eyes see this as a good portion that looks really satisfying. See dinner here :
2. Bulk up a dish with veggies or lower calorie filler. Vegetables (if you like them) are a great way to make the portion larger without adding a lot of calories. Couscous is also a good alternative. While I love rice, the volume of couscous is more for the same number of calories.
3. Make a tasting plate. This is a fun way to eat and takes longer, so it seems as though you have more. Like this:
4. Cut food up into little pieces. Example is lunch today. I could have done cucumber spears and eaten the kiwi whole, but cutting them up took up a lot of room on the plate, making it seem like more food. This also takes more time to eat, so your ‘full’ signal has a chance to kick in.
One thing I have noted about taking pictures of my food is that I pay attention to how the food looks. Now I do this even if I am not taking a picture because I deserve to have a pretty plate every time I eat. Give it a try and see if it doesn’t make your mealtime just that much more enjoyable. You are worth taking that extra minute!
Added a new plugin called CommentLuv, which will show a link to your last post from your own when you comment. Pretty cool! I really, really like wordpress for blogging.
Question: Do you use any of these tips or have any tips of your own on ‘fooling’ your eyes?
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I really have been working on making the food prettier. I have to confess that for me though, cooking for nine people makes it a little hard! I use small plates, small bowls, and filler foods too! It really helps to keep the portions correct. I find it interesting that the size of dinner plates has increased 20% in the last several years. No wonder so many people struggle with their weight – it’s the plate manufactuer’s fault!
I was curious – do you bike in the snow? We hardly get any snow here in TN, so it’s not an issue for me, but I was wondering what you do?
.-= Diane Fit to the Finish´s last blog ..Lunch, Baking, Birthdays =-.
No biking in the snow. It’s a little dangerous for that, I think with the amount of snow we get around here. We put the bikes up around late October for the winter. That is always a sad day.
I cut my food up too! I don’t always photograph it, but I cut my bars up into bite-sized pieces 🙂 I’m a total volume eater. Chris always teases me that my eyes are bigger than my stomach. It’s just not a good quality to have when you also like to clean your plate :\
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Another Weekend, Another Race =-.
Great ideas – about a year ago, I bought much smaller cereal bowls – they make a cup of Kashi Golean Crunch look like a lot of food, which I love! I also try to “pretty up” my food on the plate…I still use regular-sized dinner plates, but since I love seeing the colors (I have a bunch of different-colored Fiestaware), I don’t mind having a 2 inch edge of plate showing.
You are hardcore, biking in 36 degrees! It was still in the mid-80’s when we went for our bike ride tonight. But bugs were hitting our faces, if that makes you feel any better (too much rain has brought all kinds of bugs out).
.-= Shelley B´s last blog ..Blenders… =-.
I do all of those things. I buy pretty dessert dishes at the thrift store to use. And I’m really getting into the whole vegetarian thing, mostly because I stay full and I can have more. But I also find that I can add just a little pasta and/or a little meat to a vegetarian dish and it will be very satisfying.
.-= debby´s last blog ..kelp noodles =-.
man I should pay far more attention than I do.
I dont really care about aesthetics and eye-tricking never worked for me (im a cynic. especially when I was trying to lose weight 🙂 the smaller plate thing didnt work well for me) BUT perhaps my husband might find this an easier way to cut back.
GREAT REMINDER.
.-= Miz.´s last blog ..Monday Facetime: your questions answered (video post). =-.
Great tips! With the next set of dishes, I will make sure I have smaller plates. I, too, try to make my food look pretty. To me, it aids in the “satisfaction” factor. And I’m a volume eater, too. Good stuff, Lori. Thanks.
.-= roxie´s last blog ..Saturday Morning Sitdown =-.
Those meals all look great! I would be happy to eat anyone of them right now. I’m glad you posted the pics because I need reminder about portion control. Right now I’ve hit some kind of psychological wall in my progress. Everything just seems a bit out of whack. All the good behaviors that I used to embrace — like small plates, smaller portions — have deserted me a bit. Have to start working to bring them back, I think. So…thanks for the inspiration!
.-= Ishmael´s last blog ..What’s Your Weirdest Snack? =-.
I do use smaller plates for most meals now. Something else I do is I always take chicken and pound it out to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inches thick to grill it – fools you into thinking you have a giant piece of chicken, plus it makes it cook faster : )
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Weekend Wrap Up (And Prgress Pics) =-.
I have been working to use smaller plates lately. It does make me feel like I’m eating more.
Makes sense in this over-priced super-sized culture.
Vee at http://www.veegettinghealthy.blogspot.com
I am VERY MUCH a volume eater, and I actually use a large plate and fill it with veggies, etc, then add my protien. And a large salad bowl of salad. I don’t like having to “corral” my food onto the plate, so don’t like it filled edge to edge. But the key is the veggies! Makes me feel full both physically and mentally, and the varied colors add to that mental satisfaction. I agree that making it pretty helps, but volume is good, too, ha!
Great tips!
.-= Lisa´s last blog ..Oh no… =-.
I love your food pictures everything always looks so yummy. I agree that we deserve pretty food.
.-= Dawn´s last blog ..Feeling Blah =-.
Wise advice. I use the salad plates, too, plus lots of ramekins like you do. It does help, and the pretty presentation is a big boost!
Stay warm!
.-= Jo´s last blog ..Monday Morning Weigh In =-.
Wonderful post, Lori. A very timely reminder for me right now as I have had some mindless eating lately. Time to reevaluate the whole thing 🙂 Brrrr… we are still in the low 80’s here. Good gracious! Love the fall, though.
Always love your tips. Gives me ideas on how to do things differently when i get bored with one thing. Definately a bulk eater. I cut up everything i eat into smaller pieces to last longer and look like more.
Brrr…..You know if the winds not blowing and you have the clothes for it , it could be a very enjoyable bike ride. JInx!
I have started to use a smaller plate recently as I will always clean my plate the way I was brought up. It is a VERY hard thing to break and conquer! And, I make it a habit to fill my plate with mostly veggies and/or fruits and then the rest. Vegs are delish anyways don’t ya think? 😉
I like wordpress too even though I am only using wordpress. com.
I sure will miss my bike when the snow hits. Who would have thought I would love my bike so much once I bought myself one. It has been about 10-12 years since I owned one and couldn’t have cared either way. But now it is one of my prized possessions.:)
.-= Karyn´s last blog ..Missed trail run and doggies first nature trip =-.
P.S. I think I like that comment luv!
.-= Karyn´s last blog ..Missed trail run and doggies first nature trip =-.
Hi Lori! I’d been wondering what size your plates and bowls were! How did you know? I have a couple of smaller plates I use for my lunch..and I’m gonna start using them for dinner too. It really makes a difference..and I’m not trying to fill the whole plate up…and then eat it all…and being stuffed! Eating right is becoming a way of life! Thanks for sharing!