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?