When trying to be mindful of quantity, not just nutritional quality, there are many tips.  Some of my favorites are using a smaller plate, ordering an appetizer instead of an entire, or automatically dividing your meal in half to save for later or the next day. One tip you may not have tried is to think of a 'meal' as one ideal stomach-full.  By stomach I mean the digestive organ inside you which connects input and output, not the belly you see in the mirror.   Your empty stomach is about the size of your fist.  It expands to accommodate the amount of food and liquid you put in it.   Once it starts to fill up, it takes about 20 minutes for the chemicals which are present that gave the "I'm hungry" signal to be reabsorbed.  So you can't count on your stomach to tell you when to stop eating! You can, however, count on your own visualization of a fist-sized amount of food to satisfy you.  As long as the food contains the right portions of protein, fats and good carbohydrates and is not just 'bad' carbs like bread or cookies, you may be surprised how your hunger is really satisfied, and for longer, while eating less and consuming fewer calories. Please comment and share your favorite tips for portion control.
Barbara Bingham, MCC
Director
Kaizen Total Wellness

Drink more water-

at least 6 full glasses or bottles each day.  What will you notice right away? Healthier looking skin.  Also, you will have an easier time with portion control and avoiding too much snacking between meals because you won't be getting 'thirst signals' which you've misinterpreted as hunger.   Also, you may not realize it, but every cell in your body will start functioning better when properly hydrated.