Use Smaller Plates to Lose Weight

Are you still trying to figure out how to lose weight? And still struggling? Just a few weeks ago I shared the research that Dr. Barbara Rolls has been doing out of Penn State. See “Load up on Salad to Lose Weight” below.

Researchers out of Cornell University wanted to see just what role the size of bowls and serving utensils would play in food intake, so they used 85 nutrition experts at an ice cream social to test their theory.

They randomly gave each subject a 17 ounce or a 34 ounce bowl and then either a 2 ounce or 3 ounce ice cream scoop. After each person served themselves, they completed a brief survey as their ice cream was weighed. What they found that even nutrition experts served themselves more when given a larger bowl and a larger serving spoon. And most weren’t even aware that they had done so! So, if experts in nutrition and food intake do this, imagine what happens to you!

This does point out that most people will eat all that they put on their plate. I’m not sure about you, but I was raised to eat all my food on my plate. My mother would tell me that I had to because there were people starving in other countries. However, it does those people no good at all if I continually stuff myself silly, which then would lead me to suffering from obesity and health problems.

Listen as Margie talks about strategies you can use at home and in both sit-down and buffet restaurants to help you decrease your serving sizes and food intake.

Serving size is the key and listening to your body when you are full can make all the difference in weight control. A general rule is that when you no longer feel hungry, that’s a good time to stop. Don’t eat until you feel stuffed. That’s how people gain weight or prevent losing weight.

To read the abstract of this study, click here.
For some tips on how to pay attention to what goes into your mouth, enjoy this handout:
http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftmar03.htm

Listen here.