The Diet Secrets

Portion control is hard.  In fact, it’s one of the hardest diet guidelines to follow. Without exact guidelines - such as 1 cup of rice or a scoop of potato - most people just get their portions going by the gut.

Even though it’s difficult, there’s no denying that portion control is one of the easiest ways to try to lose weight.  If you’re trying to just cut down food consumption in general, without following any solid diet plan, here are a few things you can do to help you succeed.

1. Use smaller plates

The smaller your plates, the less chances you have of putting too much food on it.  With larger kitchenware, even a hefty double serving of pasta and mashed potatoes can look like a conservative amount.  A small plate will ensure this doesn’t happen.   The less food you have in front of you, the less chance you’ll eat too much.

2. Eat slowly

Eating slowly allows you to feel fuller without eating as much.  For most folks, it takes a bit of time for the brain to process that the body is satiated.  Taking smaller bits and slowly chewing food down allows you to to get to this point without having consumed too much.

3.  Size of your fist

In the Scarsdale Diet, portion control is loosely relegated to the size of one’s fist. Personally, I find that a very good guideline, as most folks struggling with weight loss consume two or three times that during their meals.

Having a hard time keeping up your diet due to the unappetizing food choices?  Indulging occasionally isn’t so bad, especially if it helps prop you up for your healthier eating fare.  Do you know that many food types, which we usually avoid when we go on diets, may not be so bad after all?

Eggs. Eggs are great food items for breakfast.  The high amounts of protein can literally leave you feeling full for a good part of the day.  In fact, you can probably incorporate it into your regular diet without any problems.

Pizza. For healthier pizza, go with thin crust, since it’s less oily.  If you can find restaurants offering whole wheat crusts then all the better.  Choose flavors that are heavy on the meat and vegetables, while light on the cheese.

Bacon. While most bacon are greasy, oil-filled and fat, certain variants may not actually be that way.  Canadian bacon, for instance, is sourced from the loin, which happens to be the leanest part of a pig.

Hamburgers. If the patty is made out of lean beef (check the label to be sure), it’s a perfectly good source of protein.  Make sure you prepare it at home, though.  Avoid the fast food and diner varieties - there’s no way you can know what really goes in that meat.

My family loves holding a barbecue in the backyard during weekends, weather permitting.  Unfortunately, that means plenty of red meat and fat - not the best food choices around someone trying to restrict their calories and lose weight.

What’s a girl on a diet to do?  Find healthier barbecues to feast on, of course!

While the rest of the family waits for their fatty burgers, steaks and hotdogs to cook, I wait for my healthier barbecues to get well done.  Believe me, I get the complete set of nutrients my body requires with low calories to boot.  Want to know what I cook?

1. Vegetarian kebabs

Tofu, onions,  tomatoes, peppers and pineapple slices all skewered on a stick, cooked over fire.  Make sure to use a low-calorie marinade or you’ll be messing up your diet all the same!

2. Fish

What tastes better than grilled beef, chicken and pork?  Grilled fish!  Find fresh fish and have a healthy, tasty, meaty barbecue.

3. Corn

Not many people seem to know this but sweet corn cooked over a grill is incredibly delicious.  It literally tastes like no other preparation of corn is able to achieve - even without fattening butter!

4. A little lean meat

Lean meat is fine but when I begin banqueting on it during backyard barbecues, I just find it hard to stop.  Instead, I just take a small slice of meat and limit my consumption to that, followed by my healthier fire-cooked options.

If you ask diet experts, the Japanese people traditionally eat one of the healthiest diets on earth.  If you cut out the influence of McDonald’s and other western fare among young Japanese teens, you’ll find that most people there enjoy some of the most ideal nutritional intake, day in and day out.

Want to eat like a Japanese?  Here’s what is frequently found regular Japanese fare.

1. Rice

Steamed rice is a part of almost every meal for Japanese folks.  Rice can get you your daily requirements in carbohydrates and is very filling.

2. Fish

Studies estimate that the average Japanese eat an average of 70 kilos of fish per year, four times higher than the rest of the world.  Rich in lean protein and other minerals, fish helps strengthen the immune system and increase vitality.

3. Soy

Soy products are low in calories and fat while being very high in protein.  Japanese people are known to have 10 times more soy-based food items in their diet than the rest of the world.

4. A Whole Lot Of Other Food Types

Variety is one of the most striking features of the Japanese diet.  In fact, they eat an average of 100 different food types a week, compared to an average of 30 in the US.  That means their taste buds and their bodies are exposed to a greater variety of nutritional inputs than your average person elsewhere.

5. Raw And Fresh

Japanese people like to cook fresh foods that are in season and packed with natural flavor, allowing them to eat their food with little cooking.  Many food types, when taken raw, have higher nutrients compared to their counterparts that are put through the fire.