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Portion Distortion To Mindful Eating
by Michelle May, MD

Portion sizes have increased dramatically over the last few decades, requiring us to be proactive in our effort to eat moderately. Traditional approaches to "portion control" such as weighing and measuring food are often ineffective for the long term because they are require too much time and energy and they are disconnected from our body's needs.

A simpler and more practical approach to eating moderate portions is to use your innate hunger and fullness signals as your guide. Despite the super-sized servings we often encounter, we can create a habit of eating to the point of "just right" rather than "I can't believe I ate the whole thing!" When the focus is on feeling good rather than being good, common sense will prevail.

Try these basic strategies to manage your intake based on awareness of your body's natural cues, rather than using external rules:

How much food do I need?
Before you start eating, think about how you want to feel afterward. Do you want to feel content and comfortable, or stuffed and miserable?

• Imagining that your stomach is like a balloon inside your abdominal cavity. Gauge your hunger and fullness levels by picturing your balloon before, during, and after eating.
• Decide how full you want to feel when you are done eating; in other words, how full do you want your balloon to be?
• Estimate how much food it will take to get you to that level of fullness.
• Prepare, serve, or order that amount of food.
• If you serve or receive too much, move or remove the excess.
• Physically divide your food in half to create a "speed bump" – a reminder to re-assess your hunger and fullness level.

Check in during eating
• Calm yourself with a few deep breaths before eating. Remind yourself that it is just food.
• Remind yourself to stay focused on your food and how you are feeling.
• Pause for a couple of minutes when you reach your "speed bump" to notice how full you feel.
• Keep in mind that the feeling of fullness is often delayed and estimate how much more food, if any, it will take you to get to your desired fullness level.
• Re-center and calm yourself with a few deep breaths.
• Notice when your taste buds become less sensitive and food doesn't hold your full attention.
• Pay attention to how full your balloon feels inside your belly.

Signal that you're done
When you think you have had enough, let yourself (and others) know that you're done eating:
• Put your napkin and fork over your plate on top of the food.
• Announce to someone at the table that you are done.
• Clear your plate and the table right away.
• Get up from the table.
• Chew a piece of gum or a mint or brush your teeth.
• Plan to take a walk or do something else you'll look forward to.
• Remind yourself how you wanted to feel when you were done eating.
• Remember that you will feel even fuller in just a short while.

I can't believe I ate the whole thing!
• If you've overeaten, don't miss the lesson. What can you learn from this experience?
• Sit for a few moments to notice how you feel when you overeat—without judging or shaming yourself.
• Focus on the sensations so you'll remember them the next time you're tempted to overeat.
• Ask yourself, "Why did it happen?" For example: Was I too hungry? Did I tell myself it was a special occasion? Did I eat too fast? Was I distracted? Was I eating for emotional reasons? Was there too much food on my plate? Do I hate to waste food?
• Ask yourself, "What could I do differently next time?" For example, serve or order less food; pay attention while eating; ask for a to-go container before I start eating.
• Then, wait and see how long it takes for you to get hungry again. What you are hungry for now?

With practice, you'll learn to trust your body to let you know how much to eat.

About the Author: Michelle May, M.D. is a recovered yoyo dieter, founder of Am I Hungry?®, speaker and the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat. Also, a contributor to the Huffington Post. Michelle offers monthly e-news and a free download of 101 Things to Do Besides Eat at http://amihungry.com/