The No Seconds Diet

We have started a new diet craze called "The No Seconds Diet!" Are you one of those people who just has to place another helping of a delicious food on your plate, when you have already had one serving? You are not alone. This could be a contributing factor in gaining and/or having trouble in losing that extra weight. More is not always better, expecially when it comes to food.

The optimal dinner plate should look as follows: 1/2 low glycemic vegetables (ie; broccoli, zucchini, green beans). The other half of the plate should be divided in half (2 - 1/4s of the plate), where the meat is in 1/4 and your complex carbohydrate (ie; sweet potato, brown rice, corn) covers the other 1/4 of your plate.

An easy way to estimate portion sizes goes as follows:

• Proteins (meat, chicken, fish) = should be the size of the palm of your hand and about as thick as a deck of cards.
• Lowfat Dairy Products (skim milk, yogart) = about the size of your fist.
• Cottage cheese, Ice Milk, Cold & Cooked Cereals, Pasta, Brown Rice, Starchy Vegetables, Fruits = size of a tennis ball.
• Hard Cheese & Nuts = size of thumb.
• Bread = 1 slice, Bagel = 1/2 small, Crackers = 2, English Muffin = 1/2
• Fats = 1 Tablespoon
• Salad Dressings = 1 Tablespoon (Regular) - 2 Tablespoons (reduced fat)

Many diet plans encourage eating an unlimited amount of low glycemic vegetables. Let that be the only exception to the above. If you still need more volume, eat more veggies.
The stomach in an individual used to eating larger portions on a regular basis, can stretch to hold 3 - 4 cups of food (and may not feel full until stretched that far). When you limit the amount of food mass (by cutting back), the stomach will eventually shrink to about a 2 cup capacity (and you will feel fuller on less volume).
A good book working on these principles is called the "Volumetrics Weight-Control Plan - Feel Full on Fewer Calories" by Barbara Rolls, Ph.D., and Robert A. Barnett. Check it out at your local library or bookstore.