I learned a lot by watching my French mother-in-law when she would make meals. She used smaller plates, about the size of an American salad plate, and we ate in courses. So I started trying these things out at home.

Instead of using our dinner plates to dish up meals, my husband and I switched to salad plates. Do you know that the size of the American dinner plate has increased 50% in the last 20 years? Yikes! No wonder we're eating too much. And because I eat with my eyes before the food even enters my mouth, it's like I was tricking my brain into thinking I was getting more food when really the portions were smaller. I felt more satisfied.

I also made sure to take my time and really appreciate what I was eating. That meant turning off the TV and paying attention to the food I was about to eat. The funny thing? Even though I was serving myself less food, I appreciated it more. And after doing that time and time again, it's become a habit for me - one that I'm quite proud of!

In the US, we like to pile our whole dinner on one plate. But living in France for two years taught me not to do that. Instead, the French like to eat in courses. They have smaller portions, get a wider variety of food, and they eat slower. Eating in courses really slowed me down so had time for my stomach to tell my brain that it felt full. Thus I ended up eating less.

These are all simple concepts, really. And I'm guessing most people who are reading this have heard it at one time or another. So what's stopping you from incorporating them into your meal routine? Have you already done it or some other tricks? Or are you still running into a brick wall? We're here to help, so if anyone out there is having some issues, let's talk about it! There may be a solution...

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