7 Simple Ways to Eat Less & Feel More Satisfied

You might be diligently watching your calories or taking the time to plan each meal carefully, but sometimes, the most effective methods for weight loss are also the easiest. And they require a few mind tricks. Fooling yourself into eating less means you'll not only be consuming less calories and limiting your portions, but you'll do so without really realizing it. So the next time you sit down for a meal, consider these simple ways to eat less:

1. Grin Yourself Thin
To maintain a healthy weight, do something to make yourself smile. Scientists in Brazil say serotonin, the "happy hormone," reduces appetite, and raised levels of it make you more likely to burn fat.

See Also - 4 Common Dieting Mistakes That Make You Fat



2. Crack Some Nuts
In an Eastern Illinois University study, people who were given shelled (that is, naked) pistachios ate 211 calories' worth while those who had the in-shell variety (you crack 'em open) consumed only 125 calories in the same sitting.


3. Put a Fork in It
Your non-dominant hand, that is. You'll be more mindful of what you're eating and end up consuming less. (Using chopsticks works, too, especially if you're not a pro.) Have plenty of napkins on hand.


4. Use a Cheat Plate
With the Portion Plate ($12, theportionplate.com) you see partitions for meat (a quarter of the plate), whole grains (another quarter), and fruits and vegetables (half the plate), along with pictures of foods in the proper serving sizes to guide you. You'll also feel younger.


See Also - Eat These Foods To Suppress Your Appetite Naturally


5. Add Bison to Your Protein Herd
Grill up a 3-ounce buffalo steak every now and then. It has only 148 calories and 4 grams of fat. Plus, the 26 grams of lean protein in that bison steak can keep you satisfied enough to decline dessert.


6. Be an Early Bird
Late risers not only eat more calories (almost 200 more at dinner and another 375 after 8 p.m.) but also eat more unhealthily than those who wake up around 8 a.m., according to a Northwestern University study.

See Also - 4 Sleep Mistakes That Cause Weight Gain



7. Eat With Your Significant Other
Men consume 37 percent less when they eat with a wife or girlfriend than when they dine out with their buddies, according to researchers at the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Adapted from Men's Health Big Book of Uncommon Knowledge
Photo By Thinkstock