1.  Portion Control:  You have to weigh and measure your food.  You can find visual aids to help you along until you get used to size.  But, if you are supposed to eat 4 ounces of meat per protein meal out of 6 meals a day, and you are eating more or even less than that…you will be messing up your diet.  So, get a scale and learn.  Use measuring cups and use visual aids, if needed.

2.  Learn about size through visual aids:  Here is a website to show you the portions compared to everyday items. http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/tips-for-portion-control/pictures/index.html

3.  Read Food Nutrition Labels:  The labels tell the story.  It will tell you the AMOUNT of portions in your bottle or container and how many carbs and proteins are in them.  Go for higher protein and lower carbs.  Remember that between 50 and 100g of carbs a day are better for a diet.  And 1g of protein isn’t even worth eating or drinking the item.

4.  Look at the nutritional Information of the Food at Restaurants:  Same goes here for knowing what you are eating per PORTION.

5.  Trick Your Eyes:  Use Smaller Plates:  You will feel that you are eating more if you use smaller plates for your measured PORTIONED food.

6.  Avoid Buffets:  It is too easy to go back for seconds, thirds, etc. and it is hard to say no to all of those carby, sweet things.

7.  Doggy Bag It:  I always break my food down when I am out…and I put the portion that is beyond my eating portion in a doggy bag and put it aside.  Less likely to keep eating and ruin my diet.

8.  Don’t Supersize Food:  Saving money?  Not losing weight.  It isn’t worth it.

9.  Write Meals Down:  Keeping track of what you eat helps you keep your carb intake and food intake under control.

10.  Watch What You Drink:  If you drink, do not use sugar and don’t drink juice, laden in sugar and carbs.  Drink water, coffee, tea or flavored water with sugar substitute.  And watch alcohol.  Lots of carbs and sugar.  The least offensive–vodka or gin, but there are still carbs and the alcohol will take up a lot of energy processing in your body and you will not burn as many calories that day.  It really is not worth it.