Eat Less Without Realizing It

10-Minute Makeover: Eat Less Without Realizing It
By Rachel Mount
O, The Oprah Magazine

Here's the secret recipe, according to Brian Wansink, PhD., author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think.

1. Serve meals on nine- to ten-inch plates. Any smaller and you'll be going back for seconds; larger, and you'll pile on more to begin with.

2. Take the serving bowls off the table! The only exception: the ones containing vegetables.

3. Drink from a skinny glass. Your mind perceives height more readily than width, so you'll think you had more.

4. Choose a small serving spoon: In one Cornell study, participants ate 11 percent less ice cream when they used a petite scoop.

5. Control your environment—if the room in which you eat is too bright and loud, or too dark and quiet, you'll tend to eat more because you become overstimulated or linger too long at the table.