Lucky Number 3

I have always had the bad habit of eating too fast, but that isn’t as bad as my habit of eating everything (and then some) on my plate. I love to eat. I get pleasure from a great meal and a glass of red wine, but more recently caught onto my overstuffing habits!

Here are three simple solutions Fitness Magazine offers that have really helped me control calories and still enjoy my meals.

1. Leave at least three generous bites on your plate.
A little portion control can go a long way, Fitness Mag reports a study found that obese patients given a plate or bowl of actual portion size were almost four times more likely to have lost, at least five percent of their body weight, after six months. By leaving a few bites, you can often cut 40-60 calories from a meal.

2. Ban three high calorie foods from your diet.

• Skip the syrupy Starbucks: A grande low-fat caramel macchiato has 240 calories and 7 grams of fat. Instead, try a tall skinny mocha, fat free milk and syrup, eliminates fat and can save 120 calories!
• Split your bagel: A bagel is about 300 to 400 calories (and equals four slices of bread!) Lose half and cut 150 to 200 calories.
• Minus the Cheese: Save 111 calories and 9 grams of fat by replacing the cheddar on a sandwich for mustard, says Fitness Magazine.

3. Eat breakfast!
By eating about 300 calories for breakfast, you will likely eat 100 calories less daily. People who eat a morning bowl of cereal are less likely to become overweight than those who pass up their a.m. meal, says Susan Bowerman, assistant director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition. Also, you will have more energy and won’t be tempted to snack on high calorie foods throughout the day. Try one of these three to power up your morning, a bowl of whole grain cereal, an egg sandwich, or fat-free yogurt parfait.