I'm sure everyone has heard of "Houdini" or "David Cooperfield", masters of optical illusions. However, it's no secret that eating less than our body requires is a key to losing weight. In fact science tells us that in order to lose weight, it's necessary to do just that. How profound, like we needed science to tell us that! However, have you ever felt dissatisfied with the portions you need to eat in order to lose weight? Did feelings of self doubt follow? Well, you too can be a master of optical illusions and watch your weight disappear by practicing these simple strategies.


* Welcome Smaller Portions

1. Use smaller plates to give the illusion of abundance
2. Add a little garnish
3. Focus on presentation
a. Use a wine glass for water; add a lemon or orange for flavor
b. Place mats or cloth napkins bring a little something special
c. Light a candle and turn on dinner music instead of the TV
d. Fill a vase with flowers from the neighbor's yard (just kidding), wild flowers from the side of the road will do just fine.


* Increase Satisfaction with Smaller Portions

1. Add spices and fresh herbs for a little zing
2. Bulk up not out with fruits and vegetables
3. Try a smaller fork, spoon or chop sticks for lasting flavor


* Manage the Cues That Trigger Overeating

1. Emotions such as stress, boredom, anger or frustration
2. TV and other environmental influences
3. Being too Hungry


* Control Your Favorite Foods by Managing Your Thoughts

1. Restore order
2. Demand discipline
3. Set boundaries, parameter and guidelines

Making smaller portions inviting is not hard or time consuming. Use a lunch plate instead of a dinner plate. Pour water into a wine glass rather than a tumbler and add some elegance to meal time with candles, flowers and music. Enjoy the moment with the meal.

Using fresh herbs, spices, fruits and vegetables can create a flavorful meal and eating with chop sticks will make it more interesting.

However, to manage the cues requires you to realize what the triggers are. With people I coached this week, emotions were at the top of the list and this can be managed in fifteen minutes of doing something other than eating and the first thing you should do is the last thing you'll want to do, EXERCISE. By diverting the energy of that emotion into something positive will lift you out of it and this can be done by walking to the mail box, market or picking the neighbors flowers. Avoid TV and other environmental influences by turning them off and by carrying an emergency bar or 100 calorie snack pack can prevent you from becoming too hungry between meals.

If you were/are an office manager and had a staff that was out of control I'm sure you would have a meeting of the minds to find the cause. During this meeting you might review the basics, instill discipline, reset boundaries and guidelines. The same is needed with our thoughts. When you're out of your mind, get back in control by getting back to basics. Restore order by setting guidelines and boundaries. I did this when I was losing my sixty pounds. I allowed myself a half cup of ice cream every night however, I needed to follow my plan and walk at least thirty minutes after dinner BEFORE partaking in desert. Those were my guidelines. If you have children or remember as a child your parents saying "you can't have (fill in the blank) until you do this, that or the other thing" well, what makes you so special now. You still need to follow rules and guidelines in order to be successful at anything. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi once said that "Not to have control over the senses is like sailing in a rudderless ship, bound to break to pieces on coming in contact with the very first rock".



Have a Great and Successful Week,
-Steve