I went to dinner the other night, and my entree was large enough to feed a small city, with a few ounces  left over. It reminded me that managing portion sizes is a huge issue (no pun intended) for a lot of people. So, I have an idea that will help us all redefine “fat” and stay fit in our thirties and beyond.

It’s called developing a grossed out sensibility relative to portion size. Here’s how it works - when you are faced with a plate of food at a restaurant that looks like it could feed three people without any of them walking away hungry - choose to be grossed out. Embrace the idea that this much food, in your stomach at one sitting - goes completely against nature and wreaks havoc on your blood sugar.

Seriously, folks - we have some major portion issues in this country, and if we can tackle this part of our diets without doing anything else, we will see amazing results. Unless you are Michael Phelps, you have know business eating the portion sizes served in most restaurants!!

So here’s what you do:

If you know you have a tendency to misjudge an entire casserole-sized dish as one serving, start training your brain to be disgusted by any meal that wouldn’t fit into the small compartments in the pre-packaged microwavable TV dinner plates. 

If you have trouble being disgusted by zoo animal-sized portions, and your mind alone won’t stop you from eating the whole thing - then reduce the size of the meal onto a smaller plate before you begin. 

The recommended size of meat portions is about the size of a deck of cards. For carbs, a little more than that. This LA Times article discusses more about portion control.