Tips & Tricks to eating better...(How you Eat)

This weeks [Work Out] Wednesday is about eating better... I should really put these tips & tricks into play at my house. Losing baby fat isn't as easy as i thought it would be & getting ready for a triathlon creep up on me... (even though 3 weeks after Tito was born Mike told me start getting ready. did i listen? NO!)
Here are some tips & tricks for eating better...

How you eat

Slow down your eating:It takes at least 20 minutes after eating for your stomach to tell your brain that it is full. But most of us finish a meal in 10 minutes. Give your stomach time to catch up to your brain by slowing down your eating. After putting food in your mouth, put your fork on the table and let go. Do not touch the fork until your mouth is empty. Repeat through the entire meal. Try this at least once a day.
Watch your liquids:About 22 percent of calories consumed by Americans are from liquids. Switching to water, tea or calorie-free sodas could save hundreds of calories a day. This may be the easiest way to lose weight if you are currently getting many of your calories from liquids. Here's how: Every day switch one drink that has calories with one that doesn't. If you drink 3 sodas a day, make one iced tea on the first day. If you drink orange juice each morning, switch to hot tea or water. Keep making these switches until you are drinking no calories. Try this for one week. You may reduce your daily calories without even changing anything what you eat.

chew more to feel full:Researchers have found that feeling full is a complex equation of time, thinking about food, number of chews, number of swallows, and a visual estimate of how much you have eaten. Feel full on less food by chewing more, thinking about the food as you eat it and taking longer to eat.
don't drink & eat:We can mindlessly drink 2 or 3 sodas,or juice over the course of a meal. This adds hundreds of calories to your daily intake. Drink about 4 ounces of water during a meal & enjoy your otehr beverage before or after your meals.
No Clean Plate:Your "clean plate club" membership will make you overweight. Those 3 or 4 'last bites' to just finish up equal hundreds of calories everyday. Never clean your plate; always leave at least one bite of food. It may be difficult to throw away food, but that extra food is better in the garbage than in your body.
Count when snacking:We can mindlessly eat dozens of chips, candies and other junk foods. Be sure to count as you eat snacks. A serving size is often much less than what is in the package. Just knowing how many you have eaten will help you eat less.