Ways to Lose 5 Pounds

Understand Portions

Portion sizes have grown over the years and your belly bulge is the unfortunate result. Beat the problem at its core with these tips for portions:

• Know correct portion sizes. See our portion guide to your favorite foods.

• Swap your dinner plates. A polite dinner guest will clear his or her plate, no matter the size. Beat the bulge head-on by using dessert plates (usually 9 inches wide) instead of dinner plates (11 inches wide). You could eat as much as 30 percent less food as a result.

• Grab the measuring cups. It’s simply too easy to underestimate how much you’re eating. Use measuring cups to check your portions as you dish out dinner. Look for pre-measured purchased consumables, too. Those 100-calorie packs are a great start.

• Order a kid’s meal or kid-size portion. When dining out, kid’s meals are actually the correct portion size for an average-weight woman.

• Order the appetizer instead. At restaurants, try an appetizer or a side dish (and have it delivered with everyone’s dinners) instead of a full meal. The size is more appropriate for your dieting needs.