Curbing your appetite may be a tall glass to fill, especially when temptation seems to be everywhere around us. It also seems as though every time we leave the house, we’re repeatedly reminded of food via advertising on billboards and restaurant signs that offer more calories for your money. Even if you don’t leave the house, just turn the TV on and you’ll see more of the same. It takes a lot of self control to ignore these enticing offers, yet you’ve been able to stave them off with sheer will and determination. Even though getting super-sized has become a thing of the past, portion control may still be an issue for some of our dieters.

Eating habits will most certainly vary amongst those who are determined to drop the excess baggage. How we approach the act of sitting down and eating can be an extremely important aspect of the dining process, which is when portion control should be taken into consideration. This particular type of self-discipline is actually an internal training exercise that can eventually pay off in a matter of a few weeks.

The brain and the stomach sometimes disagree; how much of each dish is enough? The brain controls nearly every aspect of our lives, so the next time you sit down to eat, be sensible and think about how much food you’re taking in and how much of it is actually needed to sustain your energy and nutrition levels. It’s definitely worth a try and it’s also a habit worth forming. The idea here is to shrink your stomach back to its original healthy size; once this happens, you may not only be able to get by with smaller portions, but feel better as well. The extra calories are unneeded, unless of course you’re training for the next marathon.

Another thing about the brain and the stomach is that they’re not always in sync, which begs the question of how to get both on the same page during mealtime. The pace at which we eat becomes a huge factor in the digestion process. If you’re a fast eater, chances are that your brain and stomach are out-of-sync. If you slow down a bit, enjoy your food and chew it thoroughly, the likelihood of getting full before you’re finished can increase, and your body will thank you for the effort.

After trying these portion control tips for a few weeks, you may notice that your system can actually thrive on less, while your brain and your stomach should be a little closer to speaking the same language.