10 little changes that can get you to lose weight
The general idea is that, like many things around us, little changes (steps) can bring about big consequences. This has been applied to the way we eat.
1.              Eat off small pates Eating on smaller plates looks like you have more. You are unlikely to overeat as much. Brian Wansink, Ph.D., a behavioral scientist and ‘mindless eating’ expert at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab, found that subjects who served themselves using smaller dishes ate up to 60 percent less.
 
2.              Eat off blue plates Colour affects our appetite. Eating off blue coloured plates get you to eat less. Avoid eating on yellow and red plates as these colours stimulate us to eat and eat a lot.
3.              Turn off the TV Studies show that we eat around 40 percent more when watching TV. We are also more likely to eat junk food. Switch off these gadgets and concentrate only on your meal and you are less likely to eat too much.
4.              Fill your (small) plate People who fill their plate with everything they plan to eat (including dessert) eat about 14 percent less than those who don’t fill it as much but return for second helpings. So to eat less, load up your plate -- but only once.
5.              Keep serving dishes off the table According to a 2010 Cornell University study, you’ll eat about 20 percent less if you keep your serving dishes in the kitchen instead of on the dinner table.  
 
6.              Leave the last few bites on your plate Shaving off those last five bites of your meal you can cut, on average, about 250 calories.  
 
7.              Brush your tongue Researchers found that subjects who brushed their tongues lowered their taste for salty foods. The brushing can help improve your taste sensations, which means you’ll be more sensitive to the salty flavour of foods.
 
8.               Drink water before meals A 2008 study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that drinking 16 ounces of water 30 minutes before a meal helped participants eat about 13 percent less.   
 
9.              Follow the 80-Percent Principle Choose healthy foods at least 80 percent of the time and eat until you are 80% full - not overstuffed.  Eat slowly so that your brain has time to register the food you’ve eaten (it can take 20 minutes).  
 
10.         Stay away from 'enriched' and processed Foods Don’t buy breads or flours that have ‘enriched’ on the packaging.   [‘Enriched’ means the nutrients have been stripped and then later added back in. You end up with nutrient-empty calories]. Instead, buy whole grain products (such as wheat bread, whole-wheat flour and old-fashioned oats) which have their nutritional value intact and are more filling. And gradually replaced processed foods with fresh alternatives as they are low in nutrients and cause the body to seek more food.  
 Source:
o   http://www.ivillage.com/52-little-changes-big-weight-loss-results/4-b-394731#394786  [Forget about crash diets and killing yourself with exercise -- these small steps can help you lose weight in a big way (53 Photos), by Jessica Smith on Oct 26, 2012 at 5:01PM]
o   “Studies show if you put your food on blue plates it can cause you to eat less”, says Tamal Dodge, a certified yoga instructor in Santa Monica, Calif. and star of the “Element: Hatha & Flow Yoga for Beginners” DVD: http://www.ivillage.com/52-little-changes-big-weight-loss-results/4-b-394731#ixzz2KCyr4erO