Satisfied sooner

80% Rule — the sixth Power 9® from The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest

Eat mindfully and stop when 80% full

If this was easy for me, I wouldn’t be on this journey with you. If I could stop eating before I felt full, I wouldn’t be struggling with my weight. Here’s what I’m doing now to help me stop and feel satisfied sooner:

Enjoy soup before the main course. I often suggested this but never really did it before. I’ve been trying this for several weeks now with amazing satisfaction. A cup of soup (broth based not cream based) at the start of the meal takes the edge off your hunger and gives your brain time to tell your tummy you’re getting full. For a yummy soup at home try this vegetable soup (“0 point soup”)

Ask for the doggy bag BEFORE you eat. Cut your meal in half and load up the to-go container at the beginning. This is another one that I often mentioned and never did consistently until now. This helps me to enjoy the food I have on my plate and eliminates the temptation to have “just one more bite.”

Eat 12 almonds a half-hour before a meal. According to You on a Diet: The Owner’s Manuel for Waist Management, 12 almonds has the right amount of fat to trigger the hormone you need to feel satisfied. Since twelve almonds is the same PointsPlus® as fourteen almonds (2), I go for fourteen.