Slim women know that keeping portions in check is crucial for maintaining a healthy physique. Keep each serving of non-fruits-and-veggies, including carbs and proteins, about the size of your fist. It’s a simple eyeball test, and while it certainly gives you some room to cheat if you’re so inclined (“Well, tonight, I’m going to use Sasquatch’s fist as my guide”), the point is that it teaches you to develop an instinct—and consistent behavior—for eating healthy.
The payoff for keeping portion size under control is huge. In a Cornell University study, those people who ate smallish portions at lunch consumed nearly 250 fewer calories daily and lost a little over a pound a week. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom, which tells you that if you eat less during the day, you’ll gorge at night. Researchers say that after every meal your body resets itself, so smaller portions today won’t make you gnaw the arm of the couch tomorrow, and you’ll experience the benefit of fewer total calories consumed.