Most people don't realize how many calories they're actually eating or how many calories are in certain foods (I'm talking to you, pizza and chicken wings). I'm not saying you have to count calories forever, but doing it for a couple of weeks can be eye-opening. It makes you mindful of what you're putting in your body. I'd bet most people overeat without realizing it. Even healthy foods add up. A banana, for example, has about 110 calories. It's not bad for you, but you need to be aware of it.

When I'm trying to lose weight, I have to measure my portions. A cup of cereal in the morning, or weighing out 8 ounces of chicken for dinner, keeps me on track. That's partly because of how I grew up. I was raised by my grandparents, and my grandma had a strict rule: you don't leave the table until your plate is clean. And her plates were big - like a mountain of spaghetti big. I don't blame her. Her generation lived through the Great Depression, when food was precious. But it left me with a habit of eating until the food is gone, not until I'm full. That's tough when you genuinely love food like I do. Plus, it can take your brain about 10-15 minutes after you stop eating for it to realize you're full. By that point, your stomach is already bloated because you ate too much. "Meat sweats" are a thing. LOL

These days, pre-portioned meals help a lot. My wife gets Factor meals, which are fine, but I prefer Metabolic Meals because they're higher in protein. They're pre-packaged, portion-controlled, and easy to round out (oh yeah, and they're delicious too - kind of important). Last night, I had meatloaf with mashed potatoes - about 435 calories. I added a can of green beans and finished with a tangerine for something sweet. That made for a solid 600 - 700 calorie dinner, which is perfect for me.

Yes, the "Clean Plate Club".