Here in America it seems bigger is always better.  Bigger car, bigger house, bigger bank account... I agree, that is all great and very welcome. I live in America too and I am all for it, but what I am not in favor of is the bigger portions!

I have to be honest, when I first came to the United States about seven or eight years ago, I was absolutely stunned and I would go as far as to say disgusted with the serving sizes in this country.

I was visiting a friend at the time and he took me out to dinner - we were in Fort Worth Texas - and when the food arrived, I couldn't believe my eyes.  You most certainly get value for your money, but does any human being need to eat that much food in one sitting?

Unfortunately I found out that this is the norm and the thing is that we get conditioned very fast as human beings.  From a young age kids go to restaurants and fast food joints and get served these huge servings... so this becomes the norm - the habit. They grow up with these 'norms' and habits and soon they are dishing up those huge portions at home!

I am on the cruise ship right now as you know, and every day I watch people go through the buffet line and they stack their plates so full that you would think they are never going to see food again... when in fact, they can always go back for a second helping and besides, there will be another elaborate buffet in just a few hours.

The only reason people do this, is because it is habit, not because they are that hungry. We also get conditioned from a young age to make sure we eat all the food on our plates...The result is - we become bigger and bigger, to match our big cars and big houses...

You don't necessarily have to eliminate the foods you enjoy from your diet if you keep your portion sizes in check.  No human needs that much food at on time.

If you are guilty of eating huge portions, start to unlearn this habit by dishing your food on to a smaller plate.  Then the plate will still look stacked but the amount of food won't be so large.

A very good idea is also, when you go out to a restaurant for a meal, ask them to dish half your food in your plate and bag the rest to take home, or do what my husband and I do - order one dish, ask for an extra plate and share.

You will find that once you start doing this, by the time you are done with your meal you feel satisfied, but not stuffed.  You ate the right amount for your body, and there is even space for a little desert to share without feeling guilty!

So remember - bigger isn't always better!

Kind regards

Vanessa Bader

P.S.  Now if you supplement your new healthy eating habits with my great Hot Burning Body Workout, you will never have to worry about what you eat again.  Smaller portions plus exercise equals a smaller, leaner, healthier and happier you!