1 Out of sight
Be nice to yourself by leading yourself out of temptation. Put treats such as cookies and sweets in opaque containers so that you're not tempted by them every time you open the cupboard or walk past them sitting invitingly on the kitchen counter. Rather display fresh fruit in bowls or nuts in glass containers. Google did this and employees ended up consuming 13 million fewer kilojoules (measured in M&M chocolate treats) in their New York office alone over a seven week period. It also works for me.
2 Use smaller plates and bowls
It's a psychological thing for me to often go for that second helping. I don't know if my brain doesn't want to believe that I'm full after only one plate, but I know I do it too often. To prevent myself from overeating, I've now started dishing up in smaller plates and bowls. This way I automatically serve myself smaller helpings, which means I can go again without any regrets. Research supports common logic that people who consume larger portions of food and drinks have a higher energy intake (which is positively linked to the prevalence of obesity), so by reducing your portion size you reduce also your chances of gaining weight.
3 Keep a food diary
You don't need to go crazy with it, but if at the end of the day you take 5 minutes to jot down what you had during that day (not forgetting about all the bites, snacks and drinks in-between meals) you'll quickly see where (and how often) you're overindulging. Small things like the extra breakfast rusk, the birthday muffin at work, bites from you child's leftover school sandwiches, drinks in front of the TV and hot chocolate before bed, all add up if done continuously over a period of time. It's like not looking at your budget and then being in financial trouble at the end of the month. Sometimes I find that just taking an honest look at my intake every now and again reminds me of where I'm going a bit overboard. Though more scientific research is still needed, there are various studies that support a positive correlation between self-monitoring and weight loss.
4 Fill up on salads and veg
This isn't always practical, but trying to fill half your plate with fresh, raw salad ingredients vegetables (such as tomatoes, cucumber, coleslaw, lettuce) and low starch veg (think marrows, squash, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, beets and green beans) will not only be super nutritious because of all the vitamins, minerals and fibre you'll be consuming, but also make you feel fuller. This means there's less space for you to over-indulge in the starchier, creamier or fattier foods. When going to a braai or dinner with friends, I usually offer to bring a salad or veg to ensure there's always an option.
5 Which brings me to the last point: Cut down on the meat!
Most of us overindulge in red meat (veal, pork, beef, lamb) and have way more than is considered healthy (both for our bodies and for the environment). I'm not saying you have to become vegetarian or vegan, but the World Cancer Research Fund recommends a maximum of 500g cooked red meat (or about 700 -750g of raw weight) per week, which is about 70g cooked meat per day. The South African Food Based Dietary Guidelines has similar recommendations (560g per week or 80g per day).
And try avoid processed meat completely, as this has been proven to increase your cancer risk. Personally I think it very irresponsible of many of the low-carb, no-sugar evangelists who happily pile up on ham, bacon, chorizo and sausages with while research odds are still stacked firmly against it.
Because meat and processed meat are often also relatively high in fat, cutting down will whittle down your waistline, too.
To reduce our meat consumption, my husband and I try and follow a 20/80 principle most of the time when preparing lunch and dinner: 20% animal protein (meat, eggs, dairy or sustainable fish) to an 80% rest-of-the-plate ratio (with the rest of the plate usually being a mix of grains, plant protein such as legumes or beans, and other vegetables or fruit). This is also great for preparing meals on a budget (I am, after all, a student again). So it's a win-win situation.