Use smaller Plates and Bowls
Caroline has heard may of her weight loss clients say that by using smaller plates and bowls they have been able to eat less food. So, it appears that by manipulating their plate and bowl size they can change the perception of how much they are eating.
Research suggests that this bias in perception could be related to the Delbeouf illusion*. The optical illusion occurs due to one perceiving the size of an object relative to the size of another object. See the figure below where the dark disks are identical in size but one on the right appears larger because the surrounding ring is closer.
If you are someone who needs to finish everything on your plate why not trying this strategy of using a smaller dish to encourage eating a smaller portion size. It can also help break the habit of putting too much food on the plate when you might not be that hungry.
Delbeouf illusion
*Koert Van Ittersum, & Brian Wansink. (2012). Plate Size and Color Suggestibility: The Delboeuf Illusion’s Bias on Serving and Eating Behavior. The Journal of Consumer Research, 39(2), 215–228.