Today's Objective: practice portioning your food.
Our American culture is very focused on the bigger is better philosophy when it comes to portion of food. In fact, this is related to a similar concept called perceived value. This notion is what makes it nearly impossible to leave a buffet without having consumed a week's worth of calories and gaining an extra pound or two. "I paid for it, I might as well get my fill!"
Portions are nearly out of control. It is great that the government recently made it mandatory for certain establishments to post the calorie content of their food. But this does nothing to change the way we eat if we don't know what a portion is. If we walk into a Subway and get one of those footlong sandwiches and eat it in one sitting, we've already overdone it. People lose weight eating at Subway because they understand that their body really only needs half of that perceived value footlong.
What to do about portions? It can be confusing looking at serving sizes on nutritional information. An easier way is by sight. Another helpful tool the USDA has put out there is a visual guide called choosemyplate. There you will see what a plate should look like.
A helpful on the run tool is your fist. The average human fist is about 1 cup of volume. If you think about 1/2 cup portions of starches or carbs, you'll be doing good. 
For protein, think 4 oz is a serving, and this is about equal to a deck of cards. Think about that the next time you see one of those king size cuts of prime rib.
If you use myfitnesspal, you will become very adept at inputting servings the more you use it and these visual aids. If needed, consider purchasing a digital scale so that you can practice measuring and weighing your food. It can be a surprise when you pack down that food into servings of 1/2 cup. For me, this has been the number one lesson that has helped me to make better choices about food throughout the day.
Smaller portions can take getting used to. If you ask for smaller portioned things at restaurants, you might be met with resistance or have to pay more. Your body will also have to adjust to eating less. Over time, though, you will see an improvement in the way you view food in terms of both portion and value. You body will adjust to this, and you will feel fuller on a reasonable portion of food.
One last trick of the trade. When you go out, don't be afraid to ask for a box at the start of the meal. When your food comes, take the portion that you've learned, and put the rest in the box. A likely outcome is you will put about half of your food in your box to take home.
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