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"Does my bum look big in this?" That's what I asked myself when I tried on the designer jeans I bought in the Christmas sales and the mirror… well, the mirror didn't actually say anything but I got the message: It's time to go on a diet!
Sometimes we just don't know how many calories we eat. Experts say cooking meals from scratch can help you think about the ingredients which go into your food. Tam Fry, from the UK's National Obesity Forum, says: "Learning how to cook fresh food is really the number one thing to consider when tackling obesity and improving weight loss."
If you can't cook, Fry recommends that you be more aware of what you put in your trolley when you go to the supermarket. He points out: "People don't read food labels. At government level making the labels easier to read and understand is key, but just looking at how many grams of sugar is in something is really important."
Some experts believe that a good way to reduce your waistline might be to start by reducing the size of the plate you eat from. Research has suggested that people eat most of what they serve themselves, so big portions lead to overeating.
A study by Dr Brian Wansink, from Cornell University, US, claimed that reducing plate size from about 30cm to 25cm typically results in 22% fewer calories being served, as the smaller plate makes a normal serving seem more filling. However, once plate size went below about 24cm, "people begin to realise they're tricking themselves and go back for seconds and thirds".
I think I'll keep my current plates for now. As for me, nothing beats an inspiring image on the fridge door – a picture of my lovely jeans – with some wise quote as a caption. As supermodel Kate Moss once said: "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels." No more big bum for me!
词汇表
bum 臀部，屁股
designer (adjective) 由服装设计师设计的，时尚的
calorie （热量单位）卡路里
from scratch 从零开始，从头做起
ingredient （烹调的）原料
obesity 肥胖
fresh (vegetables) 新鲜（蔬菜）
weight loss 体重减轻
food label 食品标签
gram （重量）克
waistline 腰围
portion 一份
overeating 吃得过多，饮食过量
serving （供一人吃的）一份食物的量
filling 解饱的
skinny 骨瘦的，紧身的