Over the last year, I have been fortunate to coach twelve Cooking Light readers toward their Healthy Habit goals.

Every single one of these readers set up a goal and moved towards it. They started somewhat cautiously -- many were worried that I'd take away their favorite treats, scold them and be generally un-fun. But that's no way to get things done. By the end of each month these coaching clients were achieving the very goal that they set out for themselves, whether that was exercising more, eating breakfast, or easing up on the salt. Every coaching client achieved their goal.

When I studied to become a coach, one of my favorite concepts was the SMART goal. I worked with each of my Healthy Habits coaching client to do this, although I kept the specifics of SMART behind the curtain in an Oz-like fashion. But now that the year is over, I am eager to spill the secret. 

Here's how SMART works. It's an acronym for Specific, Measureable, Accountable, Realistic, and Time-Bound. If you create a goal, and break it down into it's SMART goal, you can make it happen. Kristen, my final coaching client of 2011 wanted to get through Thanksgiving without over-indulging. I'll use this example to illustrate the SMART format.

Specific: Kristen wanted to not over-indulge on Thanksgiving. But having a negative goal (something to "not" do), is never a good way to start. Instead, she focused on two things: Filling half her plate with vegetables during every meal.

Measureable: You can't just say "I want to lose weight," you have to say "I want to lose X pounds." For Kristen, she wanted to fill half her plate with vegetables. That's easy enough.

Accountable: That's where I came in. She knew she'd have to report back to me. In addition, she told her whole family that she was being coached, and sent around this blog. That way, when Grandma tried to give her a huge piece of cake after she asked for a small one, there were plenty of folks around to support Kristen, and tell Grandma to back off with the portion size. As Kristen sees it, "The support is the biggest thing. I would not have been able to follow through on everything without it." 

Realistic: Did Kristen bring a frozen diet dinner and beg off on Thanksgiving? No. That would not have been realistic. But she did find that most of the vegetables had cream sauce, so she opted to fill up on shrimp cocktail instead of mountains of stuffing and mashed potato. And the next day, when her host went to the store to get some extra oil for the pancakes, she asked if she could come along. She bought enough fresh snow peas to last through breakfast and lunch, and had a plan for the day.

Time-Bound: Thanksgiving Day has 24 hours like the rest of them. Thanksgiving, plus the day after, were Kristen's focus points, and a time when so many of us over-indulge. Kristen made a specific, measureable, accountable, realistic plan that was bound to one 48 hour period.

The above example, "not overdoing it during Thanksgiving" is a relatively simple goal. But so many of us can't do it! Kristen broke it down into components so that she could. Here's a bigger goal that she's working on: losing 30 pounds by her wedding in May. But look at that; already it's specific, measureable, and time-bound (with lots of mini milestones along the way). We kicked it off together, and now she's transferring the accountability to friends and family. Is it realistic? 6 months to drop 30 pounds is absolutely realistic, and her goal weight is healthy. Plus, since we began working together she's already lost ten pounds and it's absolutely realistic that she can lose 20 pounds in the next four months. Slow, steady, realistic weight loss is the healthy way to do it.

So if there's something hard yet realistic that you want to do -- and I mean really want to do -- you know you can do it, right? You can do anything that's realistic (and more than a few things that aren't). Let us know if you have a specific goal in mind in the comments below. When you break it down into components, does it start to look even more manageable? That's the key difference between a person who talks about a goal, and a person who achieves a goal. That first step, breaking down the goal into SMART components, is critical.

I would like to thank all of my coaching clients for being courageous enough to work with me, for putting themselves out there, for doing the hard homework, and sharing their stories with all of us. You were brave to give it a try, and you are an inspiration not just because you achieved your goal, but because of how you went after it.

For the last month of the year, December, I'll be blogging about people who give back (and yes, there will be a food tie-in). I've got a few ideas, but I've got room for a few more. If you know of an exceptional person who is giving back, please tell me about them.

Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read.

Allison

How are you doing with our November Healthy Habit of being more portion aware?  We're collecting lots of great tips from our Cooking Light community on how they keep portions in check, which will be featured in the upcoming Healthy Habits book. We also tapped several leading nutrition experts to tell us their thoughts about managing portions. Here's a sneak peek at what a few of them had to say...

Jill Castle, MS, RD, pediatric nutritionist and blogger, Just the Right Byte

"When eating out, be aware of words that warn of portion distortion -- value meal, combo, ultimate, tub, supreme, biggie, deluxe and super size.  It may be tempting to think more is better, but in this case, more is calories."

New York University's Lisa Young, PhD, RD, author of The Portion Teller Plan and one  of the country's leading experts on portion control

"People eat in units -- one bagel, one muffin, one soda or one steak -- and they don't really pay attention to how big that unit is. Just because you're eating one of something, it doesn't mean that's the appropriate amount of food you should be eating."

Michelle May, MD, mindful eating expert, blogger and author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat

"Once you have the amount of food you think you'll need, physically divide it in half on your plate to remind yourself to stop half way and check in again. This little 'speed bump' will slow you down so you can reconnect with your hunger and fullness level."

Marsha Hudnall, MS, RD, blogger, A Weight Lifted

"Think of portion sizes as a place to start.  It builds in an automatic stopping place that gives you the opportunity to think if you really want more.  Then pay attention to your internal hunger cues.  If you decide you want more, that's fine to have a second helping. But you're making a conscious decision rather than just eating all that's on your plate.

Manuel Villacorta, MS, RD, blogger, Eating Free

"Popular diets tend to demonize certain foods like potatoes, pasta, cheese and even fruit, yet the reality is no food is fattening unless you over consume it.  Food is not the problem, your portions are.  I think it's important to eat with pleasure and without guilt. Just keep sight of how much you're eating."

I especially liked Manuel's message that no food is fattening unless you over consume it.  It really all comes down to portions.  You can enjoy all foods as long as you're not over-doing it.  One way to keep tabs on your portions is to write down what you eat, at least for a few days.  It can be a real eye-opener.  Many of our readers said they rely on mobile apps to help do the tracking.  What about you?  Have you found some tricks to help you manage your portions?  Let us know what works for you!

By: Jennifer Chinn

I’ll have to admit, I had a big advantage when starting to incorporate Cooking Light’s portion control advice into my life. My husband, Mark, went out of town for work for two weeks. I got to experiment without having to worry about anyone else’s eating habits influencing me.

I already use salad-sized plates for meals, but I never considered applying this concept to glasses. It is apple cider season in Michigan, and there is nothing like fresh-pressed cider from our local cider mill. Our regular drinking glasses probably fit four or five “portions,” and it is so sad to just pour a little bit at the bottom. I pulled out some pretty little juice glasses, and they are now dedicated to cider. Not only are the portions controlled, these glasses are special because my mother gave them to me from when my sisters and I were kids, so I am happy to have a reason to use them more often. Now I just need to find a fun (small) ice cream dish. 

I’ve discovered the “slice meats” tip doesn’t just apply to meat. I tried it with a homemade individual pizza, cutting it into a lot of bite-sized pieces instead of just a few slices and spreading them out on a plate. It takes longer to eat so I enjoy it more.

My favorite tip has turned out to be “eat before you eat.” To make this happen, I make sure to always have lettuce and raw veggies chopped and ready to go. Otherwise it would be easy to come home at night, decide I am too tired to do the prep and skip the salad. It works!

Once Mark was back, I was in the habit of having a salad before the main course. Now I can eat salad while he has one portion then have my portion while he has a second. Since he has a physically active job, two portions are appropriate for him, but not for me. I find I am not “jealous” that he gets to eat more because we are eating for the same amount of time. Therefore, I feel satisfied with the appropriate portion.

Between those salads and the “freebie foods” tip, I am eating more fruits and vegetables than ever. Mark and I enjoy tandem bicycling and just competed in a 30-mile mountain bike race. I felt stronger and faster during the race, plus recovered better, than I had all summer. I think those veggies had a lot to do with it. Talk about inspiration to continue!

Looking back over the past few weeks, it is obvious that portion control, at least for me, is more of a mental challenge than anything else. I found I enjoyed being “in control” of my portions so much that it inspired me to find an app for my phone to track what I was eating. I figured if I was eating the correct portions, I might as well go the next step to be in control of my whole day. So far, so good!

Kristen, like so many of us who are trying to be portion aware this month, is a wee bit concerned about the holiday obstacle course in the six weeks ahead.

Here are five ideas that she’ll use to help navigate Thanksgiving. If you’re worried about your holiday intake, try these solutions:

Challenge: Friends and Relatives who want you to eat more of the foods you don’t want, and insist “It’s a special occasion!”, “Just this once?”, or “What’s the big deal?”

Solution: Since Kristen is getting married in May, she has an easy out: she bought a dress that she needs to fit into in a few months. She can respond with a simple, “I’m getting married and I’ve got a goal so no thank you, but enjoy it for me!”

For those of us who aren’t getting married, and for those times where a “No, thank you!” just doesn’t put an end to the badgering, consider why this is important to the person who is pushing the issue. Are they looking for an excuse to overindulge, and are looking for your “permission”? Or are they rapid-metabolism Ritas who just don’t understand what you’re trying to do? Have a little empathy instead of letting the calorie pushers get your goat.

Challenge: How can I be sure to fill up on the right things, and not the stuffing, gravies, and mashed potatoes?

Solution: Kristen plans to fill two plates worth of food. Her first trip to the Thanksgiving buffet will be to fill up on salad and vegetables.  Once she’s done, she’ll have a glass of water, relax, then take another trip for the more caloric stuff.

Challenge: I don’t want to bring out my measuring cups and measure everything; how can I make sure I don’t overdo on portions?

Solution: Instead of a traditional dinner plate, use a salad plate and fill it once. There are so many delicious foods at Thanksgiving, dinner plates are often towering with food. Don’t have a sparse, sad plate, just use a smaller one!

Challenge: My family loves to wear their Thanksgiving pants. They are big and roomy, and built to expand. I don’t feel as full when I wear clothes like this. 

Solution: So don’t wear clothes like that! Wear a tight-fitting dress or pants and you’ll think twice about indulging. Or, wear control-top nylons or Spanx under your clothes. Not only will you look better, you’ll be less likely to overdo.

Challenge: There is nothing healthy at my family’s Thanksgiving. Absolutely nothing. It’s all pies and starches, and every vegetable is swimming in a butter sauce. Should I just eat before I get there? 

Solution: Gosh, no! That’s no fun, and somewhat insulting to the host. Be a good guest and BYOV, that's right, bring your own vegetables. A crudite platter is always a welcomed appetizer, and so is a side of brussels sprouts or roast butternut squash. If you want some vegetables, bring them!

I wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving. Let's be thankful for our friends, family and the fact that so many of us are faced with the challenge of abundance this weekend.

See More: 5 Vegetable Recipes for Thanksgiving

“Be portion aware!” It’s the mandate shouting at me from this month’s 12 Healthy Habits pages. It’s not really shouting, of course. That’s just my own portion “noise.” Because trust me: I am very portion aware. I’m actually more portion disregard. Because I know a grape from a galette—and will even surprise myself by often picking the former over the latter—just gimme a whole lot of those grapes.

Despite my tendency toward “more is more,” I fully acknowledge it’s not a healthful eating philosophy, and my habits could definitely use some tweaking. I’ve been trying to follow some of the principles outlined here by downsizing my plate sizes and styling my food to fill that smaller plate more appealingly. But I’m still having trouble when faced with big eating events, like the impending holidays, football games, and random crummy Tuesdays.

That’s where the best portion-related advice I’ve come across comes in. And it just so happens to be super timely with the rapid approach of the most overportioned of all holidays…Thanksgiving. The advice was something like this: Don’t save your favorite foods like dressing, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie for “special” occasions or holidays, or you’ll be tempted to go overboard, seeing them as a limited time offer. Who’s to stop you from enjoying a small scoop of stuffing or a sliver of pecan gooeyness in June? Certainly not me. So I think it’s time for me to start applying the same advice to my other favorite foods. Maybe our biannual trip to our favorite pizza place doesn’t have to be a stretchy pants free-for-all. What if I…gulp…started with a salad before moving on to a more sensible amount of slices? Does that mean I could pizza it up more often? Hmm. Maybe there’s something to this whole portion awareness after all. Please pass the grapes.

Read more: Top 10 Secrets of Portion Control

Kristen did such a great job in her first week of portion awareness, I'm not even sure where to start. I think what's most exciting to me is the number of challenges that our newly-engaged road warrior is facing; the number of times she feels like she can't be in control of what she's eating and how she's turning that around. 

Here are Kristen's challenges, solved:

After-work Bonding Over Drinks: Oooh this is one of those places where road warriors get tripped up easily. Sure, you want to bond with your coworkers when you're traveling, and what better way than happy hour (on the company credit card)? The first time her team insisted on this kind of bonding, she went, and opted for chicken skewers and portabella mushrooms. The second time, she told the team she was going to skip it and head out for sushi. And you know what? They all went with her.

The Corporate Vending Machine of Hell: Who stocks the corporate vending machine with sodas, chips and cookies? It seems nice, but it isn't! Instead of falling prey to mid-afternoon hunger cured with some salty, sugary, fatty and ultimately unsatisfying treat, Kristen brought her own. She called the hotel where she was staying, asked for a mini fridge, and shopped in a local Target's grocery area as soon as she landed. She packed herself big bags of her favorite veggies and didn't heed the siren call of that vending machine.

Steakhouse Dinner?: This is not for the weak of will. Kristen took herself to Ruths' Chris (just thinking about this makes my mouth water). Instead of grabbing a rich steak, she opted for the happy hour special, and ordered Seared Ahi Tuna, and Tenderloin Skewers on a Bed of Mixed Greens. For $12 ($6 ea.) she satisfied her surf-and-turf craving with very reasonable portions.

The 'Eat-Anything-He-Wants' Fiance: We love our men, but a skinny hubby really puts love to the test. But Scott, Kristen's incredibly supportive fiance, did a little kitchen reorg before she returned home this week: he put all of his favorite junk foods in a cabinet that she can't see. Therefore, she's not going to "stumble upon" his junk food and be tempted any more; she'll need to really seek it out.

The 'Have-A-Cookie' Colleague: Ugh. Do you have one of these? Kristen does. The 'I-have-a-present-for-you' colleague, and that present is always caloric. Yes, the colleague knows that Kristen is trying to watch it, but a big (and I mean big) cookie is nobody's friend. So what did Kristen do? She said no thank you and took out a picture of her wedding dress. Nothing motivates like that photo.

Chinese Food At Home: When Kristen returns home from her travels every week, they go out for Chinese. Now Kristen isn't ready to face the portion challenges at a Chinese restaurant, so instead, Scott cooked Chinese at home. He made vegetables and coated chicken breasts with bottled teriyaki sauce. Their Chinese craving was tamed.

And the result? Kristen has lost 5 pounds and her engagement ring is fitting on her middle finger. Her shorts are looser, and she's working out 4 to 5 times per week. She's seeing the results of portion awarenesss: both in quality and quantity.

This week, she's experimenting with vegetables that she hasn't tried before. She plans to make:

- Butternut Squash Soup
- Brussels Sprouts
- Crunchy Green Beans
- Healthy Stuffing Recipe

Sounds like someone is getting ready for a delicious Thanksgiving, doesn't it?

Thank you for your motivating comments last week. Please keep them coming!

Allison

Kristen, our "Be Portion Aware" coaching client, has a really big reason to change the way she eats: she's getting married May 19, 2012, and she wants to drop two dress sizes by then. Right now she's a size 12, but she's most comfortable (and not too skinny) as a size 8.

So that's Kristen's motivation, and here are her challenges:

1. She's a road warrior, traveling away from home for business Monday through Friday. She's usually based in smaller towns, where her 20-something male travel companions opt for dinner venues like Subway, Jimmy Johns, and inexpensive buffets. "Lean Cuisine does not fill me up," said Kristen. "I can only eat salads for so many days; at the buffets I eat and eat and eat."

2. She's engaged to a man who seems like he can eat anything and not gain a pound. He has an aversion to vegetables (but will cook them for Kristen). "No fruit, no vegetables, but he'll cook huge steaks," said Kristen. "I made him get rid of the deep frier."

3. She moved from Minnesota to Chicago, and her lifestyle has changed. "In Minnesota I was on the trails, excersizing outside all the time," said Kristen. "In Chicago, it's bars and drinking. Plus, with Scott, I go out to eat more."

Today, Kristen is 5'4" and 175 pounds. She's healthiest and happiest at 145, and would like to see those extra 30 pounds go away before the wedding. And here's a terrific thing about Kristen: she knows how to lose weight by changing her lifestyle.

A few years ago, Kristen lost 50 pounds by exercising, eating salads, and giving up "pop." It took her 1-1/2 years, but she did it, healthfully, losing 1 to 2 pounds per week.

But today, Kristen is on the road most of the week, traveling through smaller towns where inspired fresh salads can be hard to find. She likes to eat, and she likes to eat in volume. So what do we do to help Kristen get to a healthier weight, and Be Portion Aware?

1. Eat As Much ____ As You Like: Since Kristen likes to graze, I needed to give her one portion without control and so I gave her: veggies. Kristen can have all the leafy greens, green peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower she would like. She has committed to bringing a knife, veggie peeler, and cutting board on the road, and will ask her hotel to provide a mini fridge. That way Kristen doesn't have to rely on fast food establishments for her vegetables; she can grocery shop and take care of herself in her home-away from home. She loves eating vegetables and a low-fat salad dressing as low-cal, high-volume office snack; now she can.

2. Have Smarter Snacks: Kristen told me that she makes "snack bags" to bring to work every week, so she is already in the habit of portion control by putting her nuts in little bags! Unfortunately, she's filling those bags with 1/2 cup of nuts, which is about 400 calories and far more than she needs for a snack. So how do we get Kristen the volume she craves with fewer calories? She can use a scant 1/4 cup of the nuts, and fill the rest of the bag with popcorn or puffed cereal (she loves Chex Mix). Alternatively, check out these healthy snack ideas on CookingLight.com.

3. Be Portion Aware with Protein: I've asked Kristen to fill half her plate with vegetables at every meal, and Kristen caught a loophole: if she can have endless amounts of vegetables, what's an appropriate portion of protein? Here's some suprising news: 3 ounces of animal protein provide 21 grams of protein, and according to the CDC, Kristen only needs 46 grams of protein per day. So 3 ounces of protein at every meal is more than enough. Check out the CDC to find out your daily protein needs.

As we were wrapping up Kristen's coaching session, a colleague actually came by her office and offered her a fried sandwich with fries (for free), which she reluctantly passed up. As they say, there's no such thing as a free meal, and in this case, Kristen was being burdened with fries and more fries.

Who is on Kristen's side in the Portion Awareness battle?! We are! So feel free to add your two cents, and inspiring thoughts for Kristen, as she eases up on portions, and eases into that size 8 wedding dress.

Our November Healthy Habit is to be more portion aware.  And this is an important one—getting your portions under control is one of the best ways to eat a little less while still enjoying the foods you love. Instead of eliminating favorite foods, portion control allows you to enjoy all foods.

You told us that's the approach you prefer. When we asked our Cooking Light community, 65% said they pay attention to portions rather than avoid certain foods. All things in moderation. Admittedly, this can be tough when we’re eating so many meals away from home and grabbing innocent-looking snacks and bottled drinks that actually contain two or three servings.  

Yet, experts estimate that eating just 100 fewer calories a day may be all it takes to curtail weight gain for 90% of the population. This simple difference of 100 calories a day will cause you to either gain or lose 10 pounds a year. So just a few small changes to your daily routine can add up to something big. 

I think that's important (and encouraging) because it means you don't need a rigid, restrictive diet plan. The best approach is to make a few little tweaks to your daily food routine.  Many of these changes involve your portions, and this may be easier (and less noticeable) than you think.

So think about ways you can cut 100 calories from every meal. Brian Wansink, PhD, of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, calls this the “mindless margin.”  Our body and mind fight restrictive diets that dramatically cut calories, but they don’t notice a 100-calorie difference here and there.

Here are some simple ways you can shave off 100 calories:

- Use nonstick spray in place of butter or margarine when cooking your eggs.

- Skip the flavored syrup in your morning latte.

- Downsize your bagel, or eat only half; some are equivalent to 5 slices of bread.

- Saute your vegetables in a teaspoon of olive oil instead of a tablespoon.

- Order a slice of thin crust pizza instead of thick crust pizza, or remove four pieces of pepperoni from your slice.  

- Choose a 12-ounce can of soda instead of a 20-ounce bottle, or drink one less can of soda a day (or better yet, switch to water).

- Leave three or four bites on your plate each time you eat.

What are your portion challenges?  And do you have any special tricks to help you manage your portions?

Read More: Perfectly Portioned Recipes