This is a parenting tip, but it’s also kind of a weight-loss lifehack:

Don’t eat off your children’s plates. Bang. I just changed your life.

Give yourself a portion, and don’t eat after your kids.  This is about setting some very basic boundaries. Once you start eating off of your child’s plate, you’re not sticking to your portion, and that becomes one of those slippery slopes. Think skiing. Slippery. This is especially slippery if you have multiple children. You’re no longer thinking about a single portion. Part of eating and controlling your diet is just visual. You look down, and go “That’s my food”. That chunk of food there, whether it be a pile of seeds, part of a squirrel’s leg, or just a no frills collection of grasshoppers and beetles, that’s your food.

Now, if you’re going to be eating from your children’s plates and then regurgitating the food for them to eat, that’s a whole different story. Otherwise, stay committed to your portion. One exception. If you’re a seasonal eater, when you’re fueling up for winter, traveling south, go nuts. That food is fuel and you’ll need it. Eat as much as you want. You’ve earned it. And don’t forget—eggs from the nests of other species are a great source of protein. Bon appetite.