Bonus: The Aftermath

Join associate editor Tami Fertig on a 7-day challenge to reset her sense of proper portions. Sign up to receive daily challenge newsletters here and be sure to read the magazine story that inspired the challenge here.

The challenge is over! We made it out alive!

I don’’t know about you guys, but I spent the last day of the meal plan celebrating. I had a picnic in my yard with my Mushroom and Pappardelle Soup with Gremolata and a glass of red wine. (Just a glass, mind you. The meal plan was not over yet.)

I took some time between sips to reflect on what I learned during the week.

First, raw veggies really stave off hunger between meals, and you can eat as many of them as you want. I will definitely start keeping a bag of baby carrots at work. Sure beats the bag of chips I inevitably turn to when there’’s nothing else around.

Second, slowing down and treating food with respect——chewing each bite many times, setting the table with cute decorations, turning off the television during mealtime——leads to less overeating and more satisfaction.

I can’’t promise that I’’ll always limit myself to a wedge of lasagna or a cup of mac and cheese (my birthday’’s coming up, after all), but I’’ll certainly be more mindful of what a proper portion actually looks like.

So, a big congrats to all. Let’’s all chat about our different experiences taking the challenge!

—To sign up for the 7-Day Portion Control daily newsletter, visit the main page.

—Get the full 7-day meal plan.

—Read the magazine story that inspired the challenge, The Get Real Diet.

—Check out the Serving Savvy Cheat Sheet.