"We're finding that portion size can influence intake as much as taste. Large packages and containers can lead to overeating foods we do not even find appealing" - Brian Wansink, PhD Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University and author of "Mindless Eating".

Larger portions add up! Just 100 extra calories per day can add up to 10 extra pounds a year. The good news is that the scale also tips in the other direction - decrease your intake by 100 extra calories per day and you can lose 10 extra pounds in a year.

The size of our plates are actually increasing to accommodate larger portion sizes. Dr. Wansink reports that dish sizes have actually DOUBLED in 50 years. He describes recent sales history at antique stores as evidence. Antique dealers are finding that people are using what were once dinner plates as today's salad dishes and using the serving platters as today's dinner plates.

This creates an issue because the bigger the plate, the bigger our appetite. Studies show that adults eat 92% of whatever we put on our plate. This is a good reason we should always put a little bit on our plates before going back for seconds.

In another research study, students and professors were invited to an ice cream social. Those who were give larger serving bowls served themselves 31% more than those with smaller bowls. Those who had a larger bowl and a larger serving utensil served themselves 53% more ice cream than those who were given a small bowl and small spoon.

Keep these studies in mind as you try to achieve your week 3 goal and challenge!