Trying to stay thin, when you have a family, is actually a never-ending nightmare because most children and men eat ginormous amounts of food and are constantly thinking and talking about food, and you spend hours every day in the kitchen. And men like big plates and bowls, and normal portions look ridiculous on them, so you'll invariably start increasing your own portion to fill the dishes.
My daughter and I have switched to salad plates and dessert bowls. That's like half the win, right there.