There’s so much talk nowadays about what you should and should not eat if you want to lose weight but rather less emphasis on the importance of eating sensible food portions.

Portion control is essential to weight loss as well as to maintaining a healthy weight. A report published in Science magazine states that cutting 100 calories a day would be enough to prevent, and reverse, the 2lbs weight gain that the average person makes every year. That’s right. No miracle weight loss pills, no starvation detox and no fad diet plans. Just downsize your portion size and you can prevent weight becoming a big problem for you! Research has also clearly shown that overweight people who control the portion size of what they eat are more likely to lose weight and keep it off for good. Although increasing planned exercise also helps people shed pounds, researchers found portion control efforts seem to offer the biggest payoff.

 

The concept is easy: if you eat less, you consume fewer calories. But in a world where big is better and restaurants serve enormous plates of food, it’s tough to figure out what a “normal” portion size is. It is very easy to overeat when oversized portions and all-you-can eat buffets surround us. Studies estimate that most of us under estimate the amount we eat by a staggering 25 per cent.

 

While most of us know the basics about nutrition, we also need to take some time to rethink how much we eat because it really is just as important as what we eat. With portion sizes and waist lines growing bigger every day the following simple portion control secrets that are can make a huge difference.

 

Cut it in half.

Just decrease your portion sizes by half and substitute the other half with vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruit. For example, if you are used to eating a sandwich at lunch, just eat half and supplement the rest with raw veggies, nuts, seeds and fruit. If you are eating out ask for an extra plate and share your portion with a friend.

 

Nice and slow

Take your time when you are eating a meal and when you are finished pause and allow yourself at least 20 minutes before eating any thing else like a dessert. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to receive messages from your stomach that you are full so you may well find that you don’t actually want to eat any more.

 

Pass on the pasta

The recommended serving size for pasta is 2 ozs or 50g of uncooked pasta. The typical restaurant portion is easily four times this size, so leave the extra (your portion should be about the size of a tennis ball) and cut 100 calories!

 

Re-size your cereal and bread

The amount of cereal eaten is often twice the recommended serving size. So weigh out the 30 or 40g serving of cereal and get to know what the correct portion looks like in the bowl you normally use. Cutting out just one slice of bread a day will save around 100 calories – try an open sandwich so you only have one slice of wholemeal bread.

 

Avoid the oil-slick!

Use a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon to measure your butter, spread or oil portion. Spread just a thin layer of butter on your bread. When dining out, ask for the dressing on the side so you can control how much you use.

 

Ask for a doggie bag.

Taking a doggie bag with leftovers when you dine out in a restaurant is common place in America but not something we tend to do here but it really is a good idea. Restaurant portions are unbelievable — nearly twice the size they were 15 years ago. If you don’t trust yourself ask your waiter for a take away container as soon as he serves the food. You can always take some back out to eat at the restaurant if you’re still hungry, but chances are you won’t want to. Heat the leftovers up tomorrow for lunch.

 

Forget meal deals

Ideally, you should be avoiding fast food anyway.  But if you are having fast food, bear in mind that any fast food is going to be over sized anyway so don’t make things worse by super sizing because it seems like a better deal. In fact, steering clear of meal deals altogether is very wise and don’t let the server convince you that it’s much more cost effective for you to buy medium or large instead of a small portion. Better still order a children’s size meal; kid’s meals are actually much closer to the correct portion size than the adult versions.

 

Go for small packages

When your will power is overpowered by a sudden urge to eat crisps or chocolate don’t buy the large bags or boxes of multi packs whatever their bargain price may be. Buy individual bags or products one at a time. Or, keep a single serving snack bag handy so you can use that as you get them home.

 

Super size your salads

Eating a salad or soup before lunch or dinner is a great way to keep from overeating. It will help curb your appetite and give you a sense of satiety sooner. To reap full portion control benefits load up your salad with veggies and a handful of nuts and seeds. The fibre in the veggies will help you feel fuller and the nut protein will help to slow the rate of digestion.

 

Mini meals

Instead of eating three meals a day; eat five. Keep your blood sugar (and your appetite) at an even keel all day long by not going any longer than 3 hours without having something to eat. Eat multiple, healthy mini meals throughout the day rather than a few large ones. Start with a healthy breakfast, followed by a mid morning snack, followed by lunch, a mid afternoon snack and a light supper.

 

Make grains, legumes, fish and vegetables your main dish

By loading up on veggies, legumes, fish and healthy grains as the bulk of your meal instead of using them as side portions, you’ll feel full sooner and get extra vitamins, omega 3 and fibre. Experiment with new vegetables and preparation methods to keep things interesting.

 

Size up servings.

Just how many biscuits or your other favourite snacks) are in a serving? Do you even know? Check the label on the box and see — you may be surprised at how many servings you are actually consuming. Learn what a controlled portion of your favourite snacks look like by measuring them out the next time you eat them. Then, once you see how much a serving really looks like, you’ll be able to visualise it from then on and know how much is too much.

 

Indulge yourself

Eat healthily 80 per cent of the time and you can afford the occasional treat. Completely avoiding your favourite food can lead to a sense of deprivation and quite possibly overeating as a result. Stop a binge before it starts by indulging yourself every now and then or by allowing yourself a couple of bites so you don’t feel deprived. More often than not a couple of bites are more than enough to satisfy your taste buds.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 1st, 2008 at 7:30 pm and is filed under General Health, Nutrition and Healthy Eating, Winter Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.