Portion Control for Weight Loss – Don’t Starve!
Without much exercise, you can have trouble losing weight. Many strategies for losing additional weight include dieting, exercise, walking, etc. Portion control is the best and healthiest method of weight loss [1]. Monitoring your healthy Eating is the key, generally speaking. We frequently tend to consume everything that is placed on the plate in front of us.
Increasing numbers of people are struggling to lose weight, leading to an overeating epidemic. However, why we overeat is a valid question. The size of the meal is one of the leading causes of overeating. Boredom, solid emotions, and profound sadness are some additional reasons. It may also happen due to a wide variety of food products.
Keep reading to learn more about portion control for weight loss!
What is Portion Control for Weight Loss?
In a nutshell, portion management refers to how much food is on the plate. Typically, we serve ourselves several portions of meals at a time.
Portion control is the most effective nutritional tip for weight loss, a healthy lifestyle, and many other things. It all comes down to knowing what your body needs and eating accordingly. Occasionally, we overeat because there is a massive piece of food on our plates, resulting in weight gain.
People who desire to lose weight frequently believe that their food intake must be severely reduced, although this is not always the case. Here’s portion control for weight loss, which allows you to reduce weight without constantly feeling hungry.
Why Is Portion Control Important for Weight Loss?
It would help if you considered the value of something before putting it into practice in your life. The main benefit of portion management for weight loss is lowering calorie intake.
Rather than needlessly overindulging, eat only what your body requires!
We can reduce the number of fats our bodies store as fat by portioning out our meals. Your body uses its fat reserves when you consume a limited amount of food, which results in weight loss. Up to a point, the more body fat is burned, the more weight you lose. Therefore we want to ensure we eat a balanced diet while exercising portion control.
9 Tips to Control Portion Size
Fear not—portion control for weight loss does not entail living off carrots to lose weight. To practice portion control, eat only as much food as will make you feel full. It involves comprehending how the food you are ingesting is broken down.
Here are some pointers to control your portion sizes to lose weight:
Use Smaller Dinnerware
The size of your plates, spoons, and glasses, which affect how much you eat, are essential factors in your weight growth [2]. For instance, eating in a bulky manner makes your meal appear smaller on the plate, which encourages overeating.
According to a study, those who eat their pasta in huge bowls consume more than those who use medium-sized bowls. Nutritionists further clarify that ice cream served in a giant bowl allows you to eat 33% more [3].
People generally ate more since they didn’t understand portion management and were served huge servings. Change to smaller plates if you want to try portion management for weight loss. You’ll be able to consume less food and liquids as a result.
Use Your Plate as a Portion Guide
If you find it challenging to weigh your meals, you can use a portion control chart to prevent overeating. It will assist you in having the ideal, well-balanced supper.
A rough guide for each meal is as follows:
- High-quality proteins – ¼ that of a plate
- Vegetables – ½ portion of the plate
- Complex carbs – ¼ the share of the plate
- High-Fat foods – ½ tablespoon
Read the Nutrient Labels
Reading the label is one of the best ways to comprehend portion control for weight loss. The appropriate serving size can be determined by reading the nutrient label. Just keep in mind that not everyone requires the same portion size.
By comprehending the concept of portion control, you can reduce your regular food intake.
Ask for a Half Portion
Demand a half piece of everything you eat. In restaurants, portions are 2.5 times bigger than they are at home [4]. When ordering, there’s no need to think twice about asking for a kid’s meal or a half-portion. You will be able to regulate your calorie intake and avoid overeating.
To lose weight, stay away from buffet-style restaurants and exercise portion control!
Use Hand Serving Guide
You can use your hands to estimate your portion size if you don’t want to use a measuring device. Usually, the signs of your body are your hands. For instance, those with larger bodies tend to have finer hands [5].
Here is the rough guide you can follow for each meal:
- High Protein Food – 1 palm serving for women & 2 palm serving for men
- Salad – 1 fist-size serving for women & 2 fist-size for men
- High Carb Foods – one cup for women & two for men
- High Fat Foods – one thumb-size portion for women & two for men
Start With a Glass of Water
Thirty minutes before your meal, drink a glass of water to avoid portion control. You’ll feel less hungry and more hydrated if you drink water. According to several studies, drinking 500 ml of water before each meal causes weight loss to be 44% greater [6].
You lose weight due to consuming fewer calories and your body burning fat reserves.
Eat Your Meal Slowly
It is easier for the brain to recognize fullness after eating if you consume food slowly. You may have noticed that people who eat slowly consume less food than others who eat quickly. Eating more slowly results in a more profound fullness sensation and reduces food intake.
In addition, eating while watching TV makes you eat more calories and gain weight [7]. As a result, concentrating on your food will enable you to manage your portion size.
Don’t Eat from the Food Vessel
You may begin eating right away from the food container, which might lead to overeating. The best illustration of it is a bag of snacks. In contrast to flavor and quality, some anecdotal data suggest people tend to eat more when it is in a large container. Evidence suggests that people tend to eat more out of large packages than small ones — regardless of food taste or quality [8]
Usually, it occurs at family meals when you forget to watch your portions to lose weight. Re-portion your food onto a small plate and consume a well-balanced diet.
Use a Food Diary
A meal diary is among the best tools for understanding portion control for weight loss. Writing down everything you eat and drink will help you become more conscious of the kinds and quantities of food you’re ingesting [9].
People who kept food diaries lost more weight in total.
Bottom Line
You may regulate the portion in numerous realistic ways. You can lose weight using all the above methods without experiencing constant hunger. Use small plates, drink water before meals, and eat while attempting portion management.
To eat more nutrient-dense foods and to nourish your body as you strive to lose weight, portion restriction can be a highly effective strategy. If you’re trying to lose weight, the first step in making a change is frequently becoming aware of the portion amounts you’re eating. You are more likely to achieve your exercise objectives and form healthy eating habits if you start with good habits. It will help you avoid unwanted tension and anxiety.
Improve the quality of your life by trying portion control for weight loss!
References
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12589331/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15761167/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16905035/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20470810/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16187319/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19661958/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24462489/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22306436/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11273412/
Would you like to learn how to control your portions? Schedule a session today with Tradena N. Rayner, MS, RDN, CDN, the Weight Inclusive Dietitian. She accepts Aetna, Anthem, BCBS, United Healthcare, Sana Benefits, and self-pay.
