Portion Control in Dieting

How Portion Control Diet Works?

You read all too much about it: what to eat, what not to eat, carbs are bad, carbs are good… But while these cover the “what to” aspect, it often over looks the “how much” factor. Even when eating the right foods, moderation can be overlooked or misconceived. We’re going to go over some portion control strategies and how it works – to aid you in your weight loss quest. One of the cool things about portion control is it allows you a little more freedom and flexibility with what you eat. Eat a cup of ice cream, not half the container; a slice of pizza, not eight. You get the idea. While it may sound a bit depriving, it’s actually a rewarding way to eat “cheaty” foods without expanding your gut. It will also train you to eat smaller amounts at a given time, and thus, reduce caloric intake.

Using Portion Control To Lose Weight

Here are 11 easy ways to help keep portions at a healthy size:

1. Accurately measure your food. Invest in tools like a measuring cup, tablespoon measurer, or better yet, a food scale to weigh it out.
2. Learn how to estimate serving sizes. These are a few key ballpark figures you should always remember when measuring certain food items:
   • ½ cup is the size of an ice cream scoop
   • 1 cup is the size of a tennis ball
   • 1 ounce of cheese is the size of a domino
   • 3 oz. of meat (cooked) is the size of a deck of cards
3. Serve food separately. When cooking at home, serve food from the stove onto plates before taking to the table, rather than strew about family-style at the table, which will encourage seconds.
4. Use smaller dishware. Shop for smaller plates, bowls, and glasses to use at home. The US is notorious for using large plates… and filling them up. Don’t be that guy or girl. If you are reusing your 7-11 Big Gulp cup at home, it’s time to reinvest in something less hefty.
5. Create your own single-serving packs. It’s great to buy in bulk, then prepare and store in single-serving tupperware at home for the whole week. Cook a whole bunch of chicken Sunday night, weigh it out, and put 6oz. in 10 different tupperware containers for 10 easy meals, all while knowing how much is in each. So simple. Add some vegetables and whatever else you desire, and not only are you rationing out well, you won’t really have to cook much the rest of the week.
6. Intermittently fast. Yes, fasting is a great way to not only save calories, but also reset your digestive system and give it a momentary break. EAT STOP EAT is the best program for effectively fasting while avoiding starvation mode. It does burn blubber!
7. When going out for dinner, be wise. Sounds lame, but don’t hesitate to buy one dinner and share with a friend. Most restaurants are very sly and add fat and salt to most menu items, because it tastes good and will have you coming back. Ask your server if they do this, and if so, to not add any unwanted toppings. If eating a salad, ask for dressing on the side. Dip your fork into the dressing and then into the salad.
8. Use vegetables as carbs, not grains. Calorically, a cup of grains has FAR more calories and carbs than a cup of broccoli, and FAR LESS nutrients. Grains are over rated. Vegetables are not. Use em, eat em. More veggies!
9. Morning Joe… milk then coffee. It’s easier to gauge how much milk or cream you’re putting into your morning java if you add it prior to pouring the caffeine juice itself.
10. Measure oil when cooking. Even healthy oils like olive and coconut are calorically-dense. So if trying to cut back on calories, avoid free pouring it when cooking, and instead measure out the desired amount first.
11. Stop when you’re full. Don’t worry about licking your plate clean, despite what mom told you as a child. Eat until you’re full, then stop. Your body is smart and will let you know what’s going on. Whether you decide to listen to it is completely up to you.