ThinkSlim: 5 Tips for Easy Portion Control

If you eat a healthy diet you may wonder where you're going wrong if you don't lose weight. After all we're always being told to cut out late-night snacks, cut out fat, cut out carbs (or whatever the latest diet guru advice is) if we want to drop a few pounds.

But changing the type of food you eat is often not enough, and sometimes you don't even need to change what you eat at all - you just have to get how much you eat under control - it's all about portion sizes.

So what do you do when portion sizes in restaurants grow ever larger and stores give out 2 for 1 offers like food was going out of fashion.

You have to take steps to control your own portions and not rely on how much they think you should eat!

1. Use Your Eyes

A good serving size for protein is about the size of a pack of playing cards. Where pasta, rice or potatoes is concerned, it's about the size of a clenched fist. Of course if you only eat that amount you will probably be hungry - so fill up on as many vegetables or as much salad as you like.

2. Don't eat Everything

It's much easier if you can serve yourself the right amount in the first place. Don't eat straight from the packet - put a serving on a plate. If you have been served too much in a restaurant, mentally divide your plate into what you will and won't eat before you start. Avoid this by asking for items to be served separately (e.g. rice or fries) or by requesting a starter portion.

3. Higher Calories = Smaller Portions

For higher calorie foods you love, serve enough to get the flavour without piling on the calories. For example, one tablespoon of mayonnaise not a whole salad swimming in the stuff, or one scoop of luxury chocolate ice-cream, not a whole bowl full with chocolate flakes and whipped cream. Allow yourself 3 bites of any dessert IF YOU REALLY WANT IT. Share with a friend or two if necessary!

4. Add Protein

Always include protein in every meal or snack. It helps keep blood sugar balanced and keeps you satisfied for longer. For example, instead of eating just fruit for a snack add a little low-fat cheese, hard boiled egg or yogurt, Although you are adding calories you will avoid getting hungry so quickly.

5. Measure It

Weighing and measuring everything you eat is a bore but if you are not sure how much you are consuming it can really help until you get used to maintaining portion control. If you measure out 1oz (30g) of breakfast cereal for instance you will be amazed at how little you find in your bowl and you can see how calories mount up during the course of the day. Do you know how much cheese you get for an ounce and how many calories that is for instance? Try it for a few days to shed some light on why you are not losing weight fast enough.

4 Comments

One trick I use when eating at restaurants with large portions is to ask for a to-go box before I'm done eating. That way I can scoop about half the portion into the to-go box and finish what's on my plate and feel satisfied. Because I know myself, and I know that if I leave it all on the plate, I will eat WAY more than I planned!

Posted by: Emily | July 12, 2008 at 11:24 PM