EAT EVERYTHING FOR WEIGHT LOSS, JUST CONSIDER PORTION SIZE CONTROL

Portion Size Control – The Basics

“It’s not just a question of how healthy your food choices are that count when it comes to weight". “Often the quality of the food is okay, remember there is no ‘one’ bad food’ – however there are ‘bad’ quantities”.

“Portion Distortion is very common. Learning to recognise how much you body needs, and recognising when you’re full is important to successful long term weight loss”.
You should take a little time to familiarise yourself with different portion sizes. “Even just cutting out 15-20% of what you normally serve yourself will help enormously in weight management, and you’re unlikely to feel hungry if you snack on healthy choices and eat regularly.”



Portion Control Pointers

Portion control is essential for you to successfully manage your weight – for both maintaining and losing weight.


Ravenous hunger can (and usually does!) result in eating larger portions. Eating regular meals prevents ‘ravenous hunger’ and will help you control your portion sizes.


The average portion sizes have increased by 25-50% over the past 30 years e.g. crisp packs have increased from 25g to 35g – eat one of these bigger bags everyday and the extra calories equal a 2.5kg (5lb) weight gain over a year. With pre packed pasta and spaghetti the suggested servings are sometimes over a third more than the recommended portion size (not only does this hinder weight control – you’ll end up finishing the packet quicker and have to buy more of the product… strange that).


Don’t be seduced by quantity and avoid ‘going large’ or ‘super sizing’’. Although larger portions of chips, onion rings, cappuccinos etc may appear to offer good value for money, they offer poor value for health – you simply end up eating or drinking more calories, fat and sugar and this will lead to weight gain.


Don’t be tempted by meal deals, offered by many supermarkets and sandwich shops, unless they offer fruit or fruit desserts instead of crisps or cake.




Common Myth and Misconceptions

“It’s low in fat and so I can eat more”. This is a common mistake however it’s not true - just because the packet says ‘low fat’ does not mean the food is low in calories. Portion control is important for all foods, even those claiming to be low in fat or calories.


“Liquids don’t count”. Yes they do – and this is where it is easy to misjudge your intake of food portions. Some liquids can contain a significant number of calories – a large latte coffee, for instance, contains 212 calories; the skinny option contains 167cals – both would give you the same nutrition but the skinny version (especially if you had a smaller size) would help you manage your weight.


Tips and Tricks

-If you usually eat all of the food on your plate and never leave any, serve smaller portions and wait for a few minutes before going back for seconds.

-Fill half of your plate with vegetables or salad first, and then add the protein (e.g. meat, fish) and starch (e.g. potatoes, pasta) portions.

-Measure out salad dressings, mayonnaise and sauces in spoons – you will use less than if you simply pour them over.

-Drink a large glass of water with every meal – this is great for your digestion and will also help you to feel full.

-Always sit down to eat if you can - studies have shown that those who don’t watch TV whilst eating, eat less - so turn the TV off. Focusing on enjoying your meal will help you to stop eating when you are full – distractions will make it less likely that you will notice when you are full.