8 Tips For Better Portion Control

Sep 29

Adopting a healthier lifestyle is often associated with taking on a new diet that typically isn’t manageable long term. While diets that confine and restrict you to specific eating habits may sometimes offer the perk of instant gratification that we have all grown to love, the downside is that they aren’t much help when you finally go back to normal eating patterns. As a response, your body typically regains any weight that you’ve lost and other benefits you may have gained - more energy, better digestion, clearer skin, etc. also dissolve. Why go the short route with eating? If we turn our attention instead to practicing clean eating in general, we can make changes that will stick with benefits we can enjoy for a life time.

There are many habits that contribute to one's ability to adopt and maintain healthier lifestyle. The habit I’m going to focus on today is portion control. Portion control teaches you how to eat the correct portion to meet your nutritional needs. I prefer portion control versus dieting because instead of cutting out food groups or the snacks you love, you learn how to eat them in moderation in a way that your body will thank you for. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be restrictive. We can eat the things we need and have a few of the things we want… portion control is the key!

So how do we achieve portion control? Slow and steady. Below I’m going to share 8 tips to help you have better portion control.

Don’t skip meals. This is one of the biggest mistakes people make. Start your day with breakfast (preferably including some protein which will help you feel full longer) and plan ahead for lunch. It’s also a good idea to bring a healthy snack with you to get you through the afternoon before dinner. Portion control is very difficult when you’re starving!
When snacking, place the snack on a plate (or bowl) rather than eating right out of the bag or container. This is a huge help so you’re more aware of how much you are eating and you can better manage your potions this way. I’ve also used ziplock bags or mini snack containers to help measure my snacks and keep me from overeating. This works for in the house and on the go!
If you’re out at dinner and you feel like having dessert, just plan ahead. Order a smaller dinner (or healthy appetizers) and skip the alcohol, and enjoy a little dessert. It’s all about moderation and choices. Don’t feel like you ‘can’t have it’, just decide what you would enjoy more and make the choice and enjoy.
Slow down. By slowing down and enjoying our food more, we end up eating less. Remember to chew each bite more, relax and enjoy!
Focus on eating whole foods (avoiding pre-packaged food-like substances as much as possible) including protein, healthy fats and vegetables, until you are satiated (that feeling where you are about 80% full). Don't deprive yourself since this always backfires, causing you to eat more food later in the day. Most processed foods have chemical additives that make it difficult for us to limit consumption.
If portion control is more of an issue when you go out to eat, have a healthy snack before you leave so the bread or chip basket is less tempting (or ask that the waiter not bring the rolls or chips to your table). Plan on taking part of your meal home for leftovers since most restaurants give you huge portions. You can even ask for an extra plate and put ½ the meal on that plate and pack the rest up to take home for left overs.
Include healthy fats in your diet. This will help you feel satiated longer (and allow your body to absorb the fat soluble vitamins your body needs). Ideas include: avocado, nuts, seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, grass fed butter and ghee. Having a salad? You’ll feel full longer and absorb more nutrients if you add some fresh avocado or a dressing that includes healthy fat, like olive oil.
Using smaller plates can be helpful. When you put food on a large plate, you almost automatically want to try to fill it up and then feel like you need to finish it all. By using smaller plates (and bowls) you may find that you eat less but still feel comfortably full.