Week 4: Work on Portion Control
We live in a time when the assumption is that bigger is better. Restaurants pride themselves on offering huge plates of food. Beverages come in sizes like “Big Gulp.” It’s enough to throw our idea of how much is too much totally out of whack. That’s why so many struggle with portion distortion. This week’s assignment is to work on eating proper portions.
Here are some tips to keep yourself in check:
- Use a smaller plate – When you’re home, eat off smaller plates. Your plate will look full, but you’ll be eating less.
- Make veggies the biggest part of your meal – Fill half of your plate with vegetables and the other half with lean protein and healthy starches such as roasted potatoes or quinoa.
- Make breakfast your biggest meal of the day – Start each day with a healthy breakfast that combines protein, carbohydrates and healthy fat.
- Use measuring cups/spoons – Don’t eyeball it. Use measuring cups and spoons for things like cereal, pasta, rice, peanut butter, oil and dressings.
- Learn to read food labels – Pay attention to the number of servings in a package and the calorie and fat content per serving. Don’t assume because a food comes in one package that it’s one serving. This is especially true for drinks. One bottle is usually two servings or more!
- Share a meal – Most meals you order at a restaurant will be way more than one serving. So, order an appetizer and split one main course with another person when you go out for a meal. Order one dessert and some extra forks. Four people can enjoy a few bites of a decadent dessert.
- Eat half or less – If you’re not sharing a meal, eat half of what you’re served and take the rest home to enjoy later.
- Slow down – Pace yourself and don’t be so quick to go back from seconds. Give your stomach and your brain time to catch up!
Remember to continue with the assignments from the previous weeks to keep your progress up and keep moving toward your fat loss goal.
