Portions Made Simple With The Portion Plate

If you are anything like me, when you think of dieting you think of giving up most food and eating like a ‘rabbit’ – salad and vegetables with a little meat here and there.  Well think again!  I’ve got some news that should make you smile.  In all actuality when it comes to being successful at loosing weight it has a lot more to do with portion control than you think.  So this means that you are better off not eating like a ‘rabbit’ but eating moderate portions of all different types of foods including a few treats here and there!  The key is moderation and portion control.

Again if you are like me, you’ve grown accustomed to what the restaurants consider a portion.  Some restaurants serve up to five portions in one sitting!  So how do we control our portions if we don’t even know what an adequate portion size is?   

You’ve probably heard it somewhere before but eating slower will help give you time to register that you are full.  The faster you eat the harder it is for your brain to register that you’ve had enough.  I’m sure you’ve done before, I know I have, where you eat so fast that by the time you stop you feel like you could burst or you have to unbutton your pants because your stomach is so bloated from over eating.  Taking smaller bites, chewing slower and putting your fork down between bites will help you get in tune with your body and you’ll know when to stop. 

Have you heard of the portion plate?  No it’s not some fancy plate (although I’m sure there is such a thing) that you need to run out and buy.  The portion plate simply means dividing your plate in half (mentally) and filling the first half with vegetables then dividing the remaining half in half.  One half is for your carbohydrates such as rice, pasta or something along those lines and then the other half will be for protein such as fish, eggs, beans or chicken.  

That’s your new portion rule from now on, one quarter protein, one quarter carbohydrates and one half fresh salad or veggies.

From now on every time you go to eat visualize what your plate should like.  Think about the portion plate.  If you are choosing a chicken sandwich, for example, your chicken is going to be your protein so it should fit one quarter of your plate.  Then you’ve got your carbs (bread) so you will want to fill up the rest of your plate with veggies or fresh salad. 

So now that you know how to manage your portions and you follow these guidelines for each of your three daily meals you should find that you loose weight without following a fad diet or giving up the foods you like.  And keep in mind that you don’t have to give up the junk food but just moderate it and watch your portions.  Also the next time you go out to eat ask for a to go box right away and put half of your food in that box and take it home.  That’s a trick that I’ve found that has also been beneficial in stopping me from over eating!