Diet Information

Food Portion Control

June 21, 2009
By J White

Of the steps taken to lose weight, the single greatest hurdle to overcome is eating large food portions. As such, food portion control is a skill that dieters must develop if they want to lose those excess inches quickly and permanently.

That being said, the following are some actions that you can take that can help you accomplish this undertaking. In preparation for this endeavor, keep in mind that a serving size is the central component to food portion control.

Visual Serving Sizes

Become visually aware of how much a serving size contains Food portion control starts with becoming visually aware of what constitutes a serving size. For instance a deck of cards can represent a serving of meat, whereas a tennis ball can represent a serving size of fruit. Once you become aware of these serving sizes visual aids, you will then be able to make quick judgements of how much to eat.

Save Large Portions

Learn to save extra portions for later Most restaurants food servings are larger than the normal serving size. This being the case, you should plan beforehand to request a doggie bag or a take home container.

Furthermore, this is also the case when you order in. To keep yourself from overeating, place the food on a plate instead of eating it from the container it arrived in. The best part about this is that you can enjoy the rest of it later.

Your Serving Size

Determine what a serving size is for you A serving size for a 200 pound athletic man is going to be quite different than for a petite sized woman, so make sure you take this into consideration before you eat. Remember, when it comes to food potion control, it is not a one size fits all proposition.

In fact, the easiest way to determine your personal portion size is to increase or decrease the visual aids of regular serving sizes. For instance, a deck of cards represents about a 4 ounce serving size of meat. If you require more than that, use the deck of cards as a visual aid to make an adjustment to obtain your appropriate serving size.

Say No to Seconds

Saying no to seconds We live in a society where more is considered better. This is not the case when it comes to food. To control how much you eat, learn to say no to seconds. It may not be easy at first, but once this becomes a part of your mindset, saying no to more helpings will eventually become ordinary.

Divvy up the Servings

Divvy up servings before you eat Chips, cookies and the like usually come in big bags or boxes. Instead of eating straight out of the container, put a serving size in a bowl or small plate, and then put the rest away. This way it is a lot easier to control how much you eat instead of relying on self-control to stop your hand from reaching back into the bag.

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