Making small changes to how much you eat can greatly impact your weight loss journey.
Something crazy has happened in the last few decades in the way we consume food. The amount of food we eat at one time, our “portion size”, has exploded.
FOOD COMPARISON : PAST VERSUS PRESENT
Check out this comparison of the common foods we eat, from 20 years ago to today. The portion size has more than doubled, leading to insanely high calorie intake.
Keeping the above portion size in mind, look at the graph below. We have been steadily getting bigger for the past 20 years.
The sad thing is that despite being more health conscious and working hard to maintain or lose weight we still seem to be losing the battle.
Let me tell you a secret.
Portion control can 100 % help you lose weight. Losing weight through portion control is the easiest thing to do.
All you need to figure out is the correct portion size.
WHAT IS PORTION SIZE?
Let’s start with what exactly is portion size. Well, portion size is what YOU decide to eat in one seating, at one time, in your home, or in a restaurant. You can choose to eat a small burger for lunch and this can be absolutely satisfying for you. Or you can choose to eat a huge McBurger and still feel hungry and dunk more milkshakes and french fries. It’s totally up to you.
Portion size is 100% in YOUR control.
To lose weight, you need to know the correct portion size of your favorite foods and make an informed decision about how much you eat ( portion control )
Sometimes people wonder, why they aren’t losing weight even though they are healthy choices. Well, the culprit is portion control. If portion sizes are huge, more calories are consumed than are burnt, leading to weight gain. Studies have shown that bigger food portions have led to an obesity epidemic in the US. If we consume more energy than what we burn, we will gain weight. A professional athlete or bodybuilder can lose weight with high caloric intake. But the general public, not so much.
USDA SERVING SIZE ESTIMATE
According to USDA ( United States Department of Agriculture), one serving is equal to ?
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta
• 1 slice of bread
• About 1 cup of ready-to-eat cereal
• 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta
Vegetable Group
• 1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
• 1/2 cup of other vegetables—cooked or raw
• 3/4 cup of vegetable juice
Fruit Group
• 1 medium apple, banana, orange, pear
• 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, or canned fruit
• 3/4 cup of fruit juice
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group— preferably fat-free or low fat
• 1 cup of milk or yogurt
• 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (such as Cheddar) • 2 ounces of processed cheese (such as American)
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs,
• 2–3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
These count as 1 ounce of meat:
• 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or tofu
• 2 1/2 ounce soyburger
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1/3 cup of nuts
PLAN OF ACTION
As long as your portion sizes are small, and you choose healthy options, you will lose weight. Don’t splurge on sugar and fat. Control the amount of carbs you take. Eat an unlimited amount of green vegetables.
When you eat, always have portion size in the back of your mind. You can follow any diet of your choice but keep an eye on the portion size. If you do, you will be successful in losing weight.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Even making a few minor changes in your eating routine will make a huge difference. For example, not eating out of the bag but taking a small amount on a plate will result in smaller portion size. Overall, I would say that I was initially shocked to become aware that I was eating huge portions of healthy foods which was leading to weight gain. But now that I am conscious and mindful of amount of food I am consuming, I feel healthier and lighter. Learning to eat the right amount is a work in progress. I am planning to stick to portion control for my weight loss journey.
