Are you Suffering from Portion Distortion?

Most people gain weight because they are eating the wrong foods.  Portion size plays a bigger role in weight gain and weight maintenance.  People in today’s society have lost touch with what a portion size really looks like. This is partially because restaurants are now serving super sized portions and have servings large enough to share.  A large French Fry order at McDonalds in France is the size of a medium ordered here in the United States.  Even packaged foods have distorted portions. According to the CDC, portion sizes of ready-to-eat foods have slowly ballooned in size over the past 40 years.

Research has shown that when people are served large portions, they eat more.  Here are some tips to help you control your serving sizes.

Use Portion Control Plates
Portion control plates take the guesswork out of how much to put on your plate. Each plate is partitioned into slots. There are two slots for protein and starch and a larger slot for vegetables. A study carried out at the University of Calgary showed that people who used these plates lost significant amounts of weight. They’re a good tool for familiarizing yourself with portion sizes and how much you should put on your plate. In addition, they help you make better decisions about the composition of what you eat.  It takes practice and training your eye to learn the proper portion sizes.

Weigh Your Food

If you are not sure what a serving size is or looks like, get a kitchen scale and weigh your food before eating it. Over time, this will teach you to recognize what a portion size really looks like. Doing  this consistently for a few weeks will help you recognize when you’re eating an over-sized portion. Use the scale to fine tune your ability to eyeball portion sizes.

Become Skilled at Reading Labels

Food labels are tricky. When you buy a beverage or a snack, you might think you’re getting a single serving, but this isn’t always the case. Always check the number of servings before eating a “single-serving” snack. In some cases, there are two or even three servings in the bag or bottle. If this is the case, when you eat the entire bag you’re getting two to three times the calories listed on the label. Be a savvy label reader and know how much is in the package before tossing it in your mouth.

Always plate your food, even snacks!

When you eat a snack, remove an appropriate portion from the bag or box, and put the remainder away. If you eat from the container, you’ll end up eating more especially if you’re snacking while working on the computer or watching television. Do this with fruit as well. 

Control Portions When Eating Out

• Ask the server to box up half of your meal to take home before you even start eating, or see if you can order a half-portion instead.
• Be more portion savvy when you’re dining out or eating at home and you’ll have fewer problems controlling your weight.

Reference:

Centers for Disease Control. “Do Increased Portion Sizes Affect How Much We Eat?”