Portion Control

Portion Control is a huge issue for a lot of us. There are lots of ways to watch what you eat and the size of what you eat. Instead of limiting what you eat, focus on making superfoods the largest part of your daily food intake. Instead of limiting food types, limit portion sizes, it's the non diet that last a life time. Often people ask me what diet I'm on. I'm not on any diet, I just watch my portions and caloric intake. Diet's don't work. Watching what you put into your mouth does. At lot of us don't make the connection between the amount of food we consume and weight gain. A lot of us think that it's better to cut fat then eat a reduce amount of foods with fat. An example of portion distortion is this- you may eat a whole wheat bagel with cream cheese, that's 700 calories, for that amount you could eat 3 medium bananas(280 calories), 2 slights of light bread(80 calories), 1 cup of oatmeal(100 calories), 1 cup of cheerios(100 calories), 1 English muffin(140 calories), all of that equals 700 calories. The bagel is equal to 3 and half breakfasts. So how do you get portion control to work for you:

1. Practice measuring your food before plating it.
2. Eat with eyes as well as fork, use smaller plates/cups and bowls.
3. Adjust balance of food on your plate, more green, less starch, less meat.
4. Don't serve meals family style, plate them before hitting the table.
5. Store leftover in separate containers and not all leftovers in one.
   
6. Don't eat out of a bag or carton.
7. When you go out to eat, share plate, or box half of meal up before you eat.
8. Consider ordering a children's meal if allowed.
9. Don't eat the crackers!!
10. Consider replacing food into servings sizes at home, meaning you get a bag of something, separate it into portion sizes as labeled on package.
    
11. Fat free and sugar free foods still have calories, sometimes as many as their regular versions.

*All information has been adapted from SuperFoods HealthStyle By Dr. Steven Pratt.*