Do you suffer from portion distortion? Try this five step portion control plan to get your food intake under control!
Have you ever stalled in your weight loss? You know, when you are eating low carb or keto every single day. Every single bite you took had very little carbs, but your clothes aren’t getting any looser. I know, I’ve read that article that said if you stay under X amount of carbs you can eat as much as you want to. Maybe it’s true, but I’m not convinced. I am a true believer that a low carb, very low sugar and grain-free lifestyle is the healthiest way to be, but I also believe that as a society, in general, we overeat. This is true for those who follow any way of eating, whether it be low carb, keto, calories-in calories-out, or if it fits your macros. We all suffer from portion distortion.
When I started eating a low carb-high fat diet, I found that I filled up very quickly. Over time though, that has changed. Maybe my body adapted or my stomach stretched (is that a thing)?? Who knows, but I do know that it takes more food for me to feel full than it did in the beginning. Has anyone else experienced this?
I was shocked last week when I ordered a blended, iced coffee from a coffee shop. I ordered it breve, with a couple pumps of sugar free syrup. No big deal, or so I thought. The cup was 16 ounces! I ordered a small. I expected 6 or 8 ounces. Come on! Sure, that’s great if that’s my meal for lunch… But this was supposed to be an afternoon pick-me-up, not a full meal.
After the initial shock of the size of my coffee drink, I started to think about what is a normal portion size. How much should I be eating? I always check labels. I know that there is 60 calories and one carb in two tablespoons of the sour cream that I buy. But how much is two tablespoons really? The shocking answer…It’s less than I thought it was.
Do You Know Your Portions?
So using my food scale, my measuring cups and spoons, and my Portion Fix containers and I used my Fat Secret app to document my intake for a couple of days. Do you know what I discovered? Not surprisingly I eat way more than I thought I did. Way more. Like an additionally 25 -30 carbs a day and 1000 calories more a day than I thought. Yikes!
I thought I knew how much two tablespoons was…NOPE! A medium chicken breast? NOPE! A 5 ounce glass of wine? DEFINITELY NOPE NOPE NOPE!!!
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Here Is The 5 Step Portion Control Plan
For one month, measure and document all your foods. That is the only way to train your eye to see what a portion is. You will need a food scale, and some small storage containers.
- Weigh and measure all your food for the next 30 days using a food scale. You can do this ahead of time and store them in individual serving containers. Measure your foods by weight. This is more precise than using a measuring cup. Eating veggies with dip? Make sure you weigh that dip. Two tablespoons equals 30 grams. 30 grams is a lot less than it sounds. Also, don’t snack as you are preparing your food. That cheese you just grated? Don’t sneak a bite or two, unless you weigh and record it. Every morsel counts.
- Record your food in your app before you eat it. That way you see how many carbs/calories/whatever before you eat it and you can make the decision on the amount of food you want to consume.
- Drink a full glass of water before you eat.
- Use a smaller plate. This old trick works to convince our brains that we have more food than we do.
- Eat slowly. Sit down, chew your food, enjoy your meal. The more time you take to eat, the less chance you will feel the need to go back for a second helping.
One ounce salami one slice of cheese.
After 30 days of weighing, measuring and recording your food intake, you will have a better idea of what a serving is and how much you are actually consuming. Combine this with daily exercise and intermittent fasting and you will see progress!
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The portions I eat are way too big – I know I need to cut down, so this is really useful!
I’ve always heard portion is the key to losing weight and eating the right amounts. I will weigh some of my foods, and others I measure. Sometimes I get out of the habit (like right now) but it really does help. I also bought smaller plates recently and that helps, too.
This is such a good idea. I know I’m delusional about what I consider portion size, and would be shocked (and depressed) seeing how much (little) I should really be eating!
I think it’s about eating the right things in the right amounts. I eat mindlessly, and that’s where the problem lies for me personally.
i have an issue when regards to portioning something. when I work at fast food portioning is very important. I need this things specially when I have an diet.
I’ve been reading a book called intuitive eating and it has made a huge difference in my approach to food. Being aware is definitely important.
Aren’t portions too small? They look tiny on pictures. 🙂 I have tried portion control and the hardest part was stopping myself from grabbing another portion. If you manage to wait at least a couple of minutes, then this urge is usually gone.
I do not usually use any scale to weigh my portion. it must be a lot. Thanks for sharing. I’ll be cautious from now on as i also want to lose some weights
These are great suggestions. I love finding new ways to monitor my diet. I am going to try some of these for sure.
I really need to do this! I tend to pile so much on my plate and over eat way too much. Portion control is deffo the way forward x
What is this 5 oz wine crap!!!! Not happening lol! I agree with everything else though, and proportions are key. However, I don’t like the idea of tracking it, just because it gets overwhelming for me. I prefer eating healthy and working out.
Lol! 5 oz is nothing. Like a sip. I was so sad when I measured it.
This is a great idea, portion control is my weakness. Thanks for sharing.
This is so interesting! I never thought of using a scale to measure portions before! Love this post.
Funny how a perceived serving size is WAY over! Thanks for sharing at Let’s Party!
Jessa, portion control is THE problem for a lot of people; this post is going to help many, I’m sure. And to those worried about how much trouble the weighing and measuring is, take heart, it’s only temporary. After a while you will be able to portion your food by eye and be pretty darn accurate.
Thanks for linking up at our To Grandma’s House We Go DIY, Crafts, Recipes and More Link Party! Pinned!