Portion Sizes

Portion Size

Here in America, we go big or go home. In the past twenty plus years our serving sizes have doubled or even tripled. When eating out we expect a giant plate of food or we feel cheated. At fast food locations we often “supersize” our meal or upgrade it to a larger size. The sad part of this is that most of us can actually eat all of this food in one sitting. I, myself, used to be able to eat these large portions with no problem. Obesity rates have sky rocketed in the past few years, part of it due to the use of processed foods, and the other part to the portion size problem. 

Many of you are probably saying “But if I eat any less, I’ll be hungry soon anyway”. I do not doubt that is probably true, but the reason being is that you have trained your body to want that much food. Here’s the kicker though: just because your body is used to that much food and craves that much food, doesn’t mean it NEEDS that much food. If you train your body to eat large quantities of food, you can also train your body to eat healthier portions. In no way am I saying to starve yourself. Starving your body is greatly unhealthy and can cause you to gain weight for a short while. This seems counterintuitive, but it is true. If you deprive yourself of food and then eat a small amount, your body will be desperate to hold on to that food and will most likely store it as fat. This event is often seen in recovering anorexics. When they begin to eat again, their body gains weight so quickly because it wants to hold on to the food as long as possible. This quick weight gain, unfortunately, often makes them relapse and turns into a vicious cycle.

To start training your body to eat smaller portions, begin to measure out your food. Most of the time, we are not even aware of how much we are eating; by measuring our food out, we can actually be cognizant of our food intake. Another step might be to write down what and how much you are consuming. Studies have shown that one of the key factors in successful weight loss is taking a food log. If you write down what you eat, you are more aware of what you should eat throughout the rest of the day. After you have begun measuring out your food, think about your serving sizes. Do you really need a whole cup of rice? Do you really need a full piece of chicken breast? The answer to these questions are both no.

A great website that can give you an idea of ideal portion sizes is: http://www.mealsmatter.org/articles-and-resources/healthy-living-articles/Portion-Sizes.aspx

After a while of being mindful of your food portions, it will become natural to you and you will no longer have to think about it too hard.

As mentioned earlier, if you feel that you must eat a lot in order to be satisfied completely, keep in mind that your body can be trained to eat healthier portions. As mentioned in a previous post, I love Costa Vita. I usually get their delectable salads, which come in either large or small sizes. I used to be able to eat the entire large salad by myself. This is outrageous if you are familiar with these salads, because they are gigantic and I am only 5 feet tall 107lbs. However, now that I have been mindful of my portions, I began to order the small salad, and I can’t even finish the small salad. I get too full before I can! I never thought I would see the day I couldn’t finish one of those salads, let alone a small one!

Here are some tips to train yourself to eat smaller portions:

1.       Only eat until you are satisfied/full, e.g. do not eat until you are stuffed. You know when this sensation is, so don’t feel bad if you need to take your food home in a doggy bag to eat later.

2.       Try drinking more water. Many times when we think we are hungry, our body is actually trying to tell us that it wants water. Drinking plenty of fluids (water in particular) throughout the day actually decreases your hunger. When you find you are hungry and want a snack, drink a glass of water first and wait a few minutes. If you are still hungry then eat a small snack. Operative word in previous statement being small.

3.       Try eating small meals throughout the day instead of 3 large lump meals. I eat every couple of hours but only small items like a sandwich one hour and then some fruit and a granola bar the next hour etc.

4.       Eat filling and slightly larger breakfast. Breakfast is meant to give you energy throughout your day. People who have small or no breakfast tend to be overweight. Simple solution: eat a well balanced and nutritional breakfast. A great breakfast I love to eat is some delicious blueberry organic yogurt (sometimes with some uncooked sliced almonds mixed in), two slices of toast (w/ jam or butter), an apple (or other fruit), and some sort of juice or water to drink. It is filling and covers many of the food groups.

Trust me when I say this, if I can do it, you can do it too. Remember that cutting back your servings does not mean you are withholding food. Eat, and eat plenty, but not more than your body’s needs.

-Megan