How Do I Practice Better Portion Control?

Portion sizes have increased dramatically over the past few decades.

Food joints now offer double buns or double meat, and drink companies are offering up to 30 ounces for a single beverage!

With calories and sizes at an all time high, here are a few tips to keep you on track.

Skip the Samples

Samples are not your friend!

They are made to draw you in with smells and taste so that you dip into your wallet a bit deeper (Not to mention the added calories that you weren't planning on eating that day). Add a little bit of hunger at the grocery store, and bam! Poor choices!

And I'm not saying you do this, but let's just say some people might grab more than one of those tasty samples and they're really in trouble..

So just say no!

And for best results, make sure you're nice and full before you get there.

Get the Small

Bigger does not always mean better.

Can you believe the standard drink used to be 12 ounces, not 16 or 20?! Proportions have skyrocketed into double what they used to be with more sugar, fat, and calories.

Most of the time, the taste of what you are drinking starts to dull within the first half of it anyways. You can still please your tastebuds just as much with the small as you can with a large drink (Your waistline will thank you).

Now let's consider plate portions.

When eating food from a plate, the brain finds a full plate with variable foods more appealing than a plate half full or a plate with dead space present. Naturally, we are inclined to take whatever plate we have and fill all of the dead space. So make it easier on yourself and grab a smaller plate!

Come Prepared

The best thing you can do for your future self is to be prepared and the most vulnerable state you can put yourself in is hungry desperation. Like first thing in the morning, when you have to quickly grab food before heading out or last thing in the day when you are starving for a snack or meal.

The hungry version of yourself is so much different and can't always be told no!

So skip the Mr. Hyde that's hiding inside and make sure that you have healthy options ready to grab when you go out. Also, map out ideas for dinner for the week when you get home.

Now, preparedness also goes for eating out. Making smarter choices can be simple as checking out the menu in advance or making your own lunch to eat when meeting with friends. And let's skip the doggy bag, shall we?

Measure Your Servings

One simple way to stay on track is to measure out your servings instead of a eating straight out of the bag. Read the nutrition label to see what serving would be appropriate, measure it out, then put the rest away. You are way more likely to keep eating until the bag is over with it sitting in front of you. I mean, let's be honest, are you really going to put the bag away after one handful while watching your favorite Netflix drama?

Mindless overindulgence is such a common habit that a dual column food label was created for bags or packages with servings of three or less. One column will show nutrients for one serving and the other will show nutrients for the entire package. This way, you are hopefully more likely to stick to a single serving rather than the whole thing when you see those big numbers. So let's stick to one serving, okay!

Listen to Your Body

Many distractions and exciting social opportunities exist that can separate your mind and gut connection. Some common distractions that might cause over eating include eating in front of the tv, eating while driving, buffet- style dinners, fair-type environments, and social gatherings.

At first, you might not be able to tell when you should be full in these environments, and that ok. It just takes practice, a little more conscious decision making, and serving size measuring until you can recognize how much you should be eating. This way you can train your body to recognize when you first get that "full feeling".

As a side note, nutrient density needs to be considered.

For example, let's look at a handful of almonds versus a handful of almond butter. The almond butter is made up of a ton of almonds pressed down to its smallest form. Not only is the chewing work taken out of the picture (which naturally starts turning off hunger signal), but that handful of almond butter has way more calories and caloric content than just eating the whole almonds of the same amount. The same goes for things like smoothies and fruit rolls compared to eating the whole fruit.

Tune into your brain body connection by eliminating distractions like TV when you are eating. Sit at the table with your family instead. Avoid eating your meals in front of the desk at work. Makng time for yourself, even ten minutes, is a great way to not only make sure you get a break, but also make you more in tuned with your body (that goes for meal skipping at the desk as well).

Do your best to not add too many things that split your focus. The more multitasking, the worse eating habits.

Use a Meal Tracker

Do you know what your servings should look like or how much should be on your dinner plate?

If not, using a meal tracker is a great way to get a hang of what you should be eating. Choose a method that fits you best and make sure to apply it for at least three to four weeks to get a clear picture of what your habits are. If you like note taking, start writing in a journal. If you need more detail, try an app that can add up your calories for you and give you instant feedback when you go out of bounds.

After a few weeks to months of observing and adjusting, you should have the hang of your particular triggers, and know what you need to focus on to change them.

Even if you are familiar with good portions, it is always a good idea to check up every now and then, or use it for future reference and reset.

What's Next?

Start thinking for the long term!

Think about portions and change as long term habit making, not just a get lean quick method. Anything worth changing takes hard work and time, but it will definitely be worth it in the end!

When out and about, make sure not to take seconds or extras and enjoy treats only for the moment. Remeber that one serving size does not fit all. You may need more or less of a serving depending on your goal so make sure to read the food labels!

Stay accountable to change with trackers and friends who share the same goals and mindset. If you need more accountability or ideas, stay tuned for upcoming challenges in the FIT app!

How have you struggled with portion control? Do you have any tips to share on how you navigate it? Please share below!