Do you want to reduce portion sizes so you can lose weight? Reducing portion sizes is a great idea, but if you do it wrong, it can be a recipe for disaster.
When we eat big portions of bad food, we are stuffed, yet starving.
If we eat half of a nutritionally poor meal we will feel worse that you did before. We will not be as stuffed as we used to be. Now instead we will only be starving.
I did not understand the nutrition aspect when I first started working with a fitness trainer. I had tried to cut portion sizes for three years without upping the nutrition. I was always hungry and miserable. This is completely unnecessary! Once I started getting more nutrition, I could eat less and be satisfied. This is was a revelation you will enjoy too.
Remember the goals for food:
This is nothing about calories, but instead is about the quality of your food. When you reduce your portion sizes you also need to increase nutrition. Even if you do not reduce portion sizes, you still need to increase nutrition.
Regardless of nutrition, here are a few portion size guidelines
Starches
Don’t we all love pasta, potatoes and bread? These should be a half cup – that’s pretty small. We are used to eating much more than that in America. Eat one and a half or two portions in the beginning and scale back over time.
Protein
We all know the deck of cards trick or the palm of your hand sized piece of meat. Yes, that is all you can have. Think of meat as a condiment.
Fruit and Veggies
For fruit and veggies, most of us over-estimate what we need for a portion. A half cup is not that much, and we can get those 6-8 portions of fruit and veggies without too much difficulty. Just eat your vegetables and don’t worry about it. Try a new one each week and keep trying. Don’t make excuses for your poor health.
Fats
I eat a high fat diet compared to most people. A serving is like the tip of your pinkie. I don’t worry about how much I get. This is because I am thin and healthy and I am eating in a balanced healthy way. I eat a lot of avocados and nuts. I use butter, hemp oil, and coconut oil the most, but I use many different fats. I do not eat any low-fat or “altered” food.
Here is a video I made about the fats I was using at one time. The products may change, but the theories are the same. This video includes one of my traumatic early food experiences, so don't miss it! I was a fat four year old, and lost weight at 50 years old, so I have a lot of stories like this.
Dairy
Dairy can be a hotbed of toxins in the US. No matter how much dairy I eat, it is going to be organic. The serving size for cheese is two dice. Milk is .75 of a cup. I eat cheese and use milk in hot drinks. I cook with milk at times.
Frozen Foods
I stopped eating most prepared frozen foods once I got a look at the labels. I only purchase frozen ingredients like fruit and veggies. I freeze a lot of what I buy fresh so it will be there when I need it. The serving sizes vary with the type of food.
Packaged Foods
I don’t buy too many of these either now.
Sodium
Sodium is a special concern with any prepared food. It’s not something you can see, it’s something you have to seek.
It is very hard to get below the 2200 recommended sodium level in the Standard American Diet. I am usually under because I don’t use prepared foods.
One of my doctors looked at a food diary I kept for three weeks about two years after getting to my goal weight. He told me I was the first person he ever needed to tell to add salt to their food. Most of my salt is purposely added now and I use various types of “the good stuff”. Do not use the packaged iodized version, since it is toxic.
More portion size information
Here is a portion size video. This is not mine. I like her method, but not the foods she chooses to show you the sizes.
Please watch this video for 2 short minutes.
The best tip she is giving you is to use your hands for portion sizes. Do not think you need to go out and get all kinds of gadgets to measure food. You don't. Just measure it by eye and check yourself in the beginning. Over time, this will become second nature. Your hands are an easy way to judge the size of the food you are eating, and you always have them with you.
Here is another portion size video, focusing only on carbs.
The information about size is good, but check out this bad food screenshot from it.
I would eat none of that bread if I was in the US now. The bread there is so bad that I used organic only or baked my own. My baked bread was the best choice when I could do it.
And those crackers! Yes, I used to eat crackers and think I was doing the right thing. No, I wasn't.
Now what?
I hope you are already working through the ideas in my earlier weight loss posts. I am blogging about weight loss these days to help others get thin and healthy like I did.
Start at the beginning and keep going:
Weight Loss Let's Pretend - Deciding to track your weight and face reality
Yes, You CAN Lose Weight! - Finding out your BMI and getting over excuses
Weight Loss - Let’s Get Started Today - First steps to successful weight loss
Are you making progress with the steps in these posts? Are you having any sticking points? Tell me about it!
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Thank you so much for following along with this series. My next weight loss post will focus on easy exercise. It's important to work on more than just food so you can stay motivated. I'm working now to make my coaching work understandable in a blog format. I do not want to overwhelm you. I want to help you succeed.
If I was your one-on-one coach in person or online, I would be doing a lot of this work for you. On my blog, I write so that you can help yourself. Please ask questions or comment on this post with any questions or concerns. I want to hear from you.
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