Food is such an important part and parcel of our lives. Almost all the major lifestyle problems starts and ends with food. Hence using food to the best of its abilities, will not only give us the beneficial results, but also keep us away from some of the major lifestyle problems, such as obesity.
To talk about obesity, it is the new epidemic in today's era. It is also one of the leading causes for a lot of lifestyle problems; diabetes and cardiovascular problems, to name a few. One prominent cause for obesity is sedentary lifestyle, while another one being overeating. And here's where portion control comes into play!
So what is portion control?
Portion control is a guideline to help you choose to have a healthy desired amount of your food so as to keep overeating at bay. You might sometimes wonder that even though you are eating right and exercising daily, you still happen to not lose that layer of extra fat from your belly or thighs. It might be because you are not controlling your portion size! However, at no point does portion size intend to keep you starving! It is crucial to note that one must always eat the required amount of food from a particular meal. Even though there are the standard serving size for each food group, the requirement is always individualized. But what needs to be kept in mind is that one mustn't overeat at any point. Just because you loved that chicken curry your mom made at lunch time, refrain from having it once your tummy says, "I am full!"
While controlling portion size, one important guide that can help you to understand your portion size precisely is by using your hand as a serving guide. Yes as interesting as it may sound, your hands can be the simplest way to gauge appropriate portion size without having to use any measuring tools, or having to remember any typical formula!
Portion size varies from person to person, according to their respective body size and any stringent rule for portion control, might work for one, but fail for the other. As our hands usually correspond to our body size, bigger people who require more food typically have bigger hands.
A rough guide for each food group is:
One serving of protein: A palm-sized serving for women and two palm-sized portions for men — such as meat, fish, poultry and beans.
One serving of vegetable and salad: A fist-sized portion for women and two fist-sized portions for men.
One serving of carb: One cupped-hand portion for women and two for men — such as whole grains and starchy vegetables.
One serving of fat: One thumb-sized portion for women and two for men — such as butter, oils and nuts.
💁 Here are some easy tips to help you to control your portion size.
😊Have some water about 15 to 20 minutes before having your food. The water tends to take up some space in your tummy, so in that way you eventually tend to eat less.
😊Eat quality, not quantity. By quality I mean to include more of fiber and protein in the diet. These will help you reach your satiety levels quicker, thus making you eat less of the main course eventually. Fiber comes from the inclusion of soups, salads, whole fruits, whole grains and seeds in the diet. Hence, start your food with the starter first! Seeds are a great source of fiber and a powerhouse of various nutrients. Seeds ( like flaxseeds, chiaseeds, pumpkin seeds, methi seeds and many more) can be roasted, ground and added to the salad, curd, curry, can be taken in as a mid-day snack or it can be simply soaked and taken in with water. Protein must be from lean protein sources, like lean meat, fish, egg, dairy and the pulse group.
😊Use smaller plate size. The smaller the plate, the lesser is the food you take, thus maintaining your portion size.
😊Practice slow eating of your food. Eating in a rush may often leave you less aware of feeling full, increasing the likeliness of overeating. Our brain takes about 20 minutes to register what you eat. Thus, slowing down your food intake can reduce your overall total calorie intake, as a wise man once said, "He who eats slowly, tends to enjoy their meal more."
😊Engage in eating your food without being distracted. Eating your food while watching a web series or that favorite telly show, will leave you distracted, thus, enhancing overeating. Therefore, needless to say, mindful eating is a must practice.
😊Avoid eating directly from the container. This is because, while doing so, you become less aware of how much you eat, thus, leading to overeating.
The Takeaway!
Portion control is like adding salt to your dish, where too much of salt might ruin the taste, too little would make your dish bland and unadventurous.
If weight loss is your plan, then adapting to portion control cannot be just an option, but a necessity.
By
Soumi Neogi
(Hello, this is Soumi Neogi. I am a student of Nutrition, currently pursuing my Masters in Food and Nutrition. Whenever I am asked to write a few lines about myself, what I never fail to say is, "I am a part-time Writer and a full-time Nutritionist. Nutrition is the field that I voluntarily choose for myself. It gives me immense joy and pleasure when I succeed in helping my clients on their journey to health. Along with this, my free time is dedicated to writing. I love writing blogs, poems and stories. Writing helps me to express myself in the most precise way. It helps me to escape into a world of fantasy. I have been writing since I was a little kid. I am thankful to God for blessing me with such a creative talent as writing)
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