Now that you’re adding leafy greens to your daily meals (go ahead, add even more!) and you’re taking in more whole grains (this is your conscience speaking: you’d better be), it’s time to start focusing on portion control.
As a rule, eat as many veggies as you want. Snack on raw carrots, cucumbers and celery sticks all day if you have to. Veggies are never the problem. A big plate of lettuce at the most is about 100 calories. It’s the other stuff you have to worry about. Here are four quick tips:
Don’t wait till you’re starving to eat: This causes binging, over-eating and a slew of other issues that can lead to poor digestion, weight gain, diabetes; the list goes on. When you take in too much food at one sitting, you run the immediate risk of heartburn, indigestion and other stomach problems. Try mini meals throughout the day, or make sure you always pack healthy snacks in case you plan on being away from home for more than a few hours. Snacking also helps the brain function much better.
- Don’t guess at portion sizes: Believe it or not, there’s a place down in Amarillo, Texas, famous for its 72-ounce steaks. Any steakhouse you go to, in fact, usually serves nothing less than 12-16 ounces, with most portion sizes going up to 32. That’s a little depressing when you consider the fact that a standard or recommended portion of meat is three ounces (the size of a deck of cards or a bar of soap)! OK, so you’re a big guy. If you normally eat a 20-ounce steak, try cutting it in half and taking the rest home.
- Make everything but the veggies a side dish: In line with the above, if you want to add extras to your plate, don’t make it bread and meat. Make it the veggies. I know…boring! But at some point you have to mentally convince yourself that you need to make better choices. Splurge every once in a while. But as far as your daily routine is concerned, keep meat and breads to a minimum.
- Don’t even think about seconds: I’m convinced that this is what can make or break a diet. It’s also a manners thing. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s a kid who keeps going back for seconds. Those kids turn into adults who go back for seconds. And thus the vicious cycle begins. Respect the portion you were given. Pretend you’re at a restaurant and can’t go back for seconds. Don’t make seconds an option. It shouldn’t be.
If anything, remember the old adage: everything in moderation. I don’t think enough focus is put on portion control. Controlling the amount of food you eat can make huge differences in your health. For more tips on portion control, visit That’s Fit on the web.
Coming Up Next Week: Four Weeks to Healthy Eating: Week Four—Learn to Limit Bad Foods
