t's common knowledge that reducing food intake and increasing physical activity can help you to lose weight but it's not so easy when there are a lot of factors up against you.
One of those factors is portion size. Years of research has shown that people tend to eat more food when larger portions of food are on the table in front of the,. Portion control is important when you're trying to lose weight and keep it off.
"Psychologically, we are trained from a young age to consume what is in front of us. Whether it's our parents saying we are growing kids and need a lot of food or that larger portions are a sign of a healthy appetite or that it is polite not to waste the food we have been given. Even the plates we are served with can be oversized - it is ingrained within us to consume more than what our bodies actually need" says nutritionist Debra Melling of Men's Fitness.
So how do we change ingrained habits regarding portion size?
"There are some quick and easy steps we can take to reduce portion sizes" says our in-house nutritionist, Natasha. "Here are my 5 top tips to reducing your portion size without starving your body of what it needs to get through the day".
1. Buy smaller serving plates
This is the most simplest way to implement a change in portion size. Some plates and bowls can be absolutely massive and oversized. So try some smaller plates and bowls and you'll naturally end up putting less on the plate.
2. Save a portion for the next day's lunch
By having it in your mind that you need a portion for lunch tomorrow, you can reduce your current portion down by splitting it up into two meals.
3. Split your plate up
Try splitting the food groups on your plate into the following:
1/4 plate of protein (grilled chicken, fish, tofu, eggs etc)
1/4 plate of complex carbs (sweet potato, grains, )
1/2 plate of vegetables or salad
As vegetables and salad are naturally low in calories but high in fibre and other nutrients, filling up on these may help you avoid overeating calorie-dense foods.
4. Start all meals with a glass of water
Drinking a glass of water up to 30 minutes before sitting down for lunch or dinner helps aid portion control - not only does the water fill you up, it also helps your hunger receptors distinguish between genuine hunger and thirst, meaning you're more likely to want to eat less.
5. Slow it down
Eating quickly makes your brain & body less aware of being full. Quicker eaters tend to overeat as it takes the brain up to 20 minutes to register that it is full and has had a sufficient amount of food.
Eating whilst on the go or whilst doing other tasks (watching TV or working) also encourages you to naturally overeat, as you lose track of what you're eating and how much.
So there you have it - 5 quick & easy tips to aid in portion control. Our programme does not encourage starving yourself or cutting out entire food groups - we encourage sensible eating, portion control and the use of the jabs to simply kickstart your metabolism & motivation.
Need any extra nutritional or dietary advice?
Or want to start or re-start the jabs?
Give us a shout, we are here for you.
Thanks for reading,
The Slim Transformation Team
0330 311 0008
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