It’s all very well eating healthily and making good food choices, but if you are still not shedding those extra pounds, then it is worth looking at your portion sizes. The on-line self-coaching weight management programme “ How to Eat Chocolate and Still Lose Weight” has a whole module on this: helping you to learn what portion sizes are right for you, so that you feel satisfied and lose that additional fat from your body.
The reality is that if you keep on top of your portion sizes, it’ll be easier to stay on schedule with your weight loss. Remember this is not about deprivation, but more about “ a little of what you fancy is fine, some of the time!”
These tips will help you to start getting the measure of your portions:
- Use smaller plates or bowls to downsize your portions and notice how you feel when you have finished your meal. Are you satisfied, are you stuffed or could you manage a little more. If the latter answer is true wait for 15 minutes at least and check in with your feeling of satiety then. If you still feel hungry, then you know that next time you need to fill your plate a little more or use a slightly bigger plate of bowl.
- Only cook the amount you need at mealtimes. Ensure that you freeze, refrigerate, give away or bin any leftovers. You are not a dustbin and all left overs do not need to be eaten by you on the same day!
- Do not eat anything whether it is chocolates, crisps, biscuits etc straight from the packet. Your mind will try and convince you to eat the whole amount. Instead, take out a portion of what you are going to eat, put that on a plate or in a bowl and put the rest away.
- If you can, buy food that is already divided up into portions for you. (Some biscuits for example come in packs of two or three as a portion, so it’s easy to see what a portion should be) If this is not possible, then portion your food yourself. Divide up you favourite treats into some little bags for a single portion or put into containers. You are less likely to take out 10 portions of something and munch through them, but if they are left in their entirety you will have no bench mark of where to stop and could easily end up eating your way through a whole massive bag of say treats before you have even registered what you are doing!
If you would like more help with your portion sizes, then my 7 module self-coaching programme, “How to Eat Chocolate & Still Lose weight” has a whole module dedicated to this. Drop me a line via my contact form mentioning this affordable weight management programme to find out more.