Losing Weight With Portion Control

Losing weight and keeping it off requires a long term commitment to eating healthy and controlling calorie intake. With many restaurants and food manufacturers making super sized meals, it is easy to lose track of what a correct portion or serving size is. This can lead to underestimating how many calories are actually being consumed, which can lead to weight gain. Follow a weight loss plan that allows a wide variety of foods and stresses portion control.

Balancing Calories

The bottom line in weight loss is that less calories have to be consumed then are burned off, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There are no magic foods or plans that burn fat better than others. Since one pound is equal to 3,500 calories, to lose one to two pounds per week it is necessary to create a daily deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories. This can be done by cutting back on the number of calories eaten and exercising to burn calories off, however, eat enough so the body gets the nutrients it needs.

Considerations

Portion size and serving size are two different things. Portion size refers to the amount of food served in a single eating occasion, such as a dinner at a restaurant or a package of snack food. Serving size is a standardized unit of measuring foods such as one cup or one once. A portion of a snack food such as a bag of chips may have more than one serving per bag. Controlling portions is important because individuals served large portions tend to eat more than those served small portions. Eating a large portion once in a while will not lead to weight gain. Those large portions, whether eating at a restaurant, cooking meals at home or using packaged foods on a regular basis, will pack on the pounds.

Benefits

Losing weight by controlling portion sizes is the best way to go for long term weight management. Diets that restrict too many calories or eliminate certain foods are often hard to stay on long term. By focusing on portion control all foods are allowed in moderation, which takes into account eating out, special occasions, favorite foods and occasional indulgences. The MayoClinic.com recommends using portion control at parties by taking only two or three bites out of foods that are served. This allows you to sample of a wide variety of foods without going overboard. At restaurants, plan to eat only half the meal that is served. Never eat out of a box, bag or container and serve dinner on plates.

Solution

When first starting a portion-control diet it is best to actually measure out the food and try not to eyeball a serving size. If eating a cup of pasta, measure out a cup of pasta. While there are visual guides, they should not be relied on completely because hand and finger sizes vary from person to person. Using a hand or fist to determine a serving size can help at a restaurant or social gathering when you can not actually measure the food. Measure everything at home to practice estimating serving sizes.