What will be your portion?

More and more people are hopping onto the bandwagon of fitness and clean eating. However, more often than not, individuals are fooled by 'trendy' diets and forget the basics of how humans functioned in historic and pre-historic times. These trendy diets can possibly involve eating too much or too little depending on the goal the person has in mind. However, these diets may not be good for you or they might be unsustainable.

If people simply went back to their roots, they would realise that their ancestors lead relatively healthy lifestyles. How did they do that? They simply ate as much as they needed; not more and not less. People today don't realise the importance of portion control. Whether you want to lose a few pounds or just maintain a healthy weight, eating proper portions is as important as eating the right foods. Portion control doesn't mean you have to eat tiny portions.

There are several benefits of keeping a check on the amount of food we are eating. Better digestion, balanced blood sugar, and weight loss are just some of those advantages.

How does one keep their portion in check? While it may seem daunting and overwhelming to have to constantly think about how much food you're eating, it isn't as tough as you might think. Here are some simple rules to follow while controlling portions:

Share your meals

Dining out can be a challenge, as many restaurant portion sizes are 2-3 servings of food. We need to understand that there is a difference in portion sizes and serving sizes. Sharing food with your dining companion helps keep portions reasonable.

Avoid packaged foods

Packaged foods are often very addictive, and we tend to keep munching on them. This is because they contain certain ingredients that have us going for seconds or thirds or fourths. These products are created with the intention to have you come back for more which is why they should be avoided.

Single servings

Instead of keeping food in the middle of the table as a buffet, serve yourself single portions. Make sure that the plate is half filled with vegetables as they are lower in calories but fill your stomach, automatically reducing portions of the more calorie dense foods.

Smaller cutlery

Over the years, the sizes of plates and cutlery have increased leading to an increase in portion sizes. By simply choosing smaller plates and cutlery, you will trick your mind into thinking you are eating more.

Log your food

One of the most important things I ask of my clients is to maintain a log of the food they are eating on a daily basis. By putting down what they have eaten throughout the day, they feel more accountable and hence tend to eat better.

Eat your veggies and drink your water

Another simple yet effective way to control portions is by adding more vegetables to your plate. The vegetables will fill you up faster, while also adding nutrition to your body and avoiding extra calories. Along with this, whenever you are hungry, drink a glass of water and see if you are still hungry after that. Most times, people mistake thirst for hunger.

Avoid mindless eating

Several people eat mindlessly while watching TV or working. This will obviously lead to weight gain. In order to avoid this, one should measure out their snacks and try to eat out of bowls instead of the bags the snacks came in.

Savour your desserts

If you choose to indulge in a desert, try to stick to just one bite. Take that one bite and savour it to its full extent. After all, it is your taste buds that want to taste the dessert and not your stomach.