Looking to make some trims to your diet that don’t result in cravings for the food you deprived yourself of? Try measuring your portions using your fist as a tool. For example, if you love steak – but you know that it’s got a high calorie and fat content – you can take a 16 ounce cut and section off the portion that matches your fist size.
Do the same for your baked potato, your vegetables or your rice. Instead of filling your plate to overflowing, you are stabilizing the portions of food you plan to consume. For Moms, this can be a great way of splitting your plate with your child. You can measure their portions by their fists as well.
When you portion your meals, you should try to mix up your food groups. Don’t lean heavily on any one group. By combining your vegetables, your meat and your starches or grains – you are not overdosing on a large number of carbohydrates or fats.
Now as you look at your food on your plate; don’t dismay. The first time I measured out my food in this manner – I thought it was far too little. But take your time as you eat. Savor the food and the flavors. Make the meal a ritual where you truly get a chance to enjoy what you are eating.
When you are done, don’t rush back for seconds or to eat those last few bites that your child may have left behind. In fact, wait at least 30 full minutes before going back for seconds. Since your body can take up to 20 minutes to actually transmit the ‘I’m full’ message to your brain – that 30 minute window can mean the difference between satisfaction and over-eating.
This can take some time to get used to, but in the long run it helps you to shrink your appetite to manageable portions, reduce the weight gained by overeating and reduce your grocery bill because you conserve excess food as leftovers or simply buy less. This means a reduction on your waist and not on your wallet.
Personally, I’m a huge fan of portioning. It lets me eat pizza and not feel remotely guilty. For those of you who are curious, portioning makes a Small pizza ideal for our splurge out meals!