As we all know, we need to be in caloric deficit diet to lose weight. But it's not just about what we eat but also how much we eat. Even overeating a balanced meals can increase the fat storage in our body. For this, one good method is to portion control our food.
Cutting down on portions of our daily meal is a effective way to lose weight. So let's know how to portion control our food.
There are four important components of food. Vegetables, Proteins, Carbs and Fats. Now let's know how much we should consume all of these for portion control.
Proteins:
One serving of protein should be the size of a palm. It contains approximately 15-30 gram of proteins.
Females:
4-6 servings per day.
Males:
8-12 servings per day.
Vegetables:
One serving of vegetables should be the size of a fist which will be 3/4- 1 cup of vegetables.
Females:
3-6 servings per day.
Males:
6-12 servings per day.
Carbs:
One serving of carbs should be the size of a handful scooped out and that will be 15-30 grams of carbs.
This may include
1/2-3/4 cup or 1 piece of fruit.
1/3-1/2 cup of starches or grains.
Females:
3-6 servings per day
Males:
6-12 servings per day
Fats:
One serving should be the size of a thumb and that is 7-15 grams of fat.
These may include.
Nuts: Almonds, cashews, peanuts
Seeds: Sunflower,chia, pumpkin.
Oil: butter, olive oil.
Females:
3-6 servings per day
Males:
6-12 servings per day
Eating when hungry:
Make sure you are eating only when hungry. This can regulate the amount of calories. You can help reduce your hunger by eating nutrient dense food. Also don't delay your food . We feel hungry daily around the same time but we delay our meals due to external work. But by the time we eat, low blood sugar levels coupled with dehydration will make us overeat than what we should actually consume. So create a meal plan and eat according to that.
Mindful eating:
Avoid distractions like being on the phone while eating. Enjoy and relish the food you eat and it's taste. Use smaller plates and spoons to trick your brain to think that you are eating a lot than what it actually is. Eat slowly so that your stomach gets full soon.
Have a healthy breakfast:
Make your breakfast as your major meal. It break downs the food for the rest of the day and don't have your major meal at night at any cost..
Don't increase the amount of carbs:
Ensure you are eating the right amount of carbs and try to control your temptations for eating carbs.
Stay hydrated before meal:
Drink atleast one cup of water atleast before 20-30 minutes of your meal . It helps your from overeating as your stomach is filled with water. It hels you to portion control.
Don't eat straight out of the bag:
If you bought something like chips, popcorn put them in a bowl. It helps you to track record of how much you ate. When you are eating straight out of the bag, it is difficult to keep record and you may overeat.
Measure your food intake:
Take record of what and how much food you eat daily and when do you eat it. This helps you to create a perfect meal plan for you.
