Portion control

Kishykat
Kishykat Posts: 8 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have a horrible time controlling my portions. Always have. If I like something I like to eat it until it is all gone. I am doing okay staying within my calorie limits, but I know that if I want to be successful long term that I need to learn to control my portions. Anyone have any advice?

Replies

  • karmah2771
    karmah2771 Posts: 42 Member
    For items that can be counted out, I do so. Others I use measuring cups/spoons for. We do not have a food scale. I also pay attention to the packaging information as to what is a serving size, calories, nutrients, etc. This helps me make better choices as well as decide weather the serving size is the portion size that I want.

    You can pre-pack things into portion controlled sizes. It's also a great time saver for packing lunches, grabbing snacks for on the go, etc. Pre-packing also can save you money as it's cheaper to purchase foods in a whole package than in smaller individual packets. It also allows you to portion out things that you wouldn't normally find in a "100 calorie pack".

    Plus you can control your snack size, say 60 calories for crackers or 140 for nuts. You can portion them the way that you want them. For instance we have a granola mix that I portion into 1/4 cup sizes. This is actually half the serving size on the package, but it's more than enough for us for a quick snack by itself or as a yogurt mix in.

    Also by pre-portioning you don't have a worry about eating too much or finishing off the "entire package" as it's already the size that's right for you. What I have found (mainly with snacks like nuts, grapes, etc.) that I may only eat half the package and then save the rest for later in the day or even the next day. You see, I already know that I can eat the entire thing because I have counted it/portioned it out, but that I don't have to eat the whole thing. This also means that I get to go back into MFP and halve the serving size later on in the day if I do not go back and finish the rest. It's almost like getting bonus calories back, lol.

    I wish you all the best. It's tough, but you can do it.

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