how important is portion size?

jmurray90

hello everyone just a little curious on portion size I kind of feel like if I'm eating healthy it shouldn't matter how much? Long add whatI take in I'm still under my calories but at the same time I know that I'm eating a lot and shouldn't be eating as much as I do but I always feel hungry if I don't. what did you all do to train yourself to eat smaller portions, or if I'm eating fruits and veggies do I really have to watch my portion size. thanks in advance :-)

tbrain1989

portion size is key, i know im terribel for eating too much, i was brought up to finish my plate so no matter what is on it i tend to finish the lot. the biggest learning curve for me was seeing how much a weighed out portion actually was. For example: 80 grams of vegetables is not a lot.

another good rule of thumb is never eat more then a fist sized portion of one item whether thats veg, meat or potato

TheArmadillo

you can't track your calories acturately unless you know the portion size.

jmurray90

I know how much I'm eating I just know that I should be eating less I guess. like I can't eat the whole bowl of salad I suppose lol

TavistockToad

if you ate 3000 calories of fruit and veg every day, you would still put on weight even though its 'healthy food'!

roseymacdoo

If you're not going over your calorie allowance then you're fine.

pinkraynedropjacki

My dinner is usually just over 500 cals....total. It's big enough to feed 4 people easily. I eat it all. Portion size my *kitten*. I'd not be full on it & with this I am. It's got nothing but good stuff in it. Chicken, chilli, cauliflower, capsicum, zucchini, onion, carrot, broccoli, beetroot, chobani 0% fat greek yoghurt & coconut oil.

Depends on what you are eating as to the portion size. Like I said, fills me up easy, full of goodness & enough for 4.

mazdauk

I'm sure there's lots of people who said "I'm really going to cut down" and then wondered why they didn't lose weight - or even put it on. (Yup, that's what I did!)

MFP works if you track you calories accurately (or as acurately as possible) AND hit your calorie limits. Its easy to over-estimate portions - pour a portion of dried pasta or cereal, then weigh it. It will likely be at least 30% over what you think it was. Multiply that by minimum 3 meals a day 7 days a week and you can see how your calorie intake can be significantly bigger than you think ("Secret Eaters" last week had two sisters who insisited they were only eating 1200 calories a day each - but then they showed their portion sizes and all the extra stuff they ate which they just didn't even think of, so they were actually eating 3,500!)

Set youself up to lose 1lb a week and see how many calories that is. Log your "normal" food for one week and you'll soon see how much you are over, and whether sugar/fat is a particular problem for you. You can then satrt to make the right choices with food so you hit your calories and the weight will start to come off.

Maris_Swan

For me, yes, portion control has helped immensely. Everyone has their own opinions on it though, but that's what has worked for me.

neandermagnon

hello everyone just a little curious on portion size I kind of feel like if I'm eating healthy it shouldn't matter how much? Long add whatI take in I'm still under my calories but at the same time I know that I'm eating a lot and shouldn't be eating as much as I do but I always feel hungry if I don't. what did you all do to train yourself to eat smaller portions, or if I'm eating fruits and veggies do I really have to watch my portion size. thanks in advance :-)

if you are hitting your calorie goal then your portion sizes are fine.

if you're hitting your calorie goal and you still feel hungry all the time, check the following:

1. check your calorie goal is correct, there are online calculators that help you calculate your BMR (how many calories your body needs to function) and TDEE (total number of calories you burn in a day) - to lose weight you need to eat less than your TDEE, but not too much less. 10-20% less is about right, 10% for the last few lbs, and 20% if you have a lot to lose.

2. if you're sure your calorie goal is correct, try to eat foods where you get more food for the amount of calories, e.g. fruit, vegetables, lean meat, etc. That way you should end up feeling fuller for fewer calories.

3. some people find that eating too many of the wrong kinds of carbs causes them to feel more hungry, so being careful what kinds of carbs you eat may help, if you're already sure about 1 and doing 2

icmuse

I eat super healthy, BUT humongous portion sizes is what got me to be 35 pounds overweight.

So yes, they do matter

OddballExtreme

Portion control for me is so vital. Before I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes last year, I didn't even care about portion control. Nowadays, I literally measure everything I eat. Lost 50 pounds in a year doing that, drinking more water, and exercising. I won't go back to the out-of-control portions anymore. :happy:

sozisraw

Portion size matters for everything except water and green salad and veggies, even a rainbow salad its hard to eat 100 calories worth.

I cut out refined processed foods as much as possible so I can fit in all the fruit and veggies I desire!

CristinaL1983

But for real, yes. Portion control is probably the single most important aspect of losing weight. Nutrition is very important to overall health but over-eating is over-eating whether it's cookies and ice cream or chicken and broccoli.

BeachIron

hello everyone just a little curious on portion size I kind of feel like if I'm eating healthy it shouldn't matter how much?

Sorry, OP, but this is absolutely wrong. You can lose weight eating junk and gain weight eating a well balanced diet of nutrient dense food. It comes down to calories in and calories out, so yes, portion control is important.