Why Portion Control is an Important Part of Weight Loss

Weight loss always requires two things: you burn more calories and take fewer in. In a quest to accomplish these things, some dieters decide to forgo entire meals. This has the effect of making those dieters even hungrier when the next meal comes around and, of course, that can lead to them eating more and defeating all of their efforts toward weight loss. Instead of eliminating the meals you need to function to achieve weight loss, simply reduce your portions.

A portion is much smaller than most people think. One portion of most any food is about the size of your closed fist. If you’re trying to achieve real weight loss, eating smaller portions can help you to actually have more room on your plate for a wider variety of foods, which can make weight loss a satisfying pursuit, rather than one based on denying yourself food.

If you reduce your portions in every meal, you’ll find that weight loss starts to happen on its own. Remember that the portions you’re served in restaurants are usually very large – too large for most people to finish in one sitting. If you dine out for lunch during the day, ask for smaller portions, or go for meals where you can eat a bit more without worry, such as vegetable-based dishes or protein-based chicken or turkey salads.

If you get portion control down, you’ll find that the rest of your weight loss efforts will be more productive and that you’ll be much more satisfied with your meals while you’re dieting. 

Remember to follow the guidelines for healthy eating, and to include plenty of fresh vegetables in your diet. You can eat larger portions of these foods, and they will fill you up completely without ruining your weight loss efforts.