USING PORTION CONTROL WHEN DIETING

Using Portion Control When Dieting by Ed Penner

Food is not the main problem when we are dieting. The enemy is our inability to properly proportion the foods we eat. Far too often we fail to balance our intake of protein, carbohyrate, and fat. All three are needed by our bodies,but we have to exercise portion control for the diet to be successful.

Eating smaller portions:
With todays "all you can eat" buffets we sometimes tend to misjudge what proper portion control is like. 3 ounces of meat would be about the size of a deck of playing cards. This is enough when we are dieting and should be supplemented with vegetables rather than pasta or potatoes. Combining starch and protein causes the potato to be digested but the protein in the meat is not absorbed, basically leaving us malnourished. Protein control also needs to be exercised at fast food restaurants. Full meal deals should be avoided where we get hamburger and fries (these again work against each other). Salads would be a better choice to get the full benefit of all the nutrients.

Tips for eating less:
For snacks replace chips with carrot sticks or fruit. The fiber in vegetables takes longer to eat and digest, making you feel full longer. Fruit is always healthy and makes you feel less hungry. You should also drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, not only does this stave off hunger, it also helps your skin to retain its elasticity when you reach your desired weight. Do not skip meals as you will eat more later on to make up for it. Eating breakfast also helps with portion control as it stabilizes your blood sugar so you will feel less like snacking.

Compatible foods
Nuts are high in both protein and calories, this is a good thing as the protein will give you the energy to burn calories, so they complement each other. Peanut butter on an apple will also give you the same effect. Another guide in portion control is to eat 5 servings of vegetables and 3 servings of fruit every day; This will help to stave off our hunger pangs and prevent us from reaching out for junk food.

Maintaining portion control
The goal here should be to achieve a happy medium.This would involve a balanced amount of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, but in smaller amounts. If we do occaisonally indulge (which is human nature), we can make up for this with more exercise. Exercise should also be incorporated along with portion control to expedite weight loss. Conventional weight loss programs can be very effective after we master the art of portion control. For some good weight loss programs please visit: http://associateguildonline.com/


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