Lose weight eating the right portion sizes
When did “large” stop being big enough? I can’t quite remember but I grew up in the 1950s when jumbo bags of crisps simply did not exist. We are living in an era of “super-sized” meals and increased portion sizes are most definitely contributing to the obesity epidemic. Restaurants and supermarkets want you to buy larger portions and do so by offering more for your money and enticing you into multi-buying: go large for 30p extra, 50% more, 3 for 2, buy 1 get 1 free and even buy 1 get 2 free! Sound familiar? The concept of large portion sizes has crept into home kitchens too, meaning that a lot of us have what is called portion distortion – the inability to determine the correct portion sizes.
A portion versus a serving
Well first of all let’s clarify what a portion really is. A portion is the amount of food you eat at any one time. This differs from a serving, which is the recommended amount of food to consume. Portion size is a crucial part of weight control, and larger portions of even healthier foods can add excess calories which often go unnoticed.
Tips on how to control your portion sizes:
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Choose the smallest size when eating out. Although larger meals appear to offer greater value for money, the increased calorie content will sabotage your efforts to lose weight
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Share a starter with your partner
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Have a starter and a main course or a main course and a pudding. Learn to have 2 courses and not 3
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At home use a portion controlled plate or a side plate for main meals. Using a smaller plate helps you eat less. When drinking juices and alcoholic beverages, use thin glasses instead of wide glasses
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Fill your side plate in the kitchen instead of helping yourself from large dishes on the table. You will be more temped and likely to indulge in second helpings when the food is in front of you
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Do you give in to special offers and hope to store the product in the cupboard for a long time, yet you end up munching it all in less than a week? Remember, if it is there you will eat it – and it’s no saving if what you have bought is all gone in a week when it should have lasted a month
Estimating a portion
We don’t all have measuring cups, food scales or portion controlled plates handy before each meal. One of the best and most convenient ways to estimate an adequate portion size is to do it visually, and we can do this by referring to our hands. Like this you have no excuses because there will always be a pairs of hands wherever you go!
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A portion of protein should be about 3oz. which is approximately the size of the palm of your hand (have 2-3 servings/day)
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Portions of starches such as wholegrain cereal, rice, pasta or potato should be no larger than the size of your fist (3-4 servings/day). Two fists of non-starchy veg/salad would be a good portion for your main meals
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What about fats? Try not to use more than 1 teaspoon of fats such as olive oil, light margarine etc. This is about the same as the tip of your thumb. Aim for 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy per day e.g. a small diet yogurt or 200ml skimmed milk. An appropriate portion of low-fat cheese would be no larger than the size of your thumb
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A handful is a good reference for snacks such as nuts or dried fruit
Finally include 2-3 servings of fruit in your diet and the ideal portion sizes are as follows: medium apple/orange, 2 plums/apricots, 7 strawberries/cherries, half a banana and you could have one 100ml glass of fruit juice a day if you wish
Portion Control with a gastric band
Practising portion control is extremely important especially if you have a gastric band. It will not only help you lose weight but it will also make weight maintenance easier once you have reached your goal weight. However, don’t forget that although small portion sizes cut unwanted calories, it is still really important to choose the right foods. Therefore fill up half your side plate with a variety of crunchy veg/salad, about a quarter with lean meat/fish/pulses and the remaining quarter with wholegrain/wholemeal starches, and use as little fat as possible during cooking. As a rough guide, try not to eat any more than you can fit into two hands at any time.
A version of this article appeared in Reader’s Digest
Dr David Ashton
22nd July 2011
