'Eat everything you want while improving your health.’ Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Weight loss, fat loss, reduced sugar spikes and many other health goals are achievable, with the practice of portion control.
Wondering what portion control is?
Portion control is an efficient way of fueling your body. In essence, portion control is the art of limiting calories by eating smartly. It is the process of consuming adequate portions. No restriction, no binging, portion control is the sustainable way to being healthy. Portion control works universally. It helps to relish your favorite foods without any guilt!
Is portion control for me? How to practice portion control? Pros and drawbacks? Here are some nutritionist-backed answers to all portion control questions.
Steps to Successful Portion Control
From losing weight to gaining better health parameters, portion control is a practical way of eating. Awareness of portion sizes and nutritional profiles helps you practice portion control better. Here are some portion control hacks you must try.
1. Smaller Cutlery
The simplest way to practice portion control is switching to smaller plates. Not only does this give the illusion of more food, but it also prevents adding too much in one serving.
In addition to this, switching to smaller spoons and forks is recommended. This helps to manage bite sizes which impacts the quantity of food consumed. These are simple switches one can make without feeling too restricted.
2. Pre-Portioning
Pre-portioning is strategically planning your meals. It means dividing food groups in advance. This helps avoid overeating which helps manage weight.
Your plate should have a balanced composition of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fibre. Eyeball this- fill up your plate with 50% vegetables, 25% whole grains (carbohydrates), 25% protein.
Fibre and protein, both work positively when portion controlling. These elements keep you full for longer. In turn, you will snack less between meals and also, lose weight.
3. Power of Protein
Protein is the key element for portion control. Protein keeps you feeling full and satiated for longer. This helps limit the overall calorie intake. Aim for at least 1/4th of your plate to be filled with protein.
Moreover, protein paces the digestion. It reduces spikes in blood sugar. Balanced sugar levels eliminate untimely cravings.
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4. Mindful Morsels
Mindfulness is essential for portion control. This is also a great weight loss tool. The goal is to eliminate or limit distractions. It can be devices, screens, thoughts, people- any and everything that takes away from the experience of enjoying your meal.
Moreover, it is crucial to chew your food at a slow pace. Chewing every bite 32 times is ideal. Chewing slowly ensures you eat as much as required, not more, not less.
Simple Portion Control Swaps
The following are some easy to incorporate swaps that make the practice of portion control seamless. Here is a detailed explanation of these hacks.
1. Hydrate!
Oftentimes, we mistake thirst signals for hunger. There are two steps here. One- have a glass of water 30 minutes before a meal. Two- when you feel hungry, try sipping on some water first. It helps to fill up the stomach, resulting in lower consumption of food. This reduces overall calories that aids weight loss.
2. High Volume Foods
Reconnecting point number two (pre-plating), high volume foods are ones that have low calories for massive quantities. To better explain this, salads, lean proteins, carbohydrates like millets are high volume foods.
Ensure you start the meal with fibre or protein to prevent overeating. 
3. Healthier Alternatives
Mindful eating is equivalent to smarter choices. On incorporating portion control, you learn that you do not need to give up your favorite foods. Instead, you can consume them strategically. This way, it aligns with your fitness goals too.
For instance, if breakfast is some cereal or granola, you don’t have to give it up completely. Start with a thick layer of yogurt. This is a low volume, high protein food. Add some fruits, some crushed nuts, or nut butter. Then top with a small handful of cereal.
Portion control is as effortless as this!
Benefits of Portion Control
1. Weight Management
Portion control is designed to limit the total caloric intake. When practiced correctly, portion control helps balance nutrients.
If you are trying to lose weight, portion control is a good way to minimize cravings. Reduce the quantity of less nutritious foods or swap them with healthier ingredients.
For instance, if you’re craving cake on your weight loss journey, share a slice, instead of eating the entire thing.
2. Better Relationship with Food
Most diets eliminate certain foods completely. This feeling of deprivation causes binge eating in most cases.
If you eat mindfully with careful attention on portion sizes, there would be no binging-restricting cycles. Over time, the food relationship heals.
3. Balanced Sugar Levels
Without portion control, most individuals are accustomed to comparitively larger portion sizes. Eating more leads to higher glucose levels in the blood stream. This forces the system to produce more insulin than usual. Constant pressure on the pancreas leads to illnesses like type 2 diabetes, obesity, PCOS, among others.
4. Improved Digestion
One should stop eating when they feel 80% full. This ensures enough room for food to be digested, without much load on the system. Not just weight loss, portion control helps with better functioning of the digestive system. Chances are, bloating, acid reflux, and other similar digestive issues may subside.
Wrapping Up...
And that’s a wrap! Here are all the ways portion control helps you become a fitter you. We discuss the benefits as well. As seen above, the steps are fairly simple. They are not drastic, which means one can follow them without much difficulty.
