Category: Healthy Diet

Portion Control vs. Elimination Diets

 

Want to hear the latest?

According to the consulting and market research firm The Hartman Group, portion control is trending in and elimination diets are trending out in 2012.

Thank goodness!  I am so relieved to hear this. You all know there is no magic pill.  A well balanced approach to food is the answer to long term weight loss, and a much happier existence.

Portion control is one of the most important secrets behind weight loss.  A restrictive elimination style diet can cause binging and over eating.  Portion control teaches you how to eat the foods you like in moderation.  You may be asking how to control portion sizes without scales and various other measuring tools. What to do when you eat out? Great questions!

Five Simple Tips for Portion Control:

1)  Read the fine print!  Yes! The labels will tell you how many calories, but make sure you read how many servings are in that bag of chips, energy drink, box of crackers, etc.  Most snack size bags are actually two servings– not one!

2)  Are your plates super sized?  Over the years it’s become fashionable to have large plates.  Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to get new dishes!  However, a plate that is smaller will appear fuller and may satisfy you more.

If you feel like you need the extra visual help, you can purchase plates that have the portion sizes built into them. Everything from plastic to china.  Another way I combat the empty looking plate is to use bowls. They appear fuller and I am able to scoop out the proper portion sizes with a ladle.

3)  Develop a visual system.  Not all plates are created equal so it is helpful to know what a proper serving is. Here are some visual cues/examples to help you with portion size, courtesy of WebMD:

  • Vegetables or fruit: about the size of your fist.
  • Pasta: about the size of one scoop of ice cream.
  • Meat, fish, or poultry: the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm (minus the fingers).
  • Snacks such as pretzels and chips: about the size of a cupped handful.
  • Apple: the size of a baseball.
  • Potato: the size of a computer mouse.
  • Bagel: the size of a hockey puck.
  • Pancake: the size of a compact disc.
  • Steamed rice: the size of a cupcake wrapper.
  • Cheese: the size of a pair of dice or the size of your whole thumb (from the tip to the base).

4)  It’s okay to go back for seconds! Try serving from the kitchen counter to avoid reaching mindlessly for a second helping. If after 20 minutes you are still hungry, then go back and load up on veggies or a 1/4 to1/2 second serving.

Eating out?  No problem.  Ask your server about the portion sizes. Start with one or two dishes and then decide if you want more.  The kitchen will still be there!

5)  You do not have to finish everything on your plate!  Many of us were raised not to waste. This was a really important thing to teach us as children, and I am grateful for that up-bringing.  Unfortunately, this has been linked to overeating in adults.

I give you full permission to leave food on your plate. You will not be sent to your room! That may sound silly, however, so much of our childhood training affects the way we look at food. If you are like me and really dislike wasting food, then simply place whatever is left in a small container.  You can have it as a snack or combine with your lunch.

So there you go! These strategies can be implemented right away to help you with weight loss. Portion control is one of the best ways to begin cutting back on unnecessary calories without depriving yourself.

Have questions or tricks to share?  I’d love to hear from you below! 

Blessings to you and yours!

Jennifer

 

 


My Story

4 Comments

I grew up on the beach in California, competed in ice skating, surfed, rode horses, and studied ballet very seriously. At age 14 it became painfully clear to me there was a very slim chance of being selected by a major ballet company. I hung up my toe shoes and became a cheerleader, rode in the high school rodeo, and did lots of socializing.

At the age of 19, I went to the doctor and discovered I was 30 lbs overweight. Holy cow! How did that happen? Oh yeah, lots of beer, wine coolers, and fish and chips. That wasn’t on the menu at home.

I decided to join a gym and take aerobics classes. As a former ballet dancer and ice skater, I realized fitness might be a good part time job. After getting certified, I began teaching aerobics classes: high-impact, low-impact, step, aqua, kick-box fitness, senior classes, stretch classes, Pilates Mat and several hybrids in between

Yes, I lost the 30+ pounds, but not without the ups and downs of dieting, over training, and serious self-image issues that had been imposed on me very early in life.

I developed a horrible relationship with food and became a slave to an exercise routine just to maintain what was considered a “healthy weight”. Food was not something I could just simply enjoy, it was either all or nothing, either dieting or splurging. I did not have a moderate lifestyle.

Workouts were only for the purpose of “looking good” and the bonus was good health. I did not have a menstrual cycle for years, was too skinny, and went from being completely overweight to being thin and a complete slave to my insecurities. As long as I was skinny I was happy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, we are all happier with our bodies when we are at our personal best, and for those of you who have struggled with weight loss your entire life you may be thinking “I’d like to have that problem!” My friends, wouldn’t you rather be slightly overweight than experience that type of bondage?

There is a reason why 95% of the dieters fail. The other 5% end up slaves like I was. Diets mean you hand the control over to another authority. That’s why only 5% make it. Self-control is not part of the equation.

At this point, I’m a size 2 (extra small) burning about 5,000 exercise calories per day (the average office worker burns about 250 calories in and 8 hour day), my metabolism is slowing down from over training, and every other day I am limping to the bathroom first thing in the morning due to muscle fatigue and pain.

Can you believe it? I was still dissatisfied with the way my body looked because the stomach wasn’t perfectly flat! I decided to have liposuction on my abdomen and thighs with zero regrets about the surgery and the great results. While there is nothing wrong with using technology to enhance your appearance, I’m simply painting the picture of how obsessed we can become with our looks.

Oh, and by the way, I am not the only one in the fitness industry who has had cosmetic work done, but may be the only one willing to confess it on the Internet and tell you the truth.

Now for the good news! I had reached a pretty low point in my life and knew things had to change. I am so grateful that I was rescued when I attended a very special spiritual equipping event and met people that were not religious (I was not so crazy about church). Instead these people had a personal relationship with God and had such great success in every area of their lives. It was at this event, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and began to feel things change inside of me.

I had always believed in God, but did not understand what it meant to know Jesus. For the first time ever, I was getting comfortable in my own skin. He became my rock and reminded me how uniquely and wonderfully I was made and to stop trying to be someone else, follow the desires of my heart, and be the best “Jennifer” I could be.

Self-image issues were healed and I learned to speak life over my body in order to succeed after reading the best success book ever written, the Holy Bible. Wise life coaches who were experts in this area counseled me and I began to share these principles in practical ways with my clients and watched their lives change. Whether they shared my belief in Him or not they could apply these principles to their lives for success as well!

My own personal healthy weight is stable and I wear a size 6-8 (depends who makes it). Hollywood calls that large. Can you believe that? No wonder we have so many people in this world with disordered eating and body image issues! I also enjoy great food, drink wine at the beach in a bikini, and have a fun exercise routine that suits a healthy lifestyle without ever setting foot in the gym. I am free and passionate about helping you avoid the mistakes I have made and teach you the successful way to live a healthy life where you enjoy yourself, have lots of energy, do not diet, look your personal best, and exercise is fun and play instead of a chore.

So, whether you want to maintain your weight, lose weight, exercise more, learn to eat healthy and have fun doing it, or just change up your routine, let’s work together as a team to achieve your success!.