How To Train Yourself To Eat Healthier Portions

No matter what kind of diet you wish to follow, you need to exercise portion control in order to succeed with your diet. This sounds easy at first, but without good portion control skills, it's really easy to over-eat. So how can you train yourself to eat healthier portions? Here are a few key steps to take.

1. Invest in a kitchen scale.

The most accurate way to portion your food is by weighing it. Some people use measuring cups and measure by volume, but there's a lot of room for error in foods with varying densities. If you use a scale, you can be more confident you're getting the same, proper portions time and time again. An inexpensive kitchen scale will do the trick just fine in most cases. Make sure you choose one with a larger platform so you can put a whole plate on it. Then, once you have a scale, get into the habit of weighing your portions before eating them.

2. Put extras away as soon as possible.

Do you find yourself sneaking bites of ingredients as you prepare food? Maybe you can't help but grab a few extra bites of whatever's been left on the counter after you serve yourself. Little bites can add up over time and end up sabotaging your portion control efforts. The best way to avoid both of these sorts of snacking is to put foods away as soon as you're done with them. Use an ingredient, and then put it away immediately. Serve yourself food, then put the leftovers away immediately.

3. Wrap up restaurant "extras" immediately.

Restaurant portions are almost always bigger than the portions you really should be eating. But if you tell yourself you'll start eating and stop when you've eaten the proper portion, you're not being very honest with yourself. It is so, so hard to keep from over-eating when there's more food on your plate and your dining partners are still eating. Avoid the temptation by asking for a take-home box as soon as your food comes. Put all of the extra food — everything you don't plan on eating immediately — in the takeout box right away so you're not tempted to eat it.

If you implement just the three strategies above, you'll be off to a good start with your portion control tactics. Over time, your habits will continue to improve, and you should notice a change in your weight as an end result.

For more information on portion control training, contact a professional near you.

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