Research has shown that portion control may be the most  effective form of dieting when you take into account longevity and sustained weight loss and management.  The reason, according to Dr. Everett Logue et al. in Obesity (http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v12/n9/full/oby2004187a.html) may be that portion control is an easier behavioral target than planned exercise.  Although increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables may be the easiest way to change behaviorally, it does not appear to be as effective in long term weight reduction.

Okay, so all I have to do is eat a little less, and move a little more.  Well, it’s not that simple.  If you’ve tried portion control in the past like I have, you might be rolling your eyes.  Actually, 36% of women in the Illinois Women’s Health Registry are currently using portion control to lose weight, while only 20% are trying exercise.   So how can we make portion control work for us?  The important thing to understand is that portion sizes are often FAR LESS than we think they are.  In fact, research has shown that Americans typically underestimate their caloric intake by as much as 25%.  So if I think I’m only eating 1600 Calories (a typical weight loss goal), I might actually be eating 2,000.  It’s also important to know that women and men of similar height and weight do NOT have the same caloric needs.   Metabolism in women works differently; men generally have a higher Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the rate at which our bodies break down calories.  In other words, we don’t need to eat as much as our male counterparts…sorry ladies, but try leaving that second helping to him.

So what is the correct portion size?  Well we are probably all familiar with the serving size values:

1 cup green and leafy vegetables or ½ cup mashed potatoes for the veggies
½ - 1 cup of fruit or 1 oz dried fruit
½ cup rice, 1 cup (cooked) pasta, or a bagel for the grains
3 oz chicken, beef or fish for protein
1 cookie or a ½ cup ice cream for the sweets

But what do these sizes actually look like?  Well, sadly, a lot less than we’d like to think.  Here’s the run down:

Portions Table

For more portion size tips, see this cool tool at http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate

Even though portion control can be an effective weight loss method, it is still important to keep an active lifestyle and exercise regularly for a healthy weight AND a healthy heart!  Happy and Mindful Eating!

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Comments

I know that diet heavily influences how I feel. When Whenever I eat carbs my fibromyalgia flares up and I have pain so I understand the importance of diet. I use the Atkins diet.

This is an incredibly enlightening blog. We do have to eat less and move more that we may continue to live healthier, longer and happier!

I strongly believe that it's essential for anyone to eat less fast food and to do more sport.

Food portioning can be very effective by mixing in healthy filler foods that extend the time between portions. For example, a celery and carrot salad mix provides little fat and calories and can help the brain and stomach sync up by adding a few minutes delay between portions.

I feel compelled to post my comments as your article has hit the nail square on the head.

If you want to loose your weight, try not to eat after 6 or 7 pm. Well it is a long-term strategy but it really works. I lost 50lb in one year and I am still in a good shape. I also controlled my meal portions avoiding overeating.

We are so used to eating large amounts of food its so hard contolling small portions. I have traveled all over the world and you dont realize how much we eat and how big the portions are until you get back to the US, like another reader above commented "have you seen the size of our buritos". No wonder weight gain has been a big problem as we have been trained to eat big.

What a great post this is, making a comparison is not always easy; because it's hard to judge size and we all say to ourself is that enough, or shall I have a little bit more. I have been a truck driver on longhauls most of my adult life, and needless to say I added a few pounds and several inches over the years and never really realalized what was happening as the weight and inches just seemed to grow gradually because I was sitting driving my truck all day and meals were not always regular and healthy but you live with it. Now that I am retired, and I do eat regularly and because I am not as active as I once was, I tend not to eat as much and the weight and inches are reducing, but I do agree; portion size is important, but, I always try to leave the table feeling as though I could eat just a little bit more. To all those that are struggling with their food intake, eat just a little bit less and you will gradualy win the day, just think one dress size smaller or one pound lighter and you will win. Good luck to you all. frazer

Couldn’t agree more…we need to get more active. Thanks for posting this article.

Thanks Dr. Hekier, I guess it’s like mom always said, slow down when you eat! I know that I often fall into the trap of not eating much during the day and then ingesting anything and everything as quickly as possible when I get home.

The only thing I disagree with is the veggie serving size. I think veggies should be unlimited! Thanks for the articles it's such helpful information here kloy

Weight loss is what every woman is looking for and i must say that any information concerning that topic leaves them wanting to try out everything to again their bodies back.The slogan of eat less and move more is interesting and i think am going to start it out tomorrow.Thanks for the information and great site.

I think if people can make just small changes in activity and diet most will see results. You really do have to eat less than you burn to lose weight. Although, not all calories are created equal. I would strive to avoid food from a bag or a box. These tend to be processed and loaded with calories. Instead, eat fruits, veggies, and natural food. Get out and walk, lift something heavy, chase the kids, have fun! And most of all....don't stress yourself out. Its all supposed to make you feel better, not worse.

Yes, portion control is very difficult. But if it is done gradually, with a lot of motivation and determination, it can be done. For instance, if you reduce your portion by a fifth for 14 days, then reduce it by another fifth for 14 days, this way you can gradually ease your body into the new amounts without shocking it. It is also more sustainable.

Good post. The food is important for us, but we all should remember that with age we need less and less and there should be more posts about how to achieve this. Greg

Very intriguing article. Had me realize I was entirely inaccurate about this content. I suppose one learns something different daily. I like your blog. Will be back really soon! January

The main reason women overeat is "emotional eating", when they have emotional problems, so before trying diet solutions or anything else they should learn to control their emotions and do less "emotional eating" and their lives will improve 100% !

It has been a dream of mine to open a restaurant and call it Perfect Portions, offering just that... perfect portions. Maybe NOW with all the health issues surrounding the ever-escalating obesity of our American and Canadian population, such a restaurant MIGHT have a fleeting chance!

I have to disagree, 1600 Calories mentioned as typical weight loss goal is too much. If I ate that much would have gained weight not loosing it.

Keeping the weight down takes a lot of discipline. Try and eat small potions every 3 hours. A lot of people miss this simpe fact. If you eat a small meal every three hours you will boost your metabolism which in turn will help burn more calories every day. Don't forget to work out a few times a weeek. I find the best time for a 30 minute jog is first thing in the morning before breakfeast.

It's shocking to know how small the portions are! I think most people probably eat double what they should.

From what I've found, not only eating smaller portions, but eating frequently helps with weight loss. Great women's blog by the way.

Eating is used to tackle emotional issues for a lot of girls, but this post was extremely interesting and pointed out a lot of things we sometimes overlook. Great read!

I think that portions are okay, but realistically you will get tired of setting everything up. I think you should just eat and not worry about it. Because most people who go through all this eventually gain all the weight back and more. Become more active and burn it off, then you'll be okay. Also recognize that as you get older things CHANGE.

Great article thanks. I have a few helpful tips to add: 1. Eat only 1/2 of what you are served at a restaurant. 2. Find a good book on eating out that defines the calories of each entree. You will be amazed to find the calorie difference between two meals that look the same. 3. Keep a journal of what you eat and how many calories. 4. Simple changes in your daily activities will help you get more exercise. For example use the stairs instead of the elevator or park at the back of the parking lot instead of the front. None of these sound like huge things that would have any effect on your body weight, but you will be surprised.

The food comparison table looks very interesting as how the food is compared to a physical object. In my opinion, everything in moderation really helps out well and especially with the food, it is extremely difficult because they are very easy to get tempted with. Nevertheless for weight loss, exercise is also very much required to keep the balance.

Portion control is so much easier said than done.

I really like the table with portion size comparisons to objects. As a personal trainer I try to incorporate portion control as part of my overall fitness program.

I agree that portion control has a place in one’s overall dietary considerations but this article failed to touch on the fact that not all foods are created equally

From my own experience, portion control was hard to achieve. I had no idea of what a portion was or not, and at the end, shame on me, but I did not want to be measuring thing. However, I came across to a technique thought in one of those doctor shows. Where you actually count until 20 for each bit of food you place in your mouth. I started doing that, I could not believe, i really ate half of what I would otherwise. Pretty cool technique!

i think change what you eat still the best option, sometime really hard to calculate every carb we eat.. And try to walk more often it is good for your heart and drop your stress level

I am not agree with the statement above! Instead of eat less and move more, we should actually choose the RIGHT FOOD and MOVE MORE! What's right food? Right food is the food which contains healthier vitamin to our body, it's okay to have more good food if we did go for exercise =)

Valuable information. I strongly agree with eating less and move more strategy. This is an eye opener since I had no idea how it works. Thanks for the post. Eating unrefined food and whole grains also helps a lot as opposed to consuming foods high in sugar.

you can actually eat a lot of food if you eat the right types of food...cut out all processed food and stick with real, whole foods like fruit and veggies, lean protein like chicken, fish, eggs...whole grains, healthy fats like raw nuts, avocados etc...and don't drink your calories, cut out all soda and fruit juice and drink water instead.

It is important to note that portions sizes in restaurants are the same for both men and women, so if eat an entire meal in a restaurant you are likely to be eating the same amount of food that a man should be eating.

I love your title: "Eat Less, Move More", because that sums it all up. And that is what most North Americans need to do. It's really so simple - just keep your diet in check and get more exercise. Instead we've become a society of overweight video game players and professional TV watchers. Instead of eating our veggies, we've become veggies - we vegge out and sit on our butts and don't get any real exercise. When I was a kid, I rode my bike around all summer long for hours every day. Now kids either play video games, surf the internet or watch tv all day long. So it's no wonder that we see these families where the parents are obese and now the kids are obese too. Like I said, your title sums it all up. And of course your article brought out some great points as well. Thanks for the great information. Cheers!

For me it's all about the exercise. I can limit portions until there's nothing on the plate but if I don't move (a lot) nothing happens except a sour mood!

I used portion control and some exercise to shed 30 pounds a few years ago. But I never limited my portions of salad. There's so few calories in lettuce and celery I would eat it until I could eat no more!

Yes, I do think our portions especially here in the US have become way to large. I saw a recent study of how the average portions in restaurants have increased dramatically over the past 10 years. No wonder we just get fatter and fatter.

Portion control, thought difficult to adjust to in the beginning, is the best way to not only control weight but to avoid major health issues associated with obesity and overeating. I've been doing it for 9 years now and there's no other way. Great Info.

I was actually browsing the net to show my wife the importance of portion control and came across this article. I must say that you are spot on when it comes to people \estimating\ their calorie intake. My mother told me, and I don't know how true it is, that you should only have as much on your plate as the size of your fist, and that being all you can eat. I don't know how true it is, but I recently lost weight following that guideline. Your article, however, did prove a point. Thank you.

Just wanted to pop in and say thanks for posting this. This is really a very helpful tips loads with information. The convenience of fast food has left all of America with an expanding waistline. Some believe that introduction of chemically altered ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, present in many soft drinks, has contributed to the explosion of obesity in American.

This is always good advice, but unfortunately it hasn’t hit critical mass yet as restaurants repeatedly throw 3 or 4 portions onto a plate…and then we’re all taught to “clean your plate”.You have a good point about the in-take portion with foods.

it's great I can use Google translate to read your comments into my language ;-) Thanx!

The only thing I disagree with is the veggie serving size. I think veggies should be unlimited!

I think the public needs more education on portion control. There should be visuals on labels.

Having lost close to 50 lbs and keeping it off for over 5 years now, I agree that portion control works. Small regular meals worked for me, the trick is to never go too long between snacks and get hungry. I must admit that I also attacked the problem from other angles (more fibre, low GI foods, less sugar, etc). Every little thing that you can do helps, and it all adds up at the end of the day. I also have to agree with Leona Stephens that learning to meet your emotional needs has a tremendous impact. Exercise is a slow way to take weight off, but it was still extremely important because of the feelings of well-being that even light exercise gives you. It makes you feel more empowered and 'in control' of yourself.

I agree that losing or keeping at a healthy weight is all about portion control. Portion sizes have a habit of getting bigger and bigger. Don't know how that happens? But maintaining that healthy weight is really all about lifestyle along with portion control. The changes that you make in order to achieve a healthy weight must also be adopted into a life long regime to be able to maintain. Some sort of activity also needs to also be a part of that lifestyle. As a runner, I would suggest running.

I have read a similar study in Australia and it is great to see you agree many of their points. It is not a secret to eat less and move more can help to establish a healthier lifestyle.

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