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 have been saying this for a long time...healthy eating with portion control and then exercise just speeds up the process of weight loss. Sure have seen it in my life. Great article.

I agree with this completely. It's amazing just how full you can feel by simply eating healthy and nutritious foods. Portion control and eating slowly and you'll feel full in no time.

This is always good advice, but unfortunately it hasn't hit critical mass yet as restaurants repeteadly throw 3 or 4 portions onto a plate...and then we're all taught to "clean your plate". One rule of thumb is to separate a fist sized portion of protein, carbohydrate and vegetable, and don't eat anything else no matter what. Sometimes portioning for yourself ahead of time helps you stick with it.

Portion control is a must!! When I started dieting a year ago I used portion control. I wouldjudge how much to eat based on the size of my fist. This came out to be about 4 oz. On things that I couldn't compare to my fist like a banana, i would just grab one that was smaller than one I would usually eat. Doing this along with exercise helped me to lose 30 pounds.

One thing I would like to say that your title clears the motto of your blog to everyone and I am totally agree with this title eat less and move more. What most people don’t realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

It has been said that eating several smaller meals a day, is actually more beneficial to your metabolism, than eating 3 larger meals a day. I had no idea some servings were so small... Chicken - a deck of playing cards.. That's like 2 bites!

Portion control, though 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.

You have some good advice here, I'm vegetarian but it doesn't stop me from being overweight. Even things like bananas are fattening if you eat too many!. My problem is I eat too much cheese and home made wholemeal bread. Portion size as you say is crucial, just because it's made healthily, i.e. 'wholemeal bread' doesn't mean that you can eat all you want, like me! I have been cutting down portions and doing 'pilates' and it's helping already. Thank you for your information, I'll keep checking back.

I think another aspect of this kind of dieting and food regulating that needs to be addressed is the issue of authorities not sticking to a firm conclusion on what's healthy or not. Consider coffee. Once they were considered bad, now they help your body. I mean, what's the real non-postmodern score?

I completely agree with this post. I am really grateful that my mom put me in a lot of sports as a young girl. I was also a competitive cheerleader for many years therefore I have good muscle memory. I think this has also helped greatly when I want to lose a couple pounds and get back in shape. I am a huge foodie and hate giving up foods I love to cook and eat so instead of removing those foods from my diet, I use portion control and moderation. Portion control also helps me train my mind and stomach on when my body feels its full.

Buy less stuff, eat less meat...save water! World Water Day - if you came across any interesting tip on saving water, share it here!

When I entered the 3rd decade of my life I started to gain weight. Although I have managed to arrest weight increase I am still overweight. I have been active physically for the past 10 years I was not able to reduce my weight. But when I started reducing my food intake despite my reduce physical activities due to aging I was able to lose 4 kilo from my weight. Reduced portion is indeed effective. But don't forget to exercise

I think that too many women forget what it's like to be young. Do you remember when you used to be in highschool and you played sports or were on the cheerleading squad and how the pounds and inches just always melted away? That's the real secret to losing weight quickly and keeping it off. Back then, you had a system for putting on lean muscle that burns calories 24 hours a day, plus the cardiovascular workouts burned even more. It was a win-win. Truly, the only way to achieve those sorts of results once again is to partake in a similar lifestyle of being active with cardio and strength training along with a strategic eating plan.

I have had the same weight for over fifteen years. Recently I gained twenty pounds and couldn't take it off. I excercised and tried to est less, then I realized I had changed my eating habits. I always used to only eat when I was actually hungary, no t scheduled meals. 2 months later, I am back to mt original weight.

as a diabetic, portion control is a part of my life. I lost 20 pounds so far and looks like will be able to stay that way. I would recommend portion control diet to anyone.

I’ve found it’s helpful to make it a habit that whenever you eat out, you automatically set aside half your meal to be taken as leftovers for the next day. Take a hike if you’re a nature lover. When your body is functioning optimally, every other aspect of your life is free to follow suit.

I am in this situation right now. I realized that I was eating every meal for 2 people, rather than 1. I got accustomed to really large quantities of food. I started weight watchers and I love it. It has shown me how to eat better portions and when I am hungry for a snack in between meals, I will go towards the fruit for 0 points. It takes time to get used to, but once you do, you will start to lose weight.

I overeat when I go days without exercise. I have a desk job and so i decided to eat a quick lunch no more than 15 minutes and the other 15 minutes outside walking 3 blocks. It is helping!

portion control is indeed the most important aspect of focusing on eating less. However, it is nearly as important to focus on WHAT you are eating. Eating small portions of pizza that does not go over your daily calorie allotment is going to leave you feeling more hungry than eating maybe a little pizza and supplementing each meal with generous amounts of low calorie vegetables. The added veggies will provide fiber, micronutrients, and physical volume in your stomach which all can help in losing weight.

I believe that using an appetite suppressant is a great way to control eating habits for a short period of time until you’ve managed to take on a different dietary lifestyle. I myself am a pescetarian and slowly trying to make a transition to vegan. But even to make the transition to pescetarian, which is a fancy name for vegetarian that eats fish, I used an appetite suppressant. I don’t have a need or desire for pills anymore because my body has adapted to the newer eating habits. It’s a lifestyle now, not a diet.

In this day of fast food and busy schedules, people just chow down and get back to work, this isn’t good. So portion control along with slower eating and of course an exercise regimen is a step in the right direction. GREAT ARTICLE

I have been using a standing desk for well over a year, and I think it's the best thing I've ever done for myself. I know standing instead of sitting doesn't exactly count as exercise, but it made such a huge difference with back and joint pain (especially back pain). Just standing up and being able to move around, having more freedom to move makes such a difference!

I work with people who want to lose weight, and frequently find that they are actually eating a lot more than they think they are, for instance snacking throughout the day. When they keep a food diary it really hits home how much they are having.

I believe that using an appetite suppressant is a great way to control eating habits for a short period of time until you've managed to take on a different dietary lifestyle. I myself am a pescetarian and slowly trying to make a transition to vegan. But even to make the transition to pescetarian, which is a fancy name for vegetarian that eats fish, I used an appetite suppressant. I don't have a need or desire for pills anymore because my body has adapted to the newer eating habits. It's a lifestyle now, not a diet.

Unfortunately, when families eat out a lot they are given these huge portion sizes. One way to fix that problem is to fix meals at home. You can fix healthier and smaller portions. Also, you can save money as well. Great article!

Although it is not easy to lose weight, it is something so many of us need to do. Especially those of us with fibromyalgia, because we need to reduce the stress on our joints and also our muscles. Since often, aerobic exercise isn't an option for fibromyalgia sufferers, stretching exercises like pilates are much better. Portion size will help every over weight person though.

Interesting post. I agree that portioning and exercise is very important for weight loss. I would like to add the importance of what we eat. I have a friend who is doing research on substances found in meat at the University. He found out that the food that the animals are fed with contains substances that greatly increase obesity in humans. I was quite shocked to find this out. Thanks for the information and keep up the good work...

Thanks for the tips! It's one thing to hear that portion control is important, but getting specific examples of everyday objects to use as guidelines is a great help and takes a lot of the guess work out of it.

I have to agree that portion control goes a long way in helping you keep your weight stable ( or losing weight)but although most of us know that figuring out what a portion size is makes it difficult. Instead of measuring out your portions, I have found that when we started using a plate size that was smaller than what we were used to, we naturally ate less. Our plate looked full so it tricked our brains into thinking that we were eating more than we actually did. If you look at the size of the dinner plates of the 60's compared to the size today you will see that they are approximately 30% larger and so are we.

I think sometimes people are putting way too much emphasis on dieting and working themselves to death. Since I stopped eating fried foods, the pure thought of something fried reminds my stomach how bad it feels. Get back to the basics: more grilled foods, more veggies NOT slathered in butter, and water. Partner that with some basic exercises and you'll build a foundation that is unbelievable.

I think portion control is important, but I've found that if I increase my vegetable portions and lower my fat portions and carbohydrate portions, it's easier to eat healthier. Exercise on the other hand is another story! It's very difficult to try to schedule more exercise.

I believe that using an appetite suppressant is a great way to control eating habits for a short period of time until you’ve managed to take on a different dietary lifestyle. I myself am a pescetarian and slowly trying to make a transition to vegan. But even to make the transition to pescetarian, which is a fancy name for vegetarian that eats fish, I used an appetite suppressant. I don’t have a need or desire for pills anymore because my body has adapted to the newer eating habits. It’s a lifestyle now, not a diet.

To keep your weight stable, you need to have a balance of proteins and carbohydrates. Remember to rehydrate yourself at all times and exercise as well. It's always important to follow the food pyramid because our body needs all the nutrients it can get.

So far I have no problem with being overweight, but I'll tell my girlfriend, who tried many diets and have not worked. The problem is that we sell miracle diets and do nothing but deceive people, because when left fatter than before. Now I will tell you if it works.

Americans love "big" especially when it comes to food. We want to sit down in a restaurant and have an 8 lb. lobster brought to us to complement the 16 oz. steak in our surf n' turf dinner. We've just lost all sense of what a healthy portion is.

Hi!! I eat every thing all day, the problem is I can't increase my weight, I went to the doctor, a try to eat only calories but a cant increase my weight. What can I do?...

There are 4000 calories in 1 pound of fat. For someone to lose 1 pound a week, they would have to have a calorie deficit of 500 calories a day. Maintaining this 500 calorie deficit a day for seven days will allow you to lose 1 lb in a week.

I myself have also started to eat less and walk more. Every day I have drive mile to water our horses, so I decided to try to walk there and back. It's two miles round trip with a few large hills along the way. I also take one of our dogs with me and I can tell you they enjoy it more than me. Very hard the first few days but it's getting better. The first large hill is at the start which tried to talk me out of it. But now it's much easier and I have lost weight. So just walk more and you will be surprised. EDITOR's NOTE: Bravo, Gerald. I've heard similar stories from others....I think I'll take a long walk tonight!

Great website! I have gone from 157 pounds to 127 pounds in the last couple of years which I am very pleased with as I thought my weight gain was because of my age (late 40s). The first 14 pounds was lost through exercise (manual job) and the last 16 pounds through changing my diet, or rather going back to what I used to eat before I met my pizza partner :) That is basically a diet to control high cholestrol. My favourite foods are now: breakfast - weetabix & skimmed milk / yogurt with flax seeds & a banana lunch - same as breakfast or soup & oatcakes main meal - baked potato & tuna / mackerel & boiled potatos & brocolli, onion and mushrooms snacks - diluted juice & fruit or oatcakes My normal daily intake is about 1200 calories to maintain my weight as I'm not tall so the above example is fine for me (if I ate 1400 calories a day I'd put on weight), and I do still treat myself when I feel the need. I've found that I eat the same portions as before but because the food is lower in fat (and I also cut down on wine) the weight has gradually come off naturally -I do still nibble when I feel stressed but I've tried to nibble or healthier food (a couple of apples or some oatcakes as opposed to a 20 donuts). It is wonderful being able to walk without getting sore hips and feet! My doctor told me I was developing arthritis but it has disappeared along with the extra weight.

I agree that portion size is massively underestimated. Also the caloric density of food like you mentioned. Frying food, oils, sauces and sugar tremendously boost calorie intake past what you would expect.

I am 22 year old and want to know that how can i stop my tummy from growing large. I don't eat so much and i am pure veg , how come my tummy is growing? How much walk is enough for me daily ? EDITOR's NOTE: Check some of older blogs about fat distribution as we age.

I can see where portion control would be an issue if all you had to look forward to was 3 meals a day. How I would recommend dealing with portion control is to eat 4-6 smaller meals a day with healthy protein dense snacks between those meals. Higher protein snacks and meals will be lower in calories. This approach will keep the body fueled through out the day and head off hunger before the next meal. Highly effective in losing weight, while keeping the metabolism working and burning calories. In addition it minimizes insulin spikes.

Very good post. But here's a quibble. You list sizes of portions. But a lot of the sizes you list relate to men more than to women. For example, most women don't really know the size of a baseball. And many woman don't play cards so they don't know the size of a deck of cards. Just sayin'

I used portion control and some exercise to shed 35 pounds a few years ago. But I never limited my portions of salad. A veggie diet is the best.

The title of this article should be "Eat enough, move more". Not always eating less is a good idea! But great article anyway!

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 have noticed when I slow down and eat I get full much quicker. What does everyone recommend as far as eating late at night? I've heard some experts say limit your carbs later in the evening. Thoughts?

I'm writing a blog about trying to lose 175 pounds (half my weight). Portion control is certainly an important factor (heck, just saying no to THIRD helpings would go a long way toward ameliorating America's obesity crisis), but from the results I've seen lately, the biggest factor is cutting way, way back on sugar. Most people have no idea just how much sugar they're taking in every day, much of it in the form of soft drinks, Kool-Aid, iced tea, coffee, etc. I work for a small marketing company and they provide totally free snacks and drinks. The fridge is packed with every kind of soft drink you can think of, and I was freely taking advantage of them, never giving much thought to how many I was drinking a day. Then one week I decided to count. I was shocked to find that I was drinking five or six a day, for a total of 750 to 900 calories a day in pretty much pure sugar. That's 4000-5000 calories a week. If I would just switch to water, I would lose over 50 pounds in a year if I did nothing else. Our obesity epidemic is in reality a sugar overdose epidemic.

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