From http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate
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:
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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496 Comments
That is a disappointingly small serving size, I’m a little frightened to actually count the calories I eat in a day, but I know I should. Thanks for that link, Michelle!
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As a weight loss surgeon performing the Lap Band surgery, I enthusiastically agree with the “portion control” method. It is vital to realize that the brain’s satiety centers generally are not stimulated until 30 minutes after having a meal. Therefore it is easy to overeat if one eats too quickly. So slow down, and eat smaller portions. You may find that you are not as hungry as you think you might be after a small portion.
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One of the main reasons women overeat is due to emotional eating. Learning other ways to meet your needs will help with portion control in a natural way.
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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.
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I want to thank you for your inspiring blog.
I only hope more women take up the challenge to live healthier and longer.
Womenshealth.northeast is brilliant, My only hope your readers take in only half of what you write about and take the effort and action.
GO GIRLS
Rebecca Mills
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Just eat food that is no larger then your fist,so I’ve been told?
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Thanks for the great post, I have a friend who had lap band surgery about 8 months ago and to be honest is still struggling with her weight.
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I was actually looking at the calorie count of some fast food places. It is disgusting the amount of calories they feed you at these fast food places.
Another good way to help lose weight is to drink water before, during, and after you eat. It helps to make you full and increases your metabolism.
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What you’re saying here is somewhat true. It has now been proven that natural meat is lower in fat, therefore a person can eat more and stay trim.
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Very good post Michelle. I agree with the comment posted by Candace Tingen. But we can eat food by dividing it part wise. Means to say, food which we eat heavily in onetime can be divided into small parts and can be taken in acceptable intervals.
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Man, those are some small serving sizes. It’s no wonder it’s so difficult to stay on a healthy diet. Just imagine how high it must be at fast food places!
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Hey Idaho Beef, what do you mean by natural meat? I am not familiar with this term. Does this refer to grain vs grass fed, or organic meat??
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Those are extremely small servings… I wonder how portion works in the long run.
For a fact i know that cutting down on what you eat will allow you to lose a bit of weight, but after a while you hit a plateau because your body’s metabolism adjusts to it.
I think, in the end, it will depend on the person’s body type.
————————
Kelly
Life is meant to be enjoyed… be fit… be healthy!
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Very nice post, will bookmark this site. I agree today’s woman facing ever pressure on their weight issues. I also keep a blog on woman’s weight management issues at healthydietnews.com.
Will come by for more on your blog posts.
Liz,
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Using moderation has to be one of the most important things that has given me success. Small servings and a consistent eating schedule can do wonders.
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I think diet is good only for shotr period of time as everyone know about yoyo effect…
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Wow! I hadn’t really thought of this like this. It is so much more natural to just eat less than to go on a rigourous exercise routine. I am all about natural and healthy. It’s hard to keep them separated sometimes. Thanks.
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Understanding portion sizes was one of the hardest things that I had to control when I first started losing weight. I would always look at my plate and think, “I am so going to be hungry later…” As I got used to the smaller portions, I realized that I didn’t need to be eating that much anyways.
Thanks for the great reminder!
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I think that the idea of portion control works oly to a degree and then mainly with people who have such will power that they probably don’t have a weight problem to start with.
We need, as Dr. Hekier says, to slow down the process of eating. One way to do this is to go back to have multi couse meeals that lead with soup, then salad. I also believe that we need to focus and building our meals with a greater amount of super foods which have a great deal to do with controlling weight and an even greater deal to maintaining healthy bodies that have the energy to keep up active lives.
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I’m a big believer in smaller and more often portions. My biggest problem used to be my plate had to be full
But i learned to start listening to my brain telling me I was full instead of thinking ‘I can’t leave any’ lol.
Eat smaller and often and this will keep your metabolism going at a more constant rate which will help you burn fat.
And of course exercise is a must too
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It is true that eat less and move a little more and we will live longer. Our body would do lesser work to digest the excessive food in our stomach.
Emma
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I do agree, but people are thinking more about what they eat and less about taking on some healthy exercise.
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Life is meant to be enjoyed… be fit… be healthy!
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You can’t exercise enough to make up for bad eating habits, so eating reasonable sized portions of healthy food is critical.
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My daughter recently lost a good amount of weight by simply looking at each eating decision she made..and making a better one. Add to that some portion control and at least a small amount of exercise (like walking around campus) and weight loss is not that difficult. Good information in the post about portion size!
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Its not so much the amount food as to what your eating
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Great article! Instead of looking for quick fixes, we should eat a variety of colourful fruits and vegetables, keep physically active, and try to live a stress free life!
It’s an active process but well worth the effort to a healthier you!
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Couldn’t agree more…we need to get more active.
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Great ideas on portion control, but I am not sure about eating fruits.
I read this article http://ezinearticles.com/?Melt-Stomach-Fat-Fast—3-Tips-For-a-Slimmer-Waistline&id=3386295 and if you eat fruit and then not work it off with some activity it’s just going to be stored as fat anyways.
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It’s easy to say but when you’re craving something and you want it really bad, you know how it ends up – sitting comfortably on your sofa, your favorite show is on and you eat that unhealthy food again, but if feel so good, at least till after you consumed it.
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I lost ten pounds just by eliminating soda. I drink water and juice now. I’ve been doing that for 9 years now.
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I believe that food portioning works well enough, however weight loss surgery is what can really help the obese person lose the weight quickly and permanently and food portion control to be used in conjunction with the weight loss surgery.
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MOST DIETS ARE FOR IDIOTS
Over the years I have read so many claims about weight loss that really I should be an expert but as i specialise in other medical ailments then I have only touched on weight loss. Companies spensd millions on all types of claims for their products and yes many of them do work, for a period of time” but you will eventually get bored or uninterested with the same regime, plus a lot of these diets can get expensive. Believe me the more I think about it the easier the answer becomes. THERE IS ONLY ONE ANSWER. Basically eat less calories than your body needs to maintain your present weight and do MORE EXERCISE. Think about it before you critisize the simplicity of what I am saying. No matter what diet you are on is the above not really the simple truth.
The way you do it is not complicated. Weigh yourself. Work out how many calories you need to stay at that weight and eat less. The way you eat less is not rocket science. One of 2 things, smaller portions and smaller plates – easy. Now regarding exercise. Even if you are the fattest person on earth START doing some exercise today (even if it is just to walk across the room. Gradually increase it (as long as it is more than you were doing before you started. Now it is simply a case of a monthly check. Assuming that you have lost weight then you will in turn then need less calories to maintain the new weight so reduce it again. Repeat until you reach your proper weight and size. Dont waste any more money on crazy diets its not necessary
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I’m absolutely agree, that you should control
the size of portion. But for effective weight loss this is not the only factor you should control. Another factor is a number of meals per day. If you want to know more, please, visit my website.
There you’ll find free and effective tips for easy weight loss.
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Many of us are looking for the fastest way lose weight. Losing weight has become one of the most researched topics on the internet in the past few years. Everyone wants to be in perfect shape and stay fit. The major goal should not be to get skinny but it should be to get healthy. Having too much body fat is the sign of unhealthiness which most of us are suffering from. This article talks about the basics of losing weight so that it makes it easier for you to achieve your goal. With this in mind you should be on your way to quickly lose weight.
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Great article! I think Americans are so used to a quick fix these days from microwaves to tanning beds, we are always wanting results fast! However, our bodies are not designed for a yo-yo diet lifestyle. We were designed to have balance and live a life of self-control. Therefore, eating healthy and exercising should become a part of your everyday routine. At first it may be difficult, but eventually it’ll become natural and you’ll make healthy decisions easily. You just have to re-train your mind, which can be a difficult thing to do if you’re not motivated. Awesome article!
Kayla Chandler
http://www.hotcoffeetopics.com
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Something to think about in addition to this is replacing foods with healthier choices. Eating the same amount, but eating food that’s better for you is a good deal too.
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Great article! I believe that people should also have a mixture of exercising, eating healthy foods and fruits, drinking water and healthy drinks such acai berry drinks
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This is an article I am going to forward to my clients. I am a counselor on weight loss and nutrition and everyone thinks that a few pills or a body cleanse, along with lemon tea and a quickie diet will take care of their problems. Retraining the brain to break habits and regain control is the only long term method that works. Kudos to you for a very fine article. Portion control is one of the most difficult things to get across, along with small meals five times a day and exercise.
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Although controllin portion size relative to ‘objects’ is a good rule of thumb it makes a lot more sense to get a ‘gram’ scales that will give you a more detailed amount of weight Vs calories. On a balanced diet it helps to know ‘initially’ how exact your food is weighting in relative to Nutrional content too.
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Nice posting, will be a referrence for me for sure. Thanks for posting!
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The problem with eating less and moving more is that you end up hungry all day. It sure would be better if your eat less but do it throughout the day, like 6 times. That should give you the energy to do more.
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The best thing that has worked for me is to eat smaller meals throughout the day. It is hard because I never feel very full, but I guess that’s the point right? When I do it for awhile I realize how much less food I really need to survive. It’s amazing. It’s the emotional eating that really gets me.
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My problem is that the transition from my lifestyle of eating more and moving less would be a very big undertaking.
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I agree with this thought of eating less and working out more.Works truly,though it requires a lot of will power to continue with that.
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Well I think that today the eating problem is a litle deeper. For Ex. To some degree, phsicologic problems like depresion can carry a person to eat more than they should, and this is only a small possible cause. But anyway we must always remember that is critical to always keep a balance between what we eat (quality and quantity) and exercise.
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I have battled my weight for most of my adult life. For the past I have been aware that my portion sizes are to large but that unfulfilled emptiness after I try to cut back is just awful. After 18 months of researching I have decided on weight loss surgery. (next week) I believe that will help me control portions and with some walking I believe I can beat this breast.
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It’s all about portion control and exercise. Eat healthy, and exercise – there’s no magic pill. Great post!
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I agree that serving sizes are too tiny… I’ve started to exercise more as of late and I bought a set of smaller plates, so that I can trick my mind into thinking I’m eating moe than I actually am
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I disagree with some of the posts above. Many people say to “eat less” and “work out more”. That’s easier said than done with you been considered obese for more than half of your life
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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.
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Take a trip to EU or somewhere for a month. When u get back to states, you’ll be amazed to sew how freakishly big those burritos are, and how often we stuff our faces with food! It’s in our genes now, we THINK we need all that food. Even our salads are damn calorie bombs.
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I find if I chop up a lot of veges, and spend more time chewing them in my lunchtime, eg. carrots, celery, other raw foods, then I can be satisfied with my salad & homous or a bit of cheese. I have taken a smaller lunch box to work and done more chewing and it seems to satisfy me, plus make me very healthy.
We also need to move more, walking, swimming, yoga, pilates, etc. or whatever you like to do to Move, is so important. We also don’t need to eat as much as we get older.
Thanks for the blog, great subject and comments.
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For those who struggle in the battle to lose weight, the battle is often made more difficult by the manymisconceptions surrounding the safe and healthier methods to lose weight.
Regular excercise is an important factor in any weight loss program but for many it can be a stumbling block.Going a gym and performing in front of strangers in an unfamiliar environment is enough to put the brakes on any self improvement program.
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It really is a problem when people start to portion their food. Water plays a major role in losing weight. Drink water often and than portion your food with the amount of water your intake.
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The problem does arrive when restaraunts take the drive towards smaller portions as an excuse to increase their margins.
In a more health concious society there should perhaps be more thought given to food quantity on a set menu. Smaller portions, less price.
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I actually found that eating off of smaller plates (you know the size they give you at the salad bar) helped me to limit my portions. But you cant pile it up!
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I lost a lot of weight by purchasing myself a calorie book. I noted all the common low calorie foods and worked my way round that way. Although I wasn’t getting all the necessary nutrients and felt mostly hungry, I did actually lose weight very quickly..
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While it is important to regulate portions, it is far more effective to coordinate portions with energy expenditure. Your serving size should always reflect the amount of calories you need to consume to complete the desired task. We must also consider gender, genetic, body composition and fitness level variance when predicting these values. If you eat slowly and only until you feel satisfied (but not full) you’ll be half way there. A solid exercise program and a clean diet will cover the rest.
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A good way to maintain effective portion control is by having 60% of your meal with salads and fresh greens. So for example you could have a big bowl of lettuce, celery, tomatoes, spinach, peppers etc.
This is really effective because these types of foods are filled with nutrients and essential vitamins. This means that your body will be satisfied because it has all the essential nutrients needed for the body. One of the reasons your still hungry after a meal is because the foods your eating aren’t giving what your body needs – this resorts to the body craving more nutrients.
Also have more meals with smaler portions – this increases your metabolism and also keeps your energy sustained throughout the day!
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I just want to add that slowing down and taking small bites is very helpful. My mother used to tell me to chew my food 20 times before swallowing. I’d think “I don’t have time, I’ve got things to do”. She weighed 130 and I tipped in at 205. I’ve been working on slowing down and chewing more, and I’ve found I really taste my food better and have lost 30 pounds…just doing that.
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Exercise is definitely important, and I’ve found that by greatly reducing the sodium, I’ve dropped almost 10 pounds.
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I absolutely agree with a small serving size and more veggies
Pay close attention to what and how you eat and you’ll find that it’s really NOT that complicated. It does take a decent amount of discipline with your food intake
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Hi,
i’m Alessandra from Germany by Stuttgart. I actually found that eating off of smaller plates (you know the size they give you at the salad bar) helped me to limit my portions. Greetings from Stuttgart..
Alessandra
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Exercise is the most important thing in the world especially in conjunction with a supplement and nutrition plan
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I agree, portion eating may help, just like eating less carbs is effective.(but boring diets typically don’t last) To lose weight or burn fat, increasing your metabolism is also important, which can be done by resistance training (i.e. weight lifting). Since men have more muscles than women, that is why men can typically get away with eating more, since muscles create a higher metabolism.
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Eating your meal on a smaller plate helps! as well as drinking plenty of water.
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Eating fish with omega’s in is also a great health benefit.
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Eating right is great. But you definitely have to exercise if you are planning on losing weight. Sitting around and controlling what you eat is not going to get you anywhere.
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Exercise is important but not as important as eating healthy.
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One of the main reasons women overeat is due to emotional eating. Learning other ways to meet your needs will help with portion control in a natural way.
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Weight loss is such a tough, on-going issue. So much is tied to emotion and food addiction. We are still learning as a culture. This article make some useful points. Eat less!
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I would agree that most diets do not work. But, I can personally atest to it that they do when you also do a moderately rigorous workout at least three times a week. Calorie control is the key to your weight-loss. And your key to keeping it off. I experimented with this and I will tell you after losing 20 lbs over 12 months, that even one month of eating whatever you want, you will gain weight.
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I believe the key to a weight loss (long term) is combination of eating healthy, portion control and being active every day (30 – 60 min of walking, running, biking, swimming, weight training, etc.)… it should be a life style.
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The term “comfort foods” comes to mind when I think about health. So many people use that term to justify eating mass quantities or in some cases, poor health choice items loaded with grease or sugar. Might as well call it junkfood, no?
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See it’s not all about eating less, but eating cleaner. Less processed food choices please! We can do without all the additives and preservatives. If we tamper with our own food, at least we know what’s been done to it.
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And with the advent of smart phones, there are plenty of phone applications that allow you to monitor your calorie intake and adjust your portions accordingly. I have one for my iphione and it really does make a difference to how I eat.
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With so many diets and fads that never work, people should focus on keeping it simple by eating healthy and exercising daily. So many people get caught up in miracle diets that usually fail.
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Great post. I believe that a combination of both exercise and moderation is the key to good health.
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Great Article. I have been looking for more ideas to use for not only myself, but for the young girls that come to me wanting modeling portfolios and using un healthy ways to obtain those results. I would like to add this link to my blog, http://www.myrtlebeachphotographybydmarie.blogspot.com
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This article really good. It’s my first visit to this blog but i love it. Thanks.
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The best way for food control and food handling is to use small plates, small cups and small forks and knifes.
This way the quantity of calories we eat before we feel full is much smaller. I am using this method for 2 years and lost 10 pounds so far.
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I have some friends who have had stomach surgery so they are forced to eat less and loose weight. The side effects are horrible. The above suggestions seem to be a more balanced approach. Reducing the size of your dinner plate and no seconds also adds to the discipline. Thank you for the informative blog and especially the “Portion Size Plate link.” The visuals are very helpful.
Laura H.
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Great site, added your site to my favorites. thanks
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The term “comfort foods” comes to mind when I think about health. So many people use that term to justify eating mass quantities or in some cases, poor health choice items loaded with grease or sugar. Might as well call it junkfood, no?
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I know people who take this literally and damaged their health. I think the title is inapropriate. It should sound something like: Eat with moderation and exercise more.
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A lot of us live our lives like penned animals. Built to move, too often we put ourselves in a cage. We have bodies designed for racing across the savannas, but we live a lifestyle designed for migrating from the bed to the breakfast table; to the car seat; to the office chair; to the restaurant booth; to the living room couch and back to the bed.
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Very good post Michelle. I agree with the comment posted by Candace Tingen. But we can eat food by dividing it part wise. Means to say, food which we eat heavily in onetime can be divided into small parts and can be taken in acceptable intervals.Great post. I believe that a combination of both exercise and moderation is the key to good health.
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Portion control is critically important to maintaining your weight. I recently saw a home improvement show where the host was rehabbing a house built in the 1940s. He couldn’t understand why the kitchen cabinets were too small to hold a standard size dinner plate. He finally realized that, since then, dinner plates have grown to be much larger. One more piece of the puzzle to explain why obesity is such a problem today.
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Good post Michelle. While I don’t disagree that portion control is critical for everyone to learn (while almonds might be great for you, eating 200 at a time is not wise), in my years working and researching nutrition, the bigger issue with our approach to eating is nutrient quality.
Sadly, we’ve become overly focused on “calories”. Yet to use your numbers, you’d likely be far leaner eating 2000 calories of lean protein, nuts and vegetables than you would be eating 1600 calories of refined sugars and fiber-devoid starches.
I’m not suggesting that calories don’t matter, because they do, it’s just that preaching calorie/portion control tends to leave people frustrated and hungry, because they may be opting for the wrong foods for their physiology.
A much better approach is to select foods that keep your metabolism high as well as control hunger levels, stabilize mood and energy levels.
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For long-term weight loss, the approach has to be something that the individual can and will do long-term. Portion control is great, but someone using this approach needs to look at it as a lifetime change, not just a temporary “trick” they use to lose weight. If you don’t look at it as a permanent change, once the weight is off and you go back to larger portions, the weight is going to pile right back on – usually a lot faster than it came off.
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Portion control is absolutely a great way to lose weight, but like you said people need to pay close attention to how much food they are really putting in their bodies. I love the comparisons of food to things everyone knows the size of like a baseball and a deck of playing cards. Those are fantastic ways to gauge the amount of food you are eating!
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This is interesting. Women actually prefer to use portion control to lose weight than to exercise.
It seems to imply that working out is a more difficult option of the two.
A tip for women who are trying to lose weight. Drink enough water through out the day.
When the body is properly hydrated, you are less likely to experience hunger pangs or think of sipping a soda.
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Fantastic article! As far as moving more goes, I like stuff like MMA, I recently started Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it’s pretty awesome!
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good tips but don’t forget the important of water in our diets.
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The portion size examples are kind of shocking. I’ve never just eaten a “light bulb” of mashed potatoes! However, it is equally if not more important to consider the quality of the portion in addition to the quantity to make sure the right balance of protein fat and carbs is there to promote a healthy metabolism, and eat those portions frequently throughout the day.
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We have become greedy as a culture, and what our grandparents may have consumed in a day will leave us thinking we still feel hungry.
The problem is partly that we have fooled our bodies into believing we are hungry, when we are not. I’m guilty of this, as well – if I go out for a meal, and I leave the table thinking I could eat more, some part of me believes that the portion sizes were too small.
If you travel to many poorer countries, you can see that the amount of food consumed by ourselves is way in excess of what it needs to be.
I don’t think there’s an answer to be found in simply reducing portion size, without addressing the psychological aspect. If you feel that somehow you are cheating yourself, and not giving yourself enough food, then the problem never really goes away.
Weight loss surgery is an absolute last resort, for when your health is suffering so badly that the risks of surgery are outweighed by the benefits. By the time you get to that point, exercise will be extremely difficult, and a great deal of damage will have already been done.
The most effective tool to cut down your calorie intake is a psychological one, that anyone can use, and is free. We need to teach ourselves to enjoy and savor our food, and learn to enjoy the feeling of NOT being full at the end of a meal.
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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.
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I would agree that most diets do not work. But, I can personally atest to it that they do when you also do a moderately rigorous workout at least three times a week. Calorie control is the key to your weight-loss. And your key to keeping it off. I experimented with this and I will tell you after losing 20 lbs over 12 months, that even one month of eating whatever you want, you will gain weight.
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I also think that portion control is the most important aspect of loosing weight.
Simply put, we need to eat less and try not to eat till satiety.
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One key to portion control is to NOT serve family meals family-style. Keep pots and dishes away from the table where it’s all too easy to go for seconds. Remember that after eating it takes about 20 minutes to feel satiated.
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Portion control becomes a huge mountain to climb when we think in terms of “control”. After all, who want to control/limit an activity we enjoy? I’ve lost 32 pounds so far simply by eating very slowly and chewing my food thoroughly. In this way I naturally eat less – and most importantly, this is not a struggle! And I’ve been astonished at how little food it takes to fill me up. I never knew I could eat so little and be perfectly satisfied. An unexpected side effect: I had no idea how huge restaurant meals are until I started eating this way. We don’t need half the food we get at a regular restaurant.
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Check out my post on “Portion Control – 5 Tips to Overcome Portion Distortion” at:
http://shedthefat.com/portion-control-5-tips-to-overcome-portion-distortion
You’ll discover 5 simple tips on portion control to prevent over-eating.
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Golf is a fantastic way to lose weight. Not only do you get to walk miles around an 18 hole golf course, you also get a full body workout from swinging the club.
The secret to losing weight is simple. Eat less and do more… play golf!
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Portion control is important I feel. When we give out clients diets/meal plans, peoples main aim is to lose weight quickly. Having found that people usually shut down if you tell them a consistent diet is better in the long run, we just give them what they want. In doing this portion control is critical in speeding up their metabolism. Six small meals a day seems to be the best structure of a diet we have found. But that’s just us
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hello!
after many years of dieting and yoyoing i have found that besides giving thought to the portion size of each meal, it is also important to eat more unprocessed (natural, fresh) foods, eat more whole grain and less white- flour and sugar. the more natural the food is the more satiated you”ll feel.
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Metabolism,metabolism,metabolism! This is so important to understand. The rate of your metabolism is one of the major deciding factors in whether or not your going to be overweight or not. Anyone who is trying to shed some pounds should first try to raise their metabolic rate. You can do this by eating meals small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, several times a day. Preferably every 2-3 hrs.
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One thing to note is that excess salt (sodium) can impede weight loss. Besides being heart-healthy, low sodium recipes should be a part of everyone’s resource for losing weight and staying healthy.
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Over the past few months I’ve tried to eat slower. Setting a time limit for myself at about 30 minutes a meal. This has helped me with portion control as I’m not only allowed to enjoy the taste of my food but I become full faster.
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
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I totaly agree that watching the size of your portions is important for weight loss. But so is how often you eat.
Most people have 3 or 4 meals a day, but this doesn’t give the body the best situation to digest and use what you are providing it with, and the excess becomes stored as fat.
If you spread your daily intake of calories evenly over 5 or 6 meals a day you will see some very good results. Of course you still need regualr exercise as well.
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Broccoli. Whether you like it or not, we all know its good for us. Packed with iron, fiber, and antioxidants, this little green veggie also contains indoles-naturally occurring compounds that counter the effects of estrogen, the female hormone that makes the body more efficient at storing body fat in both men and women. Keeping your estrogen levels down can help you lose fat and avoid gaining more fat. Each your broccoli!
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I guess its for the person to decide which he/she would rather have and to stick with that decision: more food & more exercise or less food & less exercise.
Most diets usually fail because its either very unhealthy (like crash diets & starvation) or they just don’t have enough discipline. Exercise is really beneficial, it not only helps burn off those extra calories, you also tend to get stronger & feel better each day. It is also said to help release endorphins which can make a person feel happier.
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What are the nutritional benefits of using long grain brown rice as an ingredient? longgrainbrownrice.com
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In my studies on the subject of fibromyalgia syndrome I recently read of the pain relief healing cream Topricin which has recently been patented for use in the area of fibromyalgia pain relief. Does anyone have experience with this cream and if so, are you able to render an opinion on its usefulness for this purpose? Many thanks. Ash Stevenson
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The best thing that ever happened to my body is when I decided to go vegetarian… I don’t have to eat less with veggies and I feel so light and healthy.
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Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent heart disease and also help control blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Salmon is an excellent choice.
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It has always been about balance between what you eat and how much calories/energy you burn. The only reason why you store enery in the form of fat is because you don’t use it. It really makes sense.
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I am a firm believer in portion control. Non-active people really only need between 1300-1700 calories per day to maintain their weigh however most consume over 2000 a day. Being active would obviously increase this number, but that is besides the point. Americans have become used to having more than amble portions at one sitting. Instead of eating until you are full, try eating until you are no longer hungry. You will end up not eating as much and may lose some weight and feel healthier in the process.
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Some people are vegetarians and they think they eat healthy because they eat only vegetables but today vegetables from supermarkets are not the best food as well everything is chemically sprayed or even genetically modified so it is not that healthy as it looks like…
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I think the idea of portion control makes a lot of sense. A major challenge with this method for those used to eating out, is that in restaurants it’s much more difficult for you to control the amount of food that’s put on your plate. Eating in more and trying portion control at home may be a good first step.
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Recently I read of the healing cream Topricin pain that has recently been patented for use in fibromyalgia pain. Does anyone have experience with this cream and if so, you are able to assess the usefulness for this purpose make? Many thanks. Ash Stevenson
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While understanding portion control is important,if one cannot resist the temptation to over eat they will continue to struggle with their weight. Lasting weight loss can only be achieved when one understands temptation, how it affects them and learns how to limit the power temptation has over them.
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It has always been about balance between what you eat and how much calories/energy you burn. The only reason why you store enery in the form of fat is because you don’t use it. It really makes sense.
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hello!
after many years of dieting and yoyoing i have found that besides giving thought to the portion size of each meal, it is also important to eat more unprocessed (natural, fresh) foods, eat more whole grain and less white- flour and sugar. the more natural the food is the more satiated you”ll feel.
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I heard that some people say that the best way of dieting is just \ not eating anything \ once a week. They say that if you do this for 2 months, you will lose significant amount of weight… any comments ??
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Hi!
You should only eat when you are hungry not because you are suppose to be eating. Stay in tune with your body it knows what’s best for it.
Good Luck
Julie
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After giving up smoking I started eating more. The method I used to stop smoking was that if I never touched the cigarette, I could not put it in my mouth so all my concentration was on controlling my hands. Worked like a charm. I applied it to eating as well and 25 yrs later its still working.
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My problem has always been the amount of food restaurants pile onto your plate.Its hard to leave food behind especially if its tasty. Also, if you do not eat the lot the waiter invariably asks you whats wrong with it.
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I lost a lot of weight by purchasing myself a calorie book. I noted all the common low calorie foods and worked my way round that way. Although I wasn’t getting all the necessary nutrients and felt mostly hungry, I did actually lose weight very quickly..
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One thing to note is that excess salt (sodium) can impede weight loss. Besides being heart-healthy, low sodium recipes should be a part of everyone’s resource for losing weight and staying healthy.
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I heard once that the Chopra Institute suggested that 15% of weight loss came from exercise, 35% came from nutrition and 50% came from cleansing. Thoughts?
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It is not only the portion that effects the weigh control, it is the timing and frequency. A certain amount of food would cause less weight gain if it is broken to several portions and consumed at seperate times. Meals that are consumed earlier in the day would not be stored as much. So most physicians recomend to eat less at the end of the day.
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I would love to work with a spcified diet..but diets dont’ work for me
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I totally agree with the concept of staying in tune with what your body is telling you. You must recognize when you are eating out of habit and not out of need.
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The best thing I’ve heard for eating is this: you should never be hungry and you should never be full. This basically translates to eating every 2-3 hours or so to keep your metabolism high, but never eating so much that you couldn’t eat the same amount 2 hours later.
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Ahh, portion control. So easy to talk about, so hard to put into practice
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Hi there,
Yeah Roger is very right with his point.I am agree with him.
Thank You,
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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.
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One key to portion control is to NOT serve family meals family-style. Keep pots and dishes away from the table where it’s all too easy to go for seconds. Remember that after eating it takes about 20 minutes to feel satiated.
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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.
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It’s great to see attention being called to portion size as a realistic tool for weight loss. 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.
It’s also important to find forms of exercise that are fun and engaging for you so it doesn’t feel like a chore. Take a hike if you’re a nature lover, take a pilates class if you’re looking to stabilize injuries or weaknesses, take Salsa lessons if you’re into rhythm and music. When your body is functioning optimally, every other aspect of your life is free to follow suit.
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great article. i have been looking for this information. shared on fb also.thumbs up
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would publish a very good recipe. I wanted to write here because the cakes, pastries, and a number of recipes here.
Thanks for sharing
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another great info about weight loss. want to share also what i’ve learned from a yoga master in losing weight – “don’t eat when you’re not hungry”. that’s simple but i’m still in the process of it… and this is a useful process for me…thanks!!!!
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I have to agree, portion control is a big part of learning how to manage our weight. However, in a society that has a tendency to not be able to consistently stick to a “managed” eating plan, I’m not sure how effective using portion control alone would be to lose weight. I believe that promoting exercise in addition to portion control will help to not only assist in weight loss but give the added benefit of building a healthy cardio vascular system as well.
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This is all well when dealing with your “average” North American diet, but what about those from Latin America. Too many diets leave out what other cultures can do to improve their diets.
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just wanna share what i’ve learned from a yoga master…. “don’t eat when you are not hungry”… that’s simple…
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How humorous and depressing at the same time. I had a pair of dice and a golf ball for lunch. What are you having?
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Anything in moderation is good for us cause to much of anything results in addiction. So same with food too much results in obesity.
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I was 190lb and started eating control portions every meal for 2 month, I’m now 175lb and I get full faster now.
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A lot of people would like to have this problem!!!
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I think that if people eat more natural foods that are high in nutrients that they won’t crave high calorie junk food as much. This over time should help them lose weight especially if it’s accompanied by regular exercise.
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I did exactly that and in 6 months I lost 28 pounds, went down from size 38 waist to size 34 and I feel so much energetic!
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Food portioning works well my sister and I practice it. I’m a middle aged man and My colleague envy me because he developed beer belly while I had retained a flat one and generally better physique
My sister is older than me and she maintains a figure of a teen! Thats great achievement – a decade worth of younger looking figure
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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.
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Hi! i really liked your post and i must say that i agree with it. my daughter had a very bad weight problem and decided to diet by portion control.She didn’t change the foods she ate(because she was eating healthy food) and much more of course! but she just cut the portions and ate a little bit of everything…and she did it really slow…in 5 years she lost 45 kg.!!!!after a while in the diet she felt better and that’s when she started exercising, also very slowly.
until she built muscles…and that’s when she made her greatest loss. i must say that the portion control wasn’t too hard and gave her a big push to stay on track.. today she feels great and looks great and she doesnt feel that it was too hard.we must not forget though that this takes a commitment to yourself to do the best you can every day. its a daily challenge
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Statistically women have a harder time losing weight than men. Most scientists believe that it is because of the different chemicals prevalent in the male as oppose to the female. I am no scientist but I feel it is because mens jobs are usually more strenuous than womens. Take for example you average blue collar man is either a carpenter, plumber, builder, or lets say a mover. Well lugging around a hand truck with 500 pounds is for sure a great way to lose weight. Women on the other hand usually have office jobs which even on a good day doesn’t get you much exercise. Just a laywoman’s theory, would love to hear what you gals have to say!
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Great post! I really love to read your blog as I get to learn something new everyday. Informative indeed. Kudos!
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Hello Michelle. Great post. I’ve been letting readers of my Blog now they should be limiting there food portions and basically doing more to lose weight. Once way I advise them to do this is to buy smaller plates. It sounds obvious, but psychologically it works wonders.
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Very interesting article. I’ve found that what works best for me is low carbohydrate consumption. I’ve tried just about everything, and find that I am at my best and feel great after a period of carb restriction. Only vegetables and a little fruit is the ticket for me.
Susan
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I try to drink as much fluids as possible. Fruit milkshakes are wonderful. Of course regular exercise and proper eating is required. One thing I’ve always trouble with though is not finishing my plate especially at restaurants. I feel almost guilty for not eating it all. The portion sizes are way too big and wherever you go all you see is supersizes!
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I feel compelled to post my comments as your article has hit the nail square on the head. About 4 months ago my physician gave me 3 months to change my eating and workout habits. I was hypertensive and had above average cholesterol for a women my age. I asked my doctor what he suggested would help me achieve what was required. His response was, “try portion control”, WOW, what a concept, simple enough, obvious enough, but you know what? I never ever looked at it that way. Those two words stuck with me for the following three months and along with stepping up my activity routine, I have been able to stay off of statins and blood pressure medication. Portion Control is the FIRST step to any fitness regime.
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I didn’t think portion control ranked so high in weight loss until I read the article on CNN about Professor Mark Haub of Kansas State University losing 27 pounds in 2 months on a junk food diet.
He used portion control and calorie counting only. He also reaped all of the side benefits such as lower bad cholesterol, higher good cholesterol, reduced blood pressure and reduced triglycerides. It is quite a story. It seems that portion control is king.
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after reading about the professor who ate ding dongs, and other pastries and still lost weight as well as lowered his cholesterol, all because he kept the total calories around 1800 a day, it’s pretty obvious that if we would just consume less calories (and perhaps optionally somewhat better macro nutritional ratios than the professor), we’d be much healthier as a nation, and world.
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It’s so odd that the things that I remember my mom saying to me when I was growing up (that made no sense at the time) make all the difference now. Chew your food, slow down, drink more water… these are all of things that I am trying to do at 37. I didn’t listen at 13, maybe I should have. This article is true on so many levels. I have noticed that when I am “starving” I put the food away super fast and just keep on eating afterwards, then I get that disgusting feeling of discomfort and bloat a short time aftewards. When I sit and have a 2 hour dinner with the wife or friends, talking eating, taking my time. I find myself getting full before my meal is anywhere near being finished. This is a great article. Cheers.
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Well, I do agree that portion control is a very important part of weight loss and if you are serious about losing weight you will definitely invest in a kitchen scale. My idea of the size of a golf ball can vary greatly depending on how hungry I am.
I also use a luncheon plate rather than a dinner plate for meals. My plate still looks full but not as full as a dinner plate would be.
Dieting is not easy and in my opinion is an entire lifestyle change. You have to change the way you grocery shop and you have to incorporate an exercise program into your plans. Raising a fork to your mouth doesn’t constitute exercise.
Nothing good comes without work.
Some excellent posts here!
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I have been obese for a pretty long time, it runs in the family and to top that we are broad boned people so even slight fat makes us look like gorillas, my brothers seem to get over this well but I had to face my gender and you would know that when comes to being a fat girl going to college the other girls are not polite. I have tried everything from exercise to dieting and pills etc. etc. Well it did not work for me, I am to blame for that reason being that I love to eat and just cant stay hungry. My grandmother a year ago suggested to me that to get slim you have to eat not starve to death but eat whatever you do just make it halve, ten months ago I thought it would not work but looking back at it now. I can only say that Happy New Year will be much healthier for me.
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It is a known fact that anything which becomes a habit then leads to addiction and then the problems begin. Similarly with food. It is important to keep control of one’s diet and maintain a healthy lifestyle. my 2 cents. I thank you for allowing me to comment here
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After giving up smoking I started eating more. The method I used to stop smoking was that if I never touched the cigarette, I could not put it in my mouth so all my concentration was on controlling my hands. Worked like a charm. I applied it to eating as well and 25 yrs later its still working.
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Well there’s a novel idea, eat less! Really basic stuff here but it makes perfect sense. when traveling abroad it becomes so clear to me just how much Americans eat compared to the rest of the world. It also doesn’t help that we eat before bed. Great post thank you.
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I have to agree with John (post 170). The Americans eat far more than the rest of the world and their plates are huge… I love going to America when I can and to sample their cuisine as it is always so generous but no good if you are trying to diet.
Here is some interesting facts I found: Stats show that the average American eats 64 pounds of beef per year, 50 pounds of pork, 57 pounds of chicken, and 14 pounds of turkey.
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I’ve been gaining around a pound a year for the past 10 years or so – I lost the weight briefly before my wedding and then immediately gained it back. It’s so frustrating. I lost weight by skipping dinner (or eating a piece of fruit) – but long term it’s really not sustainable!
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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.
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A very well informative article. It was news to me that the metabolic rate defers for men and women. Was always under the impression that the metabolic rate for the same.
Yes i was under the impression that dieting helps in weight loss but it was news that its right type of dieting that actually helps
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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.
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I have a skinny body. Can you give me an advice on how can I gain weight?
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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.
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It is so difficult to control portion size, but I have found that drinking a large glass of water before eating helps me to reduce my portion size.
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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.
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Very good post Michelle. I agree with the comment posted by Candace Tingen. But we can eat food by dividing it part wise. Means to say, food which we eat heavily in onetime can be divided into small parts and can be taken in acceptable intervals.
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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
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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.
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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!
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I like the graph that draws out visuals to allow me to know how big each portion really should be. This really helps me visualize how much food I should have and how big of serving size I should be eating. It all comes down how many calories you burn vs. how many calories you consume. The less you consume the less you have to rely on exercise to keep you weight under control.
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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. It doesn’t matter if someone eats over their portion of leafy greens daily, for example, but if they always eat over their portion of ice cream, then there’s a problem. You need to factor in the nutrition and fiber content of the food, almost before the portion size is even considered.
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My grandmother a year ago suggested to me that to get slim you have to eat not starve to death but eat whatever you do just make it halve, ten months ago I thought it would not work but looking back at it now. I can only say that Happy New Year will be much healthier for me.
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blog.womenshealth.northwestern.edu Great post,,, that I like from this topic because the discussion is straightforward and detailed. Hope I still want to return to this page when there are new updates.
Thank you for your advice
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One way that I found to reduce portions that works surprisingly well is to use smaller plates. Many of the serving sets available have plates the size of platters and we just want to fill them up. I found a set of dishes with much smaller plates and it really helps.
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Hi, it is a great post.
Few years back, i’m one of the people call a “fat girl”
So, what i’m doing is about controlling my calories intake, i also doing exercise 15 to 25 minute for 3 or 4 times a week.
So i loss the body fat and i’m slim now!!
What i like to say here is self motivation is very important.
have a strong motivate on your self, and you will get the body you dream.
Gud luck.
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My father inculcated into me that less fatty food and good exercise would make you slim. Honestly speaking, over the years I have been used to his advice which had given good results.
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great post and very useful thank you
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Portion control is esential for the weight loss, i agree and to count the calories in each meal by weighting every component sucks. So this is the perfect article for knowing the portion by standard sizes. It would me great to find the larger list food and drinks.
Another very, if not most importan component, besides the excersice is to to change the “eating style”. You can start with NOT EATING: white bread, junk food, beverage (coca-cola, sprite, etc), chocolate, alcohol, fries, butter and it helps A LOT. Also, regarding the metabolism, it is important to eat even up to 6 small portions of healthy food, equally distiributed in a day in order to speed it up and prevent the anxiety.
I hope this information gets you started, worked for me
.
Ania
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hi
me and my wife were both over weight. After much persuading my wife agreed to take a boxing coarse (without the actual boxing). after three months we have lost over a stone each, but just as important our fitness levels are a lot higher. we now have alot more energy.
its not just all about fitness, it has also taught us a lot about the food we eat and the damage we were inflicting on our own bodies.
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Couldn’t agree more…we need to get more active. Thanks for posting this article.
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Portion control is so much easier said than done.
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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.
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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
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It’s shocking to know how small the portions are! I think most people probably eat double what they should.
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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.
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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.
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The serving sizes in the US are very large especially when compared to other countries. I would however cut down on the carb’s and always sub for greens
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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!
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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.
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Great post! I really love to read your blog as I get to learn a brand new thing everyday, keep up the great work!
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Sweet post. I’m not sure I could get by on those very small portions. However, right eating and healthy exercise is the ticket to good health.
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Until now is the best post I’ve read.
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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
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very nice blog… just wanted to say you have new follower… hope people will lose their weight now…
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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!
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I did exactly that and in 6 months I lost 28 pounds, went down from size 38 waist to size 34 and I feel so much energetic!
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I must say, “Eat less and live more”.
Life is not only for food and eating.
Some people are so crazy about food and eating. They are always hungry and always looking for food. But this is bad habit and not good for our health. To live long eat fruits and vegetables more. It is the key to stay healthy in life.
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it’s great I can use Google translate to read your comments into my language
Thanx!
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A good weight loss tip is to eat five or six smaller meals or snacks throughout the day instead of two or three big meals. This will help keep your blood sugar level steady (which will help prevent cravings),
will help keep your metabolism elevated, and will provide you with a consistent supply of nutrients and energy.
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I’ve been gaining around a pound a year for the past 3 years or so. It’s so frustrating. I lost weight by skipping dinner (or eating a piece of fruit) – but nothing sustainable
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Eating less is often the most difficult part of a weight loss plan. You don’t have to count every single calorie to succeed in this part of your weight loss plan. Just have a general idea of how many calories are in your basic foods, and try to keep it to the recommended level.
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I have always found it very difficult to have the willpower to stick to any certain exercise regiment and I have tried the portion sizes (probably not the correct portions), but it is also extremely hard. I have always been told not eating, like skipping a meal, is not good for you either. I find myself doing that often just because after I have gotten used to eating less, I tend to lose my appetite all together sometimes. I wish I could find a happy medium that I could stick to.
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I think the public needs more education on portion control. There should be visuals on labels.
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The most amount of weight I ever lost was eating 6 times a day. Smaller portions through out the day. And of course it was cutting carbs and the foods were healthy. Along with exercise I lost over 30 pounds in 6 months.
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don´t stay in front of your computer and make some sport. Stop doing Internet business
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One reason I love Weight Watchers is it teaches portion control and gives you additional points for exercise. In a world of Super Size Me, it’s hard to know what a real portion is supposed to look like.
Nice post!
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Is coffee fattening ?
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Our company sees a LOT of people coming in for minor cosmetic surgery where a nice simple portion control would probably do the trick. Sadly, we as a society, are all hooked on the “quick fix”. I personally have dropped about 12 pounds in the last month and a half (after the holiday binge) by just getting back to normal portions of actually *healthy* foods – eggnog is NOT a food group LOL.
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Agree with Eric above, but unfortunately our dear medical profession has taught us all that health is someone else’s responsibility when it goes wrong. Good health starts with the individual not with doctors and surgeons. If people took a little more personal responsibility, we’d all be a lot more healthy.
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The small portions are easy enough to digest – it’s the large portions of will power that are in short supply, I think you’ll agree that’s the main problem.
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Portion control is an excellent method of losing weight.
When losing weight, the underlying factor is the body using more calories than you’re actually taking in.
Whether you exercise, etc. only helps lose weight faster and maintain a healthy body.
It is possible to lose a large proportion of fat just by cutting out calories but not actually changing your lifestyle or exercise regime.
Exercising merely helps maintain a healthy body and good fitness (which people should be doing anyway for well-being).
Portion control is also useful in the third world. A recent study showed in various villages where this study was carried out; those who ate the same amount of food, but split it into 5 portions and ate at regular intevals during the day seems to fare much better than those that split the food into three portions and ate only three times a day.
Those who ate less per portion, but more often over the course of the day were healthier and less suscepitble (sp?) to illness and disease.
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Let me share with you my experience. My wife once tried to follow the concept of counting calories and reducing amount. The biggest challenge was to calculate some of the dishes. As you might imagine, it is not always clear what each meal in a restaurant actually consists of. Just my five cents.
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Great diet plan! Wow that serving is too small but if it can help me, I would try it.
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This diet is amazingly small and unbelievable. If someone will testify this, I will try it.
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Nice post. I have lost 40 lbs in the last 2 years by controlling the portion size of my meals and following an exercise routine. I believe that the combination of the two are rather important when trying to reduce your weight and keep it off for good. Making a lifestyle change is always difficult, but being healthy and fit in my opinion is well worth it.
Eat well and be fit for life,
Jan
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Well, the article is actually the sweetest topic on this related issue. I fit in with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your forthcoming updates. Saying thanks will not just be sufficient, for the tremendous lucidity in your writing. I will immediately grab your rss feed to stay privy of any updates
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I didn’t realize how small the portions should be. As I have aged, I can no longer eat the way I did when I was younger. The fast food “Super Size It” mentality comes with a price that shows up around the waist line. Thanks for the info.
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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!
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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.
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exelente sitio web gracias por dejar poner comentarios
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Portion sizes are crazy these days, always getting bigger. My biggest problem I find is just knowing when to stop eating. Anyway awesome site and thanks for the article.
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“Even though portion control can be an effective weight loss method, it is still important to keep an active lifestyle and exercise regularly.”
While I specialise in weight loss for men, I have to agree with the above statement and take it a little further.
I would also like to add that whatever you do eat while losing weight make sure that you can continue eating that (perhaps a little more) when you have achieved your desired mass.
Another important point is just because you are female (and have a lower BMR the men generally) does not mean that you cannot increase you BMR so that you naturally burn more food. This is, of course where exercise – the right form of exercise comes in.
Finally, remember that the combination of proper diet and appropriate exercise has been shown to promote long term sustained fat weight loss far more that diet alone.
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It is easy to say but when you’re craving something and you want it really bad, you know how it ends up sitting comfortably on your sofa, your favorite show is on and you eat that unhealthy food again, but if feel so good, at least till after you consumed it.
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Portion control has been advocated for years and of course it works. What I have found as I grow older, now in my early 60′s is my appetite has taken care of the amount I eat, but I really need to learn to eat better foods. I’m a carbo junkie.
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I agree with you pittsburgh.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Thanks for the portion size tips.. Very helpful! One of the key ways to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight is through portion control. Research has shown that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day as much as 25 percent.
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Great info. I’m “test driving” the Fat Belly MUFA food diet, which basically puts you on a 1600 calorie healthy diet – which definitely includes portion control. The hard part for me is self-control when I’m tired and busy. As a Sandwich Generation granny nanny, constantly on the run caring for elderly parents and babysitting grandchildren, I sometimes wait too long to eat. Then I overeat because I’m so over hungry. I’ll definitely have to work on those issues. Thank you for the encouragement.
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Great table showing food portions. I might make reference to that on my blog, and send you a link. Such a simple concept, but the average person still struggles with eating less and moving more
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Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your website and in accession capital to assert that I acquire actually enjoyed account your blog posts. Any way I will be subscribing to your feeds and even I achievement you access consistently fast.
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Sympa l’articla
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Thank you for this site is a very important problem for women of our island of Guadeloupe!
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I like the comparison of serving sizes to something easy to relate to. I don’t think many of us think in terms of “cups” or “teaspoons,” but I have a perfectly good idea of what a baseball or golf ball looks like in size. Great post, and it’s really stunning to realize how “little” food makes up a true serving.
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Hi everyone, my name is Mo and Ive been involved with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the past 3 years. I have to say that it has changed my life forever. But if you think its only for men then your wrong. Ive trained with many women who wouldnt trade the sport for anything. Jiu Jitsu is a great cardio workout and it also builds muscle in the process of sparring. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is known as the “gentle art” and is wonderful for men and women of all ages!
Cheers,
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If you want and need to lose weight, diets are not the answer. Anyone can lose weight simply by addressing these two issues.
Your metabolic impalances caused by…
1. The Foods You Eat, and…
2. By How Active Your Body Is.
Simply put, when you learn how to eat properly, and when you earn simple fat burning exercises, you will lose weight and be able to keep the weight off, forever, if you continue with this lifestyle.
I am in my forties and I have never looked this good simply by following the above advice.
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I strongly believe that it’s essential for anyone to eat less fast food and to do more sport.
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Although many factors to weight management are considered, we tend to overlook the basics of physiology: calories in – calories out = weight. Diet (not in the “fad” sense, but way of eating) and exercise are crucial. Most Americans can decrease their regular portions and still do quite well, but we are addicted to super-sizing. Being overweight leads to many problems including heart disease, some cancers and, of course, chronic low back pain. Blogs like your’s serve as good reminders of these principles. Thank you.
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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.
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From what I’ve found, not only eating smaller portions, but eating frequently helps with weight loss. Great women’s blog by the way.
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Thanks for sharing this gr8 article…nowadays weight loss has become a big problem…I will surely recommend this blog…to my mother…
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That a bit too harsh for a serving that size to lose weight. As millions as already asked themselves, How To Lose Weight then the only simple answer would be to move more. Take long walks in the country and breathe the air. Walking every day for 10 minutes or more will definitely make you lose the weight much faster. Losing the weight is easy if you just move and keep on moving everyday.
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In some point in time we’ er going to have to stop making ourselves crazy when it comes to dieting. Men and women we all want to be healthy, but instead of keeping things simple, we make it harder. Portion eating or portion dieting; whatever you want to call it, is just another way of starving your body. The body needs energy food in order to lose weight, you don’t have to go on some sort of diet bin or starve yourself, you must eat your fruits, vegetable and cook foods that burns fat. Such as a baked “Sweet Potato” a day this is the most under rated vegetable, which burns a lot of fat and supplies energy for your body – but know body talks about it enough. Forget about portion dieting, make a list of all the vegetables, fruits and foods that burn fat and put them in the right combination not only will you lose weight the smart way, but you will enjoy doing it.
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Portion control is very important – it’s a pity more people don’t adhere to this simple way of losing weight. If we slowed down when we ate, we’d probably feel more satisfied and eat less as well.
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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.
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Buy less stuff, eat less meat…save water! World Water Day – if you came across any interesting tip on saving water, share it here!
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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It is right, my dad is diabetic too and he now understands, seeing the results, that portion control and being very accurate is the way to be healthy and able to do any sport having a normal life.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Unfortunately, the United States today is the fattest nation on the face of the earth.
Many Americans are anything but healthy, and most of us are nowhere near as strong as our counterparts from a century ago. This remains true despite having a gym on every street corner in our larger cities and leading the world in fitness trends.
Everyone is more comfortable when they are taking care of their bodies. They feel better. They
look better.
Watching the portions you eat is a good approach and a good start.
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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
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There are many great ways to lose weight in a healthy way. This website provides awesome tips, techniques, and secret ways to permanent weight loss without harming your body. Enjoy!~
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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.
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Fantastic post Michelle. What you have said is 100% true in my experiance. When I started out on my weight loss journey I used to think that 4 cups of pasta was a small ammount… You have really put into perspective portion sizes here so thanks for sharing.
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Another trick I’ve found is to serve the food from the kitchen rather than using serving bowls and platters on the table. It forces you to think twice before having seconds.
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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.
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On a humorous note
Never eat more than you can lift.
- Miss Piggy
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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.
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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.
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You have a good point about the in-take portion with foods. And your chart is very helpful to show the actual true to size portions of food that we are suppose to eat when on a low cal diet. And it is very important that we continue to keep active during any diet, but you shouldn’t over do it when your on a extremely low cal diet. A lot of people don’t know that, but if your body is not getting the proper amount of nutrition, you could be putting yourself at risk when doing some low cal diets. And now a days, a lot of those low cal diets take a lot of the nutrition’s out of our daily meals that produce the energies that we need.
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I’ve seen many women who eat, just to make sure that nothing get’s wasted. They’ll have it at any time of the day and night. This is really ridiculous. Our body will accept only a certain amount and the remaining gets accumulated.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Excellent information, thank you very much. Congratulations on the quality of the website. Greetings from Chile.
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This is exactly why I have always taught my child to listen to his body .. if he’s not hungry, I don’t care if we “waste” food. Most things can be put away and reheated later anyway. For his health, I want him to listen to his hunger cues and never overeat.
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Candace Barr, you are 100%, I have the same eating phisolophie. And if you eat healthy it is a great way to stay fit and not get overweight. You shouldn’t always eat everything on your plate just to look polite…your health is more important
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Although you need to be aware of the amount you eat, even more important is what you eat.
For example, whilst you do need to restrict the amount of fatty, high calorie, food, you can eat far more – and enjoy a wide range of tastes and textures – if you feast on low calorie grains, veggies and fruit.
The end result will be that you will supply your body with the widest possible range of nutrients, vitamins and minerals – plus a good intake of very important fiber and yet still only get about the same amount of calories you would from a far smaller, high fat, meal.
You should still eat some fat. Just try to make it beneficial fat, such as in oily fish (Omega 3) or from olive oil (monounsaturated).
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Interesting article. Thanks guys
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It’s only recently I’ve started to put on a few pounds and when I look back over the last couple of months to see why? It seems the only reason could be that I’ve slowed down and don’t exercise as much as I used. After all my diet is still the same (but not my waist, ahh)
This si due to a change in my job, from an outside job, lots of walking involved to a desk job. That’s what comes with age people tell you to take it easier and slow down then in a kind way but nevertheless less exercise means overweight and more chance of different illnesses.
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“Okay, so all I have to do is eat a little less, and move a little more. Well, it’s not that simple.”
You’re absolutely right, it’s not that simple, especially when you’ve got a husband an two strapping sons who have no interest in complying…
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Always drink a glass of water 30 minutes before eating a meal so that your body can digest the food/proteins. Also, you tend to eat less if you drink water before eating. Always drink water 30 minutes before/after a meal. It helps your body to digest all the proteins. But you should not drink water WHILE eating, otherwise all the proteins will just go straight through the drain.
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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.
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That’s the equation: eat less, move more! If you create a caloric deficit it’s easy to lose weight. But there’s a variable missing there: the mind set. It only works with the proper mind-set.
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Your box with portion sizes really puts thing in perspective. I guess the trick is also getting your body used to eating less. I’ve noticed that once I get passed 3 days portion control gets alot easier since my body is now used to eating less. Good information keep up the great work!
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The importance of diet and exercise is often overlooked or thought of as only a quick fix. This is a lifestyle that must be adopted in order to get and stay healthy.
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hello, i’m very interrested by this article and i want talking about in my weblog
thank’s
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golf is great exercise if you walk and don’t use a cart.
I know the bag gets heavy but maybe a pull behind model would do?
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I fully agree with the 6 small meals a day. It seems to me the portions of the example given are very small. Danger with too small portions is you can’t get rid off that hungry feeling and start cheating on you daily routine. Drinking a glass of water just before or after a small meal can help reduse the hunger.
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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.
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What should I say?This article is very well written. I cant wait to read more of your articles. Im glad I came to this blog because I really was starting to get disappointed with so many blogs. Youve turned me around, thanks.
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Thank you for your informative post.
I heard further that people are actually very good at estimating the caloric values of junk food, but are very optimistic when they think the food is healthy (leading to larger portions of healthier food). They equate healthy with fewer calories, which is clearly not the case.
Do you have links to any studies about the effectiveness of substitution on weight loss? Things like success rate, average decrease in calorie consumption, etc?
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It is always amazing to compare what we think are proper portion sizes to what we should be having. For instance a kid’s meal at a fast food restaurant is actually the portion sizes that an adult SHOULD be having. Something to keep in mind.
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Wow that was really interesting about the actual size of the portions. I know that calorie restriction diets have been shown in studies to have a positive effect on longevity and would be interested in any new research in the field.
Is the recommendation for people to cut the portions down all at once or to taper them down?
EDITOR”S REPLY: Whatever works for you. If you cut down right away, great, if not, do the best you can. However, once people get used to the lower portions, many of them say they get full faster, with smaller portions, so it is easy to stay on the lower amount. There is probably some kind of threshold one reaches.
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Let’s face it, portion control is hard to do. The World Health Organization says that over one billion of us are overweight. That’s why a lot of people are going overseas for lower cost medical alternatives like gastric bypass or lap band surgeries.
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I wish someone has told me little bit earlier about this but, let me say it it might help someone.
About weight loss and health; I lost last year 26Kg and it was not any miracle diet. What I have done, i visited local dietitian, and she explained to me how our body works, and she gave me a diet, not as when people go on a diet and do it for a month or so, no, it is actually life style, something to be followed at all the time, to loose weight and guaranteed to stay that way for good, and stay off the cigarettes, there are so many counter effect to a health. I hope this could be useful to someone. Stay healthy.
Best regards
Srdjan
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I have read what must be hundreds of blogs about weight loss and yet, a very obvious simple statement you make her is as far as I can see, unique, and at the same time must be perfectly valid. That is the the female metabolism makes us need fewer calories then our male partners. In our house we dish up equal portions and the ladies sit down to the same portions sizes as the men. Then we wonder why we ladies keep gaining weight, and the men seem far less prone to such problems…
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For 30 years I have been experimenting with different diets and diet supplements. I have only been impressed with the results of portion control.
I 100% agree with this post. Unfortunately it is difficult to find a set diet to follow that keeps you interested in what you eat. It takes a lot of determination, perseverance, and hard work.
I hope this inspires someone to take on the challenge.
All the best
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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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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.
I will remember that next time I fill my plate..!
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That’s a very interesting article indeed. What I don’t understand is why most of the diet and weight loss articles are women related? As a man I have exercised portion control, and it definitely works. Now, the problem I am facing is that I cannot keep portion sizes small for a long time. When I see that I have lost some weight, I start gradually increasing the portions again. This brings me back to the starting point. So, be careful! This yo-yo effect is annoying.
EDITOR’s COMMENT: Please note that we are an Institute for Women’s Health Research and one of our missions it to explore sex differences
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What a great artilce. This is my 3rd time of reading this great article. I have even decided to copy it to my computer for future reference.
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I think its always easier to modify something you are already doing that it is to start some new habit especially if the new habit takes you out of your comfort zone. Moderation in all things my Mum used to say. The fact is though for optimum health you will need a good balance of diet and exercise.
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Great article! Smaller portions and smaller plates is the only way to go when you are trying to eat less! I have done it before and i have been loosing since then!
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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% !
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Portion control is very tough along with exercise. It is necessary to control your eating habits. I like the article alot and helpful in maintaining body weight. Very helpful in explaining portion size for food.
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Wow! 2 poker chips is not much. But I totally agree with you that portion control will help to lose fat especially belly fat. I was wondering, what do you think about the process of doing this successfully? Do you think if someone gradually decreases the portion every few days or so until they get to the right portions they have a better chance of sticking with it since the body has an opportunity to adjust or should they just go cold turkey and slash the thing?
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Thanks for sharing such a valuable post. I really loved reading it.
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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.
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There was a time I when I tried this so called portion control where you were supposed to eat 10 small meals a day instead of the traditional 3 main ones. Maybe it’s just me but it didn’t help. I now have an active job and have taken to jogging in the morning and walking the dog at night, combined with a mainly vegetarian diet This has worked wonders.
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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.
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Yea, the best way to get rid of fat is to start reducing your diet. If you had 250 gm of food then reduce it to 150 gm gradually. This way will burn you calories and hence fat. Doing some workout with this will help more.
Remember – Health is Wealth!!!
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Hi friends:
I think portion control is one of the best ways to lose fat.
It imporante you know, it’s impossible to lose more than 3 pounds of fat in a week.
As I always say:
It is better to lose fat slowly but in a healthy way, that much weight.
great post, I really liked
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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.
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There are 3500 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.
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the downside of portion control is that the calorie intake is greatly underestimated. You might think you are eating a 1600 calorie meal where as you might be really be eating a 2000 calorie meal or an 1800 calorie meal.
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The only thing I disagree with is the veggie serving size. I think veggies should be unlimited!
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I love your blog, so I’ve gone back. Pretty way back with this post, but you do have it in the menu so it sticks out
Reading this and thinking how has web development changed over the years
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I love your blog, very informative and useful information.
Thanks
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While I’m a big supporter of exercise because of all the benefits it offers, at least addressing portion control even without exercise is a good start. To help I would recommend purchasing a food scale.
I had a friend who actually started to weigh out her portion sizes and found she was eating 3 times the amount she should have been by not measuring her food. Very enlightening.
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Good Post.
One thing to note is that excess salt (sodium) can impede weight loss.
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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.
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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?
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Let me add that before one tries pills and/or other more drastic measures, simple calorie counting can have a great positive effect as well.
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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!
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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
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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.
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God that visual with the cheese and the dice is going to haunt me for the rest of my life. But thank you for this informative post!
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I think they call it grazing when you eat a bunch of small meals all day long. It takes a ton of self control, but worth it!
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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!
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That table at the end with the specific examples of food and related portion size is incredible! Wow, everyone is over eating. Crazy.
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I used to work with a lot of Europeans and whenever they traveled to the US they’d always comment at how large the portions were everywhere we ate. It really got me thinking and now I pay more attention to the serving size in addition to the nutritional info. It is rather shocking how small some portions really are!
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?…
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Really basic stuff here but it makes perfect sense. You don’t have to count every single calorie to succeed in this part of your weight loss plan.
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These are good tips about portion control. Another way to estimate portion size is to use the size of your palm as the size of a portion of meat. Twice that size for vegetables and 1/4 that size for nuts.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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 =)
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Very interesting. Portion control is definitely a key factor to losing weight. Most of us have probably heard that moderation is key. I’ve also learned that eating a lot slower will actually help with moderating food intake – after all it takes a little time for the brain to recieve the message of fullness. Good article!
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I use portion control and try to work out. Sometimes you can add more spices on pretty much anything. If you make it spicy it will slow down your eating and that will give time enough for your brain to register full. Rice cakes help too with spices on top and that will speed up your metabolism or just work out to get your heart rate up if you have the time. Great article thanks.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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Vietnamese 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.
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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.
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healthy fats like raw nuts, avocados etc…and don’t drink your calories, cut out all soda and fruit juice and drink water instead.
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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.
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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.
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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’
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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.
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The title of this article should be “Eat enough, move more”. Not always eating less is a good idea! But great article anyway!
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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!
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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?
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I completely agree with this post i started following this diet already
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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.
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Howdy. Very nice web site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Amazing .. I’ll bookmark your website and take the feeds also…I am happy to find numerous helpful information here in the article. Thanks for sharing.
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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
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Great post! I have often struggled with losing weight and yes, it probably does have something to do with my portion control. I was definitely not informed of the correct sizes my meals should be. I plan on passing this to my kids as well. Thanks!
EDITOR’S NOTE: Getting our kids to control portions is really important….too many obese kids around these days.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Nice post. The calories in portion sizes are indeed often difficult to estimate. Another problem is that serving sizes in most recipes are bigger than the desired portion size, so we wind up cooking too much.
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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…
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Most Important institution blog! I have reviewed your ” Women’s Health Institution ” blog carefully, I get a Lot of important Topic for my firm.
Thanks
Robinson
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I am a slender woman. No matter how much i eat, i hardly gain weight. It is because I have a fast metabolism. I have a friend that facing obesity problem. Maybe i can advice her on what i learned here in your blogs. Thanks for a helpful post.
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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.
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Some interesting points are made in this article regarding portion control and exercise.Both are important coponents in achieving your weight loss goal.
The mental or mind aspect of weight loss is in my opinion is equally important. Our minds have amazing capabilities and if we train our minds to do what we want,our bodies will follow suit. What I am saying is the battle is either won or lost in our head. Train your mind (I know easier said than done!)and our bodies will follow suit. We need to remember that our bodies are amazing machines that require care and attention to take us through life’s journey.
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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.
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Won’t it be best to combine all the effective strategies for dropping extra pounds?
Namely
1. Adequate nutrition
2. Exercises
3. Just enough portion
4. Adequate amount of sleep
5. Eating deliberately instead of the hurried eating that characterize our lives
6. Avoiding stress as much as possible
7. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables-these help in digestion by supplying fiber, digestive enzymes, satisfying our sweet taste, and cutting down on our consumption of salt.
EDITOR’S COMMENT: Nice Routine!
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Very good article. Believe it or not I lost weight by doing crafts. I ate less because I was so focused on my project that I wouldn’t visit the fridge so often and I had 2 regular main meals in a day.
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Not sure about other countries, but here in the UK just about every food now has how many portions it contains and how many calories each portion has. This really does help, I lost a lot of weight just by writing down everything I ate and how many calories was in it and sticking to a limit each day.
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Yeah, there is a lot of writing about portion control, but unless you’re on a certain program, the portions aren’t really ever posted. Like this a lot. Thanks, Michelle!
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I think this is the best method of losing weight especially those who have diabetes. Since I began to eat less about a couple of months ago and do some brisk walking in the afternoon for at least 30 minutes, my weight has gone down dramatically. I can say it is very effective and less painful.
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If you eat fresh and healthy food, You can get your body disease free and fit. Great blog
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Portion control is probably one of the most difficult things to stick with when trying to lose weight. By adding a short 10 to 15 walk to your daily routine can work wonders for not only your weight loss goals but your overall health as well.
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When it comes to portion control I agree we don’t know what the correct portions are. I think an exact measurement using either a scale or measuring cup is needed so we know for sure an ounce is an ounce or a milliliter is a milliliter.
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Hmmmm portion control… I love the sound of it. It makes so much sense. You don’t have to stop eating the things you like, you just need to eat less at each serving. Incredibly appealing… until I got to the part where I saw how small the actual portions we are talking about really are! Makes me cringe as how hungry I’ll still be after finishing eating!
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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.
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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.
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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!
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Portion control is certainly important. I would hate to discount the importance of maintaining muscle mass through exercise. It’s been my experience that a good interval training program is the best complement to diet.
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I feel compelled to post my comments as your article has hit the nail square on the head.
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Portion control is the whole point of weight loss surgery. It is pretty much forced on those who are eating after lap band surgery. Meals are as small as a third of a cup, so the nutrition level must be excellent. Thanks for the great article.
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Gosh, this hit home for me. I think the biggest part is eating less. I found that if i worked out first, I’d work myself an appetite! I’d have to taper down my portions until my stomach is used to it, then begin my physical regimens.
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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!
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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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There is a lot of writing about portion control, but unless you’re on a certain program, the portions aren’t really ever posted. Like this a lot. Thanks, sa m.
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My wife and I have been wanting to lose a bit of weight. We’ve done a great job so far with normal exercising, but now we want to work on our diet. I will pass this information along, thank you!
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I’m new to blogging but this is very good topic and i can really learn a lot from here.thanks
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Weight loss is really simple when you break it down to the basics. It’s all mathematics: you simply have to consume less calories than your body burns. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy! Trying to lose weight, especially those “last few pounds”, can seem like an uphill battle, but if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.
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Portion control is not new in any way shape or form. When it comes to saying it is a better way to lose weight, i do agree that for the average person but not for someone who can really commit to counting calories and using a good macro ratio.
I train people in my home town and i 100 percent agree that portion size is the best way for them to lose weight. I use portion sizes examples from the book body for life, do you mind if i use a few of yours in the future?
EDITOR’s COMMENT. Feel free to use the examples.
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look at the folks at buffets….their helpings are huge and then they go back for seconds. I like the variety of foods at a buffet but don’t like the salt in the prepared foods.
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quote : “Weight loss is really simple when you break it down to the basics. It’s all mathematics: you simply have to consume less calories than your body burns. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy! Trying to lose weight, especially those “last few pounds”, can seem like an uphill battle, but if you eat fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight.”
i agree with u man . .
this article very nice for my fashion blog . . thanks Michelle
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Whats wrong with – eat more, move EVEN more.
Or even,
Eat better, move better. (clean up your diet and choose taxing exercise)
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Calories in, calories out. It is very hard, but it seems there are no good shortcuts. Well, within a generally accepted definition of “good”. Portion control goes hand in hand with calorie counting. If you eat less calories and move more, you will shrink. Maybe not as fast as you would like, but if you stick it out, you will see results.
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How about we eat a better quality food? Way more raw foods? less meats?
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After giving up smoking I started eating more. The method I used to stop smoking was that if I never touched the cigarette, I could not put it in my mouth so all my concentration was on controlling my hands. Worked like a charm. I applied it to eating as well and 25 yrs later its still working.
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Portion control is certainly important. I would hate to discount the importance of maintaining muscle mass through exercise. It’s been my experience that a good interval training program is the best complement to diet.
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Eating smaller portions does go a long way to losing weight. But there are a lot of women that are like me who yo-yo dieted when they were young and totally messed up their metabolism, to where it gets to the stage that you are barely eating and still putting on weight. This is where I have found that eating only low GI foods (and moderate occasionally) have helped me. Jenny also made a great point about drinking water. Drinking 2 glasses of water before a meal definately leaves less room for food.
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One of the main reasons women overeat is due to emotional eating. Learning other ways to meet your needs will help with portion control in a natural way.
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Hi, is the tips above really work for you? how’s the result?
nice post anyway
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There is a formula for the weight loss:
After 7:00PM don’t eat at all, before 7:00PM eat less then you usually eat !
I followed this formula 9 months – and lost 32 pounds.
Good luck !
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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.
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Due to my sordid family history (health wise) I have taken it very seriously to make changes in my life, again with respect to my health. I have successfully been able to lose 25 pounds and am now at my optimal weight. It has been one year since I’ve gotten down to my target weight and I have kept it to that target since.
I’d love to be able to present some magic secret method that gives you the ability to easily do so. But it just doesn’t exist. I eat high fiber cereal (low sugar) for breakfast. For lunch, after my heavy cardio workout at the gym, I have Greek yogurt (high in protein) some fruit and often a protein shake. I’ll have some nuts or raisins in the late afternoon. Then for dinner I’ll will usually have chicken or fish and on occasion some beef.
I have reduced my calorie intake and increased my fat burning via exercise. I am not an expert or a nutritionist but this has been successful for me.
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Everyone thought that fat in our diets were a bad thing, but now fat is no longer the enemy. Doctor’s stress that fat is good for us. It is especially important to incorporate healthy fats into each meal when dieting because fat helps us to stay feeling full and satisfied. Just be sure to choose healthy fats and enjoy them in moderation.
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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
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Hopefully, in another two weeks, you will be walking farther, or faster. If, at the start of your weight loss program you could only exercise for five minutes at a time, and now you can exercise for 15 minutes, that is progress, isn’t it? That’s an accomplishment and is something you should be proud of.
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Great article. There are two kind of fats. One is good for us , while another is bad. Use good fat for a good cause and live healthy.
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One of the best weight loss tips out there is to drink plenty of water. By drinking water you flush out your fat cells and keep from letting them retain water. I also find eating every 3-4 hours and having smaller portions is so helpful to weight loss.
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It’s astounding that the weight loss industry is a forty billion dollar a year industry yet the way to successfully lose weight is such a simple concept – calories in, calories burned, period. There are decent products which help with controlling hunger and such but we are flooded with “magic” weight loss products which do nothing but prey on peoples self consciousness.
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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!
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I use this system usually, and I think is the correct form to lose weight, but the most important is sport all days of year.
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Portion control can be very effective, and as with most things it is something that becomes more doable over time. But exercise is a mighty good partner. I recommend you reward yourself (be creative)as an incentive to do portion control AND exercise. And keep your eyes on the prize. Believe me, looking in the mirror and liking what you see more and more each day is a thrill beyond compare.
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I think it is important to exercise throughout the day and not only in blocks of time. It helps keep the metabolism revved up. While there are methods for fast weight loss prior to a special event, they can’t be used long term. They work great sometimes for the motivation to begin a long range plan. Portion control is an excellent method as you are able to still enjoy everything.
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After reading about the professor who ate ding dongs, and other pastries and still lost weight as well as lowered his cholesterol, all because he kept the total calories around 1800 a day, it’s pretty obvious that if we would just consume less calories (and perhaps optionally somewhat better macro nutritional ratios than the professor), we’d be much healthier as a nation, and world.
EDITOR’S NOTE: It may be true for awhile, but a constant diet of junk food could cause other problems like cavities in one’s teeth, bad skin, and a lack of vitamins needed to prevent chronic disease.
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But I love cheese!
EDITOR’S NOTE: the cheese example seems to be the most distressing!
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If you want to really lose weight and look good in your clothes, then portion control is for you. You have to reduce your calories and you have to eat less. it’s the only sound way to get your weight down.
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don’t stress yourself out. Its all supposed to make you feel better, not worse. 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 foods.
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I couldn’t agree more. Eat Less, Move More!! Really good article. I will be checking out your blog more often.
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those portions ensure no one will need lipo.
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Good article – “Portion Distortion” has been a problem in North America for many years. On a recent trip to Europe I was amazed at how small the portion sizes are, compared to ours.
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I agree that portion size is massively underestimated. Also the caloric density of food like you mentioned.
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Wow for as much cheese as on that plate I make it look like dice. That is really a tiny bit and puts it into perspective when doling it out for nachos. Thanfully that is only a weekly treat on my cheat days… Thanks for the visual!
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It’s easy to say but when you’re craving something and you want it really bad, you know how it ends up – sitting comfortably on your sofa, your favorite show is on and you eat that unhealthy food again, but if feel so good, at least till after you consumed it.
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A healthy eating plan is a comprehensive program for improving your health by improving the quality of the foods you eat. Rather than focusing on the restriction or elimination of foods from your life, an eating program educates you about how foods impact your body so that you can make a learned choice when it comes to breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
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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.
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The portion comparisons are particularly difficult for American like myself to accept wholeheartedly. I’ve seen this nutrition guide many times before…and what you say in terms of changing the eating behavior or instilling good habits, is something I need to remind myself of everyday as a mom.
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I am not completely agree with the post, although the post was awesome but in the countries of Asia where temperature is much higher than the western countries this philosophy can work, because in such conditions they need more liquid rather than heavy solid food. But for the western countries I don’t think so that this will work in a better way.
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Good article. I’m blogging about the weight loss associated with a treadmill desk. Basically, I’ve set up a shelf so that I can walk on my treadmill and work on my computer at the same time. The result is that I’m moving slowly all day long. Rather than just moving a lot for a small amount of time, I’m moving a little for a long amount of time. I believe that our modern work environment has us sitting waaay too much. Portion size is definitely something we need to watch, but we also need to find ways to move more than just a little. The treadmill desk is a good potential solution
EDITOR’S NOTE: Have you lost weight???
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It makes a lot of sense to move more – we’ve developed such sedentary lifestyles, we don’t get out and we aren’t active. The TV couch potato generation needs to become the outdoors livewire generation.
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Great article. In fact, researchers are tracking successful dieters in the National Weight Control Registry, a group of 10,000 people who have lost 30 pounds or more and maintained that loss for a year or more. These are some of the things they usually do:
1. Track their food intake.
2. Count calorie or fat grams or use a commercial weight-loss program to track food intake.
3. Walk about an hour a day or burn the same calories with other activities.
4. Watch fewer than 10 hours of TV a week.
So eat less, move more can lead to lasting weight loss and healthier lifestyle. Thanks.
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Losing weight never been easy we all know that, but it’s the same with building muscles, it depends on the person’s ability.
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Interesting. Only 20% are trying exercise. People are always looking for the shortcuts to weight loss.
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While this article offers good guidelines for portion control, I believe the single biggest reason we eat more than we need is “mindless eating.” As long as we practice mindlessness with food (and our culture fosters that), we’ll wind up eating more calories than we need.
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I know that people with Phd and MD after their names are supposed to be knowledgeable and smart people, but I favor what I’m learning from Certified Nutritionists and Certified Exercise specialists more. The reason is that the results from the latter are far more impressive when it comes to my personal weight loss. Following my personal doctor’s plan provided a loss of only 5 pounds in six months, but once I got with a Nutritionist and Exercise Specialist, my weight went down another 36 pounds.
EDITOR’s COMMENT: As medical information becomes more complex, have a full team of experts (like nutritionists, PTs), is becoming more important. A single doctor cannot be an expert in all areas!
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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.
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Yes, compared to our ancestors, we move much less during the day. Some companies have even installed treadmill desks, which is a great idea.
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We moved to Asia recently and both lost about 10 pounds…we move more, and don’t really eat less. It makes a difference because once we built up our muscles (swimming, walking, etc), they consume more calories. Squats, my husband claims, are supposed to be one of the most effective exercises for building fat-burning musculature.
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This article offers good guidelines for portion control, I believe the single biggest reason we eat more than we need is “mindless eating.” As long as we practice mindlessness with food (and our culture fosters that), we’ll wind up eating more calories than we need
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I’ve always been a believer in Eat Less, Move More. Since eating less without some cheating is clearly a challenge, I also subscribe to the approach Eat A Little More, Move Much More. It’s worked for me!
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What I’ve noticed is that when I exercise and can afford to eat unhealthy, I choose to eat healthier.
The key to succeeding is using as LITTLE will power as possible. Use of SMALL plates is an easy way to “mechanically” avoid putting too much on your plate. Spreading out your appetizer from your main meal to your dessert gives your brain time to notice you’re full. Keep junk food out of the house so you’ll have to go to the store if you want it. This is making laziness work FOR you… and it WORKS!
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The best thing that has worked for me is to eat smaller meals throughout the day. It is hard because I never feel very full, but I guess that’s the point right? When I do it for awhile I realize how much less food I really need to survive. It’s amazing. It’s the emotional eating that really gets me.
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Of course portion control is the most effective. It’s one of the core ways of losing weight in most exercising programs too. That’s great to have concrete evidence of it though. thanks for the great piece.
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I’ve found that when we stick to more quality, nutrient-dense foods, it generally will cause us to have reduced cravings. It makes sense: If we consume “empty calories” all day, we will remain hungry because our body knows it is still lacking the nutrients it needs! Many of these “empty calories” in our typical US diet come from sugars. Addiction to sugar can keep us constantly craving food. Being conscious of, and breaking, our sugar addiction makes it much easier to reduce overall caloric intake.
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This article is dead on. I’m a trainer, and my first piece of advice to anyone who wants to workout/lose weight is: Eat half as much, twice as often. You don’t really have to change what you eat at first, you just have to change *how* you eat. Great article.
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Hello, this is a fantastic website. Good to now that there are still people paying attention to their site. I was wondering if you were interested to write an article for those people who have fat loss issues. I noticed that there are plenty people out there who need help to loose weight. Perhaps an article about help fat loss can be of some help to them.
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I cant agree more with being more conscious aware of what we are taking in. There is no need to eat till you feel full.
Drink 2 big glasses of water before every meal and you will not have the urge to over eat.
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I find it hard to stop eating once I’m full if the food tastes good! But I’ve also found that, if I just wait a few minutes, it’s easy to resist the temptation. Giving my body that extra 15 minutes to digest before eating more really helps control my appetite.
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Nothing beats portion control for losing weight. Thanks for sharing this advise.
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Weight-Loss is not rocket science.It has to do more with the way we think and feel.There are lots of misconceptions about losing weight, learn to know your body and maintain a calorie-intake that you need daily to achieve optimum health.Exercise cannot be substituted with pills.NO pain NO gain !!!
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Hi
Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less could be a weight-management program that uses methods proven to figure. every lesson informs, empowers and motivates participants to measure mindfully as they create decisions regarding eating and physical activity. The program provides opportunities for participants to trace their progress and keep a journal of healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. The program are often offered to worksites and different teams inquisitive about eating sensible, moving additional and achieving a healthy weight.
Thanks
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Great advice given above. If we stick to this and are disciplined about our portion control, I’ve no doubt at all we will all see results and feel better for it. Thanks for this practical help.
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I think this article is so true. When reading the four hour body it recommends you diet before you start doing exercising because once you start intensively training you end up eating more. I’m definitely going to take the advice in this article to move myself forward
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I think it’s just our culture. Our plates and portions are so much larger than other countries that it’s difficult for us to ascertain how many calories we’re putting into our bodies.
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With any weight lost course or program, one should have do training. Yes you can eat less, but you to train the body. If you don’t like running, try a 20 min walk around the block daily when coming from work, and build you self up 40 min or 1 hour. Walking is great way to move the body, and don’t for get a nice pair of shoes, that will help to walk better.
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A very well informative article. It was news to me that the metabolic rate defers for men and women. Was always under the impression that the metabolic rate for the same.
Yes i was under the impression that dieting helps in weight loss but it was news that its right type of dieting that actually helps
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I have been obese for a pretty long time, it runs in the family and to top that we are broad boned people so even slight fat makes us look like gorilla. My brothers seem to get over this well but I had to face my gender and you would know that when comes to being a fat girl going to college the other girls are not polite. I have tried everything from exercise to dieting and pills etc. etc. Well it did not work for me, I am to blame for that reason because I love to eat and just cant stay hungry. My grandmother a year ago suggested to me that to get slim you have to eat not starve to death but eat whatever you do just make it halve, ten months ago I thought it would not work but looking back at it now. I can only say that Happy New Year will be much healthier for me.
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Every little bit adds up. The article mentioned that people consistently overestimate their caloric intake, but the same is true for exercise: people consistently overestimate the amount and intensity (ie calories burned) of their exercise.
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This is a smart blog. I mean it. You have so much knowledge about this issue, and so much possian. You also know how to make people rally behind it, obviously from the responses. Youve got a design here thats not too flashy, but makes a statement as big as what youre saying. Great job.
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Portion control is an excellent idea, especially when most of us grew up being encouraged to “eat everything on your plate” and to “think of all of those starving kids in China.” Truth be told – if it’s not on the plate to begin with, it prevents our sub-conscious mind from taking over – even though our stomachs are at the stretching point – and causing us to “eat everything on our plates.
Building a strong core with help prevent over-eating and often times “cures” back ailments; generally restoring the body to an overall healthier state.
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I never knew the portion sizes were so small. Do you think people should gradually decrease portion sizes or go immediately to the right size?
EDITORs REPLY: Cutting portions can be slow or immediate..whatever works best for you and keeps you on track.
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Hello, this is a fantastic website. Good to now that there are still people paying attention to their site. I was wondering if you were interested to write an article for those people who have fat loss issues. I noticed that there are plenty people out there who need help to loose weight. Perhaps an article about help fat loss can be of some help to them
Translate
Nowadays, more and more people are trying to reduce their calories intake. How much we eat does not affect only our looks, but our health as well. It seems that people who eat less have a lower risk of heart disease, less chances of having a stroke or getting diabetes.
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thanks for your site, i hope i can control portion eat
I’m agree, that you should control
the size of portion.
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Eating at least 5 small meals a day helps you lose wait. I believe eating in portions is a good way for a diet. Eating is still important but in moderation. I just hope I can lose weight too. thanks for sharing this. I learned a lot.
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I’m really happy that I was able to see this.A very interesting and informative post. I really wanted to lose weight. thanks for sharing,
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This is a smart blog. I mean it. You have so much knowledge about this issue, and so much possian. You also know how to make people rally behind it, obviously from the responses. Youve got a design here thats not too flashy, but makes a statement as big as what youre saying. Great job.
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I really enjoyed reading your blog and points that you expressed. I wanted to thank you for this great read!! Thanks
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I know from my own personal experience that my attempts at weight loss are much more successful when I actually monitor portion sizes. Otherwise, my estimates are way off and I end up eating a lot more than I think I do, when I run the numbers.
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There are lots of options you have when it comes to getting enough exercise. Some of which would include walking, running, biking, swimming, and more. You can also do some weight lifting if you want to. The important thing is to get your body moving so that you can burn more fats off. To be on the safe side, you should consult with your doctor first, prior to getting involved with a certain workout program.
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I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I am really pleased that I have found this, this post is totally relevant on this important topic.
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eat to live, not live to eat kind of stuff, but it should be worth noting that such diets can only be followed if they are sustainable. If you can’t keep it up, then there’s no point really.
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What an outstanding information. Thanks! I never considered I’l be getting the right information here when I was looking the net for a 1 month now.
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I follow you constantly. This kind of hope that you continue to the shares. good luck.
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