Here's Why Portion Control Is Important For Weight Loss

Serving Size

According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the serving size of a meal is defined as the amount of food a person consumes customarily. It describes the nutritional facts about the food and the quantity of the food that is served in relation to the nutritional value.

Portion Size

Portion size refers to the amount of food a person should be consuming in order to shed one's extra pounds depending on one's physique and build. The serving size given by FDA is a generalised one, but when it comes to dieting and portion size, it differs from person to person depending on how much one currently weighs, and how much weight one plans to shed or put on. When it comes to portion size, one can either lessen the quantity of the food in the serving size or add more food to it.

The portion size of the food is measured in cups and ounces. People opt for dieting to consume lesser calories than what is utilised by our body. When consuming food in portion size, make sure you include all crucial nutrients in your food which should include carbs as well as healthy fats.

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To make sure you consume the right portion size, you need to decide how many calories you need to consume in a day, based on that you need to plan what food you want to consume and in what quantity. Make sure you follow a healthy eating pattern through your life, doing so is necessary to keep chronic ailments at bay.

How To Decide How Much Calories You Should Be Consuming

Consult your dietitian about how many calories you should be consuming depending on your current weight, age, gender, your level of workouts, the weight you should be achieving and by when you wish to get that weight.

Depending on the above data, your dietitian can guide you in preparing a proper diet chart for you which would include all the important nutrients you would require and the number of calories you should be consuming to attain the weight you want to achieve.

Tips To Control Portion Size

Once you figure out about your calorie intake per day and the nutrients you should be including in your diet, you will have to make sure you follow it correctly and eat the precise amount of food that would effectively help you maintain the weight. For making sure you are having the right portion size you need to do the following:

Measure the quantity of food you eat:

When you are dieting with the aim of weight loss or attaining a particular weight and you want to make sure that your portion size is correct, one of the basic things you need to do is use measuring utensils to control your portion size. You can also use your hands, plates and even weighing machine to measure the portion of foods.

Use small dishes to eat in:

This is a very smart tip all dieters should follow to make sure that they are consuming the right portion size. If you eat your food in a packet or a box, you won't be able to measure the portion size. Eating the same food in a small plate or a small bowl would help you by giving you an idea about the quantity of food and calories you are having.

Limit your condiment intake:

Apart from keeping a strict check on your portion size, make sure you don't eat condiments like sauces, ketchup, dressings, etc. in excess. This can increase the number of your calorie intake and it will hinder your plan to attain the ideal weight you plan to attain.