People often seek the latest trends and fads when it comes to losing weight. Overindulging in food is common, and it takes some determination to practice portion control daily. A portion control diet is one of the most effective ways to lose weight and be healthy. If you’ve tried practicing portion control dieting before with little success, try these tips.

Use Smaller Plates for Portion Control

If you want to eat less, use smaller plates than what you normally use. When you use a large plate, the eyes play tricks on the mind. You think you don’t have enough food, so you pile on more food and eat more than you need. With a smaller plate, the food will fill it up quickly, making it one of the easiest ways to reduce the amount of food you eat in one sitting.

Let Your Hands Be Your Guide

Another aspect of overeating is not knowing what a serving size of any given food should be. When you’re putting food on your plate, let your hands guide you to the right portion size. For foods high in protein, men should have two servings the size of their palm, while women should have one serving. For salads and other vegetables, men should have two servings the size of their fist, and women should have one. By using your hands as a guide, you can stick with a portion control diet without the need for tools or measuring guides.

Visualize Portions on Your Plate

When you use a smaller plate, you have to visualize the portion size of each food item you choose. For example, try dedicating half of your plate to salad or vegetables, a quarter of your plate to protein, and the other quarter to carbohydrates. These portion sizes can vary depending on your needs and lifestyle. 

Eat Slowly

The faster you eat, the more you will eat before your body realizes it’s full. Eating too quickly is one of the most common reasons for overeating. Slow down when you eat and you’ll not only enjoy your meal more, but you’ll also likely eat less.

Drink Plenty of Water Before Eating

A great way to practice portion control is to drink a full glass of water around 30 minutes before your meal. The water will fill you up and you won’t feel quite as hungry. Plus, sometimes the body is thirsty rather than hungry, so drinking a glass of water may be all you need to feel satisfied for a while.

Never Eat Anything Directly From The Package or Container

Eating straight from a package or container is an easy recipe for overeating. When portion control dieting, you have to put snacks and other food items on a plate or in a bowl so you don’t continue eating without realizing it.

Learn Serving Sizes for Different Foods

If you want to take your portion control diet seriously, you must learn the serving sizes of different foods and measure them out. For example, you can measure two cups of salad for a while until you get a visual of what it looks like and can sense what is the right serving size going forward.

Ask Your Waiter or Waitress for A Smaller Portion Size

When eating out at a restaurant, don’t hesitate to ask your waiter or waitress for a half portion size of your meal. Or you could ask them to split the meal in half so you can eat one now and put the other in a to-go box for leftovers the next day. It’s easy to overeat at a restaurant, but ordering a smaller size is the best way to practice portion control.

Write Down What You Eat

Keeping a journal or diary of the foods you eat can bring to light what you eat throughout the day. Be honest with yourself and evaluate what you may be able to eliminate or substitute after reviewing it.

Limit Distractions While You Eat

When you’re distracted while eating, it’s easy to eat too much. Put away the phone or tablet, turn off the TV, and focus on eating. Couple this with eating more slowly and you’ll have an easier time with portion control dieting.

Z.E.N. Foods can help you with your portion control diet by delivering the appropriate portions right to your doorstep. We are ready to help you with your dieting efforts, so contact us today to select a meal plan that fits your needs.