Portion control is a huge thing for me –> I’ve always loved big Portions, or second portions. I was also that person who would carry on going up to the all you can eat buffet even when I was full and everyone was finished –> my record has been 7 plates and I reckon I could have carried on.
The one thing I’ve learnt pretty quickly is that if I want to lose weight, I need to lose my portions too. I can’t keep on eating what I’ve been used to and lose weight –> unless I want to run a marathon a day and that’s just not going to happen.
I’m using my fitness pal to track everything but it’s super annoying at first –> you have to weigh all your food out, so the kitchen scales quickly become your new best friend. Thankfully you eventually learn what 100g looks like and you can start to cook a meal without the need to measure every single ingredient –> yes I’ve measured garlic before, it wasn’t worth it.
As it’s starting to get warmer I haven’t fancied my porridge anymore –> warm porridge on a warm day is not an ideal combination. Instead, I really fancied granola / muesli. I know my carb allowance is quite low but I planned to have the bulk in the morning so I managed to find a granola that fitted my macros and didn’t taste like cardboard or break the bank.
So.
It’s Monday morning and I’m super excited to try my new breakfast –> it’s the little things in life that make me happy. I got out my scales, looked at the recommended portion size and weighed it out.
Then I took my bowl off the scales, zeroed the scales and tried again. Same amount.
I was absolutely convinced my scales were broken –> it barely covered the bottom of the bowl. How on earth is that breakfast? This is more like a pre-snack snack amount. I double checked the packet just in case I’d read it wrong and the serving size was 450g, not 45g but it was right. 45g was the recommendation.
Out of interest, I decided to pour myself a proper bowl of this cereal –> a bowl that is an actual adult’s size portion which might actually keep me full until lunch time or at least my mid-morning snack.
I was completely shocked to see my normal portion was 148g –> over 3 times the recommended weight! In terms of macros, this equalled 600 calories, 100g carbs and a pathetic 14g protein.
It was then I realised something needed to change –> my mentality towards my portion size. I need to realise that my portions have been completely unrealistic and actually quite unhealthy. I know that there are going to be times I triple my granola portion but as long as it’s not every day, that’s ok.
I am really trying to work on my portions now and I’m trying to make sure I stick to the recommended allowance –> it hasn’t been easy and I’m normally starving come dinner time but it has been getting easier and hopefully it will keep getting easier.
How do you feel about portion control?
Do you have any tips?
L x
