{"id":39359,"date":"2015-04-21T07:15:40","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T11:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=39359"},"modified":"2016-07-14T16:06:32","modified_gmt":"2016-07-14T20:06:32","slug":"portion-sizes-portion-distortion-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/portion-sizes-portion-distortion-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Avoid the Portion Distortion That\u2019s Wrecking Your Diet"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It\u2019s impossible to live your healthiest life without keeping your portion sizes<\/a> in check. It just comes with the territory, like putting effort into your sweat sessions<\/a> and making smart choices<\/a> when browsing the supermarket aisles. \u201cWhen people overeat, it leads to irregularity in blood sugar. It also leads to obesity, which is a contributing factor to heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, inflammation and certain cancers,\u201d says Brigitte Zeitlin, M.P.H., R.D., C.D.N, dietitian at B-Nutritious<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>9 Tricks to Stick to Your Diet (Even on Weekends)<\/a><\/p>\n

Getting ready to grab a post-workout snack<\/a>? Don\u2019t let us scare you into tossing it in the trash. Portion control isn\u2019t about depriving yourself \u2014 it\u2019s about eating just enough to stay fueled and full. However, opinions on what constitutes good portion control are so varied that it can be hard to know what to follow. That, combined with super-sized servings<\/a> in restaurants, can often bring on a dangerous case of portion distortion. You know, convincing yourself that heaping plate of pasta is a healthy serving. The key to success: Don\u2019t <\/em>follow every tip about portion control that you hear. It\u2019s really about finding the select techniques that fit your personality, sticking with them and enjoying the benefits.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Real Talk About Portion Sizes<\/strong><\/h3>\n

1. Ignore the Size of Your Plate
\n<\/strong>You\u2019ve heard it before: Small plates equal smaller meals. Or do they? Researchers from the University of Connecticut<\/a> presented a group of 162 participants with a consistent portion of food on different-sized plates. Participants who were overweight or obese ate the same amount of food, regardless of plate size. Huh?<\/p>\n

Although the study was small, it\u2019s still valuable. \u201cFocusing on the size of your plate isn\u2019t teaching you the different amounts of what you should be eating,\u201d says Zeitlin. You\u2019ve got to know what a proper portion size should actually <\/em>look like, before loading up a plate of any size. In a pinch, Zeitlin advises loading half of your plate with veggies. Divide the other half into quarters. Put protein in one, then starch in the other. Above all, take your time while eating so you can pay attention to satiety clues. Easy visual guides, like What 25 Grams of Protein Looks Like<\/a>, or What 200 Calories of Nuts Looks Like<\/a>, might help, too.<\/p>\n

2. Serve Yourself (Some) Bad Foods
\n<\/strong>Ever looked at portion size plates (like this one<\/a>) and wondered where the fries fit in? The key to feeling satisfied \u2014\u00a0and avoiding binges \u2014\u00a0might lie in dedicating some of your plate to virtuous foods, and some to vices, according to researchers at Vanderbilt University<\/a>. Recognizing that few people have the willpower to give up junk entirely, researchers set out to discover just how much we need to feel satisfied.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour stomach can\u2019t tell the difference between hunger and thirst.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Study authors allowed participants to select bundles of food containing various portions of virtuous foods, like apples, or vice foods, like chips. People reported the smaller portions (as little as 1\/4 of the total food consumed) of vice foods were just as tasty and satisfying as the larger portions. That\u2019s right: Just a few fries will seem as great as a carton.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 15 Healthy Dessert Recipes You\u2019ll Love (150 Cals or Less!)<\/a><\/p>\n

3. Treat Yo\u2019self to Food That Smells Awesome
\n<\/strong>You\u2019d think getting a whiff of really delicious-smelling food would just stoke your appetite, right? But it turns out that the more intense the aroma, the smaller the bite you\u2019ll take, according to research<\/a> in the journal Flavour<\/em>. In the study, researchers presented 10 participants with vanilla custard. The authors then manipulated the aroma of the food, eventually concluding that people took smaller bites when the aroma was stronger. \u201cSmelling food is a really important part of eating well because it\u2019s linked to taste,\u201d says Susan Albers<\/a>, Psy.D., a psychologist and New York Times <\/em>bestselling author of Eat Q: Unlock the Weight-Loss Power of Emotional Intelligence<\/em>. \u201cThe good news is that inhaling the aroma before you take a bite is easy and quick.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>30-Minute Meals for Quick, Healthy Dinner Ideas<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Check Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself
\n<\/strong>If you typically sit down to a meal and eat so quickly your name might as well be Hoover, it\u2019s time to hit reset<\/a>. \u201cTaking a mindful pause to ask yourself if you\u2019re really hungry before you take even one bite is key,\u201d Albers says. That gives you a chance to figure out whether you\u2019re eating to fuel your body, or whether your urge to chow down is from boredom or stress.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always recommend the 5 S’s of mindful eating: sit down, smell, savor, slowly chew and smile,\u201d says Albers. \u201cMore is not better, even with food. It\u2019s all about experiencing and enjoying what you eat. That\u2019s what makes it truly satisfying.\u201d Check in, before you dig in.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 9 Simple Tricks to Eat More Mindfully<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Sometimes You Can<\/em> Trick Yourself Into Eating Less
\n<\/strong>The smaller plate trick might not cut it, but that doesn\u2019t mean there aren\u2019t other ways to manipulate yourself into eating better. One big reason people overeat is because they\u2019re distracted. Force yourself to focus by eating with your non-dominant hand, suggests research<\/a> in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin<\/em>. \u201cSwitching hands jolts you out of autopilot. It’s similar to writing with your opposite hand. You can do it, but it takes more of your attention and concentration,\u201d says Albers.<\/p>\n

Another harmless hack: Hydrating<\/a>. \u201cYour stomach can\u2019t tell the difference between hunger and thirst,\u201d says Zeitlin. She recommends drinking around 10 glasses of water a day, or more if you\u2019re active. Not only will proper hydration boost pretty much every system in your body, guzzling some before you eat can help fill you up so you don\u2019t overdo it.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most importantly, don\u2019t deprive yourself. Remember: A small portion can be just as satisfying as a heaping helping. In one study in the journal Food Quality and Preference<\/a>, participants were served either a large or small portion of apple pie, chocolate and chips. Those who got the large portion ate around 103 calories more than those who got the small one \u2014 but they all reported similar levels of satisfaction. \u201cIf you allow yourself conscious indulgences, you don\u2019t feel like you\u2019re restricting yourself,\u201d says Zeitlin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Correct portion sizes are key to reaching your weight loss goals. But are you suffering from portion distortion? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":39362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,18],"tags":[41,51,71,341,357,285],"class_list":["post-39359","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-weight-loss","tag-diets","tag-food-choices","tag-nutrition","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2running","tag-weight-loss"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39359","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39359"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39359\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39359"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39359"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39359"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}