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Food is odd. You put a cup of rice into water and it magically expands into this wonderful food that can feed several people.
Great, isn’t it?
Problem is that you probably don’t really notice how much of this wonderful food stuff you’re actually eating.
Until I started religiously following this diet (probably about the only religious thing I’ve done in a while!) I never really paid attention to quantities.
Cooking pasta? Ah just chuck enough in and it’ll be fine.. Oh wait, there’s way more than I really need .. Ooops!
When you’re weighing out portions of pasta and other ingredients very carefully you begin to notice how much you are eating and how much you were probably eating before. The digital scales I bought just over a week ago has been getting plenty of use and the bowl that came without has held the ingredients of pretty much every single meal of the day. Weighing out the portions of breakfast cereal is a new experience and is an eye opener!
A typical pasta recipe (on my diet plan) has between 60g and 100g of uncooked pasta. Putting that in one of my pasta bowls it looks like I’m missing quite a bit from the plate, but when it’s cooked and you add the sauce and other ingredients you end up with a very tasty meal that won’t leave you hungry.
Controlling the quantities carefully and checking the calories when I “clock in” is making me more conscious of what I have been eating and what I am now eating.
Eating less and probably eating better ie. more fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy products, I’m actually feeling pretty good. I’m not hungry, though I still have a very healthy appetite.
Of course, so far it’s been relatively easy. I’ve managed to avoid eating out completely. Temptation in the way of tasty treats that I actually cherish has been avoided. I’m not phased by seeing Cadbury’s, as I don’t particularly like that type of chocolate. I suspect, however, that I will have issues resisting Green & Black when I’m in a supermarket over the weekend laying in provisions for the week. But I digress ..
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Nice one this was one of the things my trainer said to me – portion size but If you find a diet hard to follow just opt for half of what you would normally eat so 1 biscuit instead of 2 etc. Some of the diets have you eating constantly which is tiring just trying to work out what you are going to eat next. Very useful information to anyone wanting to give it a go. It’s not easy and it requires discipline but after a while it becomes second nature and the scales go back in the press to collect dust!
Irene
One of things I probably should have mentioned is in relation to shopping. Most pack sizes of anything are for 2 or more people. Since I’m normally cooking (and eating) for one it’s far too easy to end up eating more than you need, as the pack sizes are for two ..
Thanks for your comment
Michele
Good article, thanks for the advice.
One thing I’ve noticed is that “portion sizes” are completely insane at most restaurants. In some cases, my wife and I will actually share an entree…
James
I guess that depends on where you eat 🙂
Over this next of the woods the portions aren’t quite that big a lot of the time. I remember having lunch in Arizona and being given a huge serving of cornbread with butter as a “titbit”. We hadn’t even ordered it and I suspect that it would probably have been enough for lunch!
Thanks for the comment
Michele