What’s portion distortion and why do you need to check food portions?

Portion distortion or portion creep is the misperception of the size of the food we need to consume daily or per meal. When we keep eating extra food portions, not only do we put stress on our internal organs to digest it (that too for years), we also end up gaining excess body fat or visceral fat. That’s why we often hear everyone say, est everything in “Moderation.”

What exactly is moderation? Everybody is growing differently. Each body requires different nutrients (lower sizes, doesn’t mean less nutrition, that’s the biggest realization that my clients end up having).

I often joke about this: our stomachs are like bottomless pits, when we keep feeding our bodies extra food, it will see it as a need for storing excess inside, some store it as subcutaneous fat, which is under the skin and some as visceral fat (around internal organs, which is dangerous).

 

Portions can be thought through two perspectives:

?Energy density or ingredient caloric count (so instead of regularly snacking on a packet of chips and bringing them in our homes, think of whole foods, like a fruit or veggie sticks or smaller low calorie items, which are high source of satiety, such as complex carbohydrates, like oats or veggies, which can made into an array of things. Just don’t get lazy or make an excuse?)

?Nutrient volume is where you understand that even if I am consuming a large bowl of something, is it still impacting my internal organs and body weight? We all know it in our gut that a big bowl of salad, with super awesome colours added, will provide more nutrients and way less calories than a similar bowl of durum wheat pasta (which is high in refined carbohydrates and provides less nutrient profile.)

 

If you are constantly hungry and your portions are going crazy, daily or you are trying to lose weight… this is an area to consider.

??Stop upsizing your meals. Rather downsize a bit further.

??Always have 3/4 of your plate filled with high fibre foods, salads, veggies, 1/4 portion of grains)

??1/4 portion of the plate for animal based protein or plant based protein

Make simple shifts in life and see phenomenal results

 

I have been wanting to speak to you about food PORTIONS for such a long time. So when I asked the question, I jumped right in to answer it. Hear me out on my IGTV today, where I talk about simple rules to follow to avoid overeating or watching your portions. This is true for adults and children alike. 

We are over-consuming calories today and are being told THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO EAT AND THEN BURN IT OUT TOMORROW. It doesn’t work. Nope.

Here are some more tips for you to watch out for: 

• Strictly say no to upsizing: When getting takeaway, resist the temptation to buy the larger meal options. When dining out, choose a gourmet kind or entree sized meal instead of the main size because that is good enough as well. Most restaurants will do this for you if you ask. Limit yourself to just 2 courses, instead of 3. 
• Eat mindfully: Focus on what you are eating and enjoy all those amazing flavours and textures.
  • Slow down and chew each mouthful at least 15-20 times, put down your knife and fork and sip on a glass of water in between mouthfuls. As it actually helps you relish the flavours.
  • Start up a conversation with family and friends and do not eat whilst being distracted as it simply increases your chances of eating more. 
  • Serve yourself a smaller portion and instead of going back for seconds immediately, wait at least 10-15 minutes. You’d be surprised that you’re really not that hungry by then. It can take up to 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain to say that you’re actually full and don’t need that second helping (this is especially helpful to teach out kids, as they naturally prefer to eat smaller portions at different times of the day, rather than stuffing it all at one go).

Watch out for these sneaky large platters and excess food portions going inside your system. Most restaurants need to serve you large portions to justify the price they are asking you to pay for it. But you are technically paying a larger price with your health if you aren’t mindful. Go fine dining portions 😉

 

Don’t forget to hop on to my IGTV and listen to what I have to share with you. Also, don’t forget to leave a comment if you have any doubts or need clarification or simply if you like the post. 🙂

 

 

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