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How to Get Better at Portion Control and Stop Overeating

If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the most important things you can do is reduce how much you’re eating. When combined with a consistent exercise regimen that is safe for your level of fitness, eating fewer calories than you burn throughout the day can create sustainable weight loss that you will be able to maintain indefinitely.

Though the road to weight loss can seem straightforward, reducing your daily food intake isn’t always easy, especially at the beginning. If your body is used to receiving a certain amount or type of food most of the time, you may experience physical fatigue and negative psychological effects in the first few days or weeks of a new eating plan. However, there are many ways to ease these effects and successfully control your portions in order to achieve lasting weight loss.

Include Protein in Every Meal or Snack

Food is made up of three primary macronutrients:  Carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Of the three, protein is known to be tied closely to satiety, that satisfying feeling you get after a meal. Protein can also help you to feel full for a longer period of time. 

If you tend to get hungry within an hour or two of eating, you may find yourself overeating throughout the day to maintain the levels of energy you need.

Include a protein source in every snack or meal. It can help you feel more satisfied and energized throughout the day, allowing you to eat less overall. Protein can be found in foods like meat, legumes, Greek yogurt, and tofu, but it can also be found in supplemental products, like protein powders and nutrition bars.

Drink Enough Water

Often, what we think might be hunger is actually thirst, which can lead to overeating. Making sure to drink enough water throughout the day is one of the most effective practices you can incorporate for weight loss. Not only will proper hydration help you to feel fuller throughout the day, but it will also improve your energy levels.

Eat from a Smaller Bowl or Plate 

In some cases, the psychological factors that surround eating can be just as powerful as the physical ones. For example, if you head into dinner with a large plate, you’re likely to fill it with food, even if you don’t feel physically hungry enough to eat all of it. 

In the same vein, the brain typically triggers cues for the feeling of fullness once you’ve cleaned your plate, even if you could physically eat more.

When you approach meals with a smaller plate or bowl, you’re more likely to feel satisfied by a smaller amount of food simply because your plate still looked full. 

Conversely, if you still use a big plate but only fill about 50% of it, you’re likely to feel deprived and end up overeating due to the psychological effects of a partially filled bowl or plate.

Ready to take the next step in your weight loss journey? Contact us at the Metropolitan Vein and Aesthetic Center to see what we can do to help.

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