Mick Jagger sneered, “I’ve got nasty habits.” Poor Mick! But he could change his nasty habits and stay healthy while still enjoying his meals to the max. One of my favourite non-nasty habits is portion control. If you practice portion control you don’t give up anything; you just control how much you put on your plate.
Let’s say you’re serving yourself. The first things you reach for are fruits and vegetables. Their fiber and water make you feel full while giving your body vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Fill half of your plate with colorful fruits and vegetables at each meal, and practicing portion control will feel a whole lot simpler. Choose any fruit or vegetable you want. (No one ever got fat eating just fruits and vegetables.)
Next you can practice eating enough but not too much protein. Use the palm of your hand to measure the amount of protein you need to eat at a meal in order to stay healthy. Your palm is approximately what 3 ounces of meat, legumes, or eggs measure. So that’s the food you place on your plate second, next to the lovely vegetables. Now your plate is ¾ full.
Since so many of us overdo our starch portion (think rice, pasta, bread, and potato), why not enjoy a healthy 1-cup portion instead of banning mainly carb foods altogether. A cupful is about the size of your fist. This method is not an exact science (after all, we all have different size hands) but it sure does come in handy. It goes on last, after the vegetables and protein, and now your plate is full.
But remember to watch out for Saboteurs. Did you know that your plates can sabotage your best-laid plans? People tend to fill their plate when they sit down for a meal, and eat until their plate is clean. In the 1960s, plates were roughly 9 inches in diameter. In the 1980s, they grew to around 10 inches. By the year 2000, the average dinner plate was 11 inches in diameter, and now, it's not unusual to find dishes that are 12 inches. So bring out your grandma’s dinner plates again. By using smaller tableware, you will put less food on your plate in the first place, and you won’t have to prance bare-chested on the stage. You’ll replace your nasty habits with first-rate ones.
We’d love to see you at TOPS. Each one of us is struggling to improve our health by eating sensibly and each one of us gets support from the group. We recognize that the journey takes time while sharing what has worked for us. We support and encourage every member to meet their health goals through developing better habits.
We meet every Wednesday morning at the Community Centre, from 9:00 to 10:00. We’re a low-cost, enjoyable, self-help program that happily welcomes everyone. (Your first visit is free.) If you want to Take Off Pounds Sensibly with us, please call ...
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Submitted by Amber Harvey
References:
- 'Take portion sizes back to the 1950s to beat obesity,' say BMJ scientists | Daily Mail Online
- Protein | The Nutrition Source | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
- 8 Portion-Control Hacks That Really Work | HuffPost Life
- dinner plate sizes over the years - Google Search
- The Choice is Mine TOPS Club Inc.