[cs_content][cs_section parallax=”false” style=”margin: 0px;padding: 45px 0px;”][cs_row inner_container=”true” marginless_columns=”false” style=”margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;”][cs_column fade=”false” fade_animation=”in” fade_animation_offset=”45px” fade_duration=”750″ type=”1/1″ style=”padding: 0px;”][cs_text]When embarking on a weight or fat loss journey, one of the most crucial factors to consider when looking to achieve results is ‘portion control’. As you may know from reading some of our previous blogs one must be in a calorie deficit to lose weight. And therefore, just eating foods you consider to be ‘healthy’, isn’t going to help you lose weight if you are over eating. Below I will discuss five tips to help you with portion control.

1 – Fill up on greens

Try to make sure that with many of your meals, you are aiming to fill 50 percent of your plate with green vegetables, as they are high in fibre and great for controlling satiety levels. Aim for lots of leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cabbage, spinach. Not only are they packed with vitamins, but you also get a lot of bang for your buck with having high volume but at low calories.

2 – Don’t rush eating

Take your time to chew food properly and try not to rush your eating. Often people eat too quick for their brain to process what is happening, and end up thinking they are still hungry, when all they needed to do was slow down.

3- Use smaller plates

Sounds silly, but you are more likely to have smaller portions if you use a smaller plate. Bit of a mind trick involved in this one, but it’s simple and effective.

4 – Track your calorie intake

One of the easiest ways to stay accountable, is to track your calorie intake. If you know how many calories you are consuming, you can work out if you are eating the right amount. This doesn’t just stop you from over eating, but can also give you an indication of why you may be feeling hungry. It is now easier then ever to track your food intake with phone apps such as myFitnessPal and Fat Secret.

5 – Don’t pick whilst you’re cooking

This one probably rings true for the cook of the house. Sampling foods whilst cooking can be dangerous, and without realising it, you could be clocking up a lot more calories, without even realising you’re doing it.

There are many people who fail on diets as they struggle to realise or consider that they are over consuming calories. Try and never eat to the point of feeling full up.

You should always allow a little space for more when leaving the dinner table. Weighing things out can help you to see if you are having too big of a portion.[/cs_text][x_image type=”none” src=”https://pgpt.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/healthy-plate.png” alt=”” link=”false” href=”#” title=”” target=”” info=”none” info_place=”top” info_trigger=”hover” info_content=””][cs_text]

Last Thoughts

Beware of buffets. Our eyes are generally bigger than our stomachs.

Always try to make sure you fill up your plate with greens and protein before going for fatty or high carbs foods.

Try to avoid going back for seconds and once you’ve finished eating at dinner time, go and brush your teeth.

Good luck on your fitness journey.

Joe[/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]