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As far as quick weight loss is concerned, everyone has been raving about portion control. It seems like portion control is the answer to all of our weight loss needs. However, what about those of us who suffer from diabetes; is portion control an important factor in weight loss and in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels? The answer is yes. Serving sizes may even be more important for those of us who suffer from diabetes.

It is a well known fact that excess calories result in excess body fat and unhealthy weight. However, in people with type 2 diabetes excess body weight can be much more critical. Being overweight or obese means less sensitivity to insulin. That is why weight loss and portion control are very important for people who are overweight and diabetic. Taking the proper weight loss measures can help improve blood sugar and reduce the risk of heart disease (which is much more common in diabetics). So if you feel like your weight is a further threat to your diabetes you should ask your doctor to help you create a meal plan with an adequate calorie intake and proper serving sizes.

A few helpful tips include not skipping any meals, eating at the same time every day, and specifically for women with gestational diabetes it is important to eat multiple meals and snacks per day. It is often difficult to approach weight loss when you suffer from diabetes. The absolute best thing is to speak with your doctor. Your doctor can help you assess your weight goals and create the perfect meal plan. Once you have spoken with your doctor everything else will fall into place. You will know how often you have to eat and what portion sizes you should be consuming.

Portion sizes have increased significantly in and out of the home. Adults and children are eating their way to obesity.

Portion distortion is common and widespread. Restaurants and fast food joints are not the only places serving larger portions. We also serve ourselves bigger portions at home. Worst still, most of us underestimate our calorie intake. Portion distortion may be one of the causes of your expanding waistline and/or obesity related health problems.

If you suffer from portion distortion, here are 5 ways to exercise portion control and keep your calorie intake in check.

1. Awareness of portion sizes

Be aware of how much you are eating and what a healthy portion is. If you are eating at restaurants that serve large meals, divide out the food so you eat a portion that is best for you and take away the remaining to be eaten later. Otherwise, split your meals with someone who is dining with you, if he or she does not mind sharing.

2. Eat slowly

Most of us rush to finish our food. By the time you are no longer hungry, you are likely to have over eaten.

Make it a habit to eat and chew your food slowly. This allows time for your brain and stomach to realise when you are full.

3. Eat more low calorie foods

Portion distortion can work in your favour when you consume large servings of low calorie fruits and vegetables. These are high in fiber and fill you up. By eating low calorie fruits and vegetables before a main meal, you reduce the amount of high calorie foods consumed. They also make good snacks that are healthy and satiating.

4. Smaller plate

People tend to eat more when more food is served to them. If you have a big plate, you are likely to fill it up and stuff yourself with more food than you can eat.

Whether you are eating at a party or at home, use smaller plates such as dessert plates. A smaller plate means smaller portion and it prevents you from mindless eating.

5. Nutrition label

Don’t be fooled by calories per serving listed on food label. There is no standardised serving size. So, manufacturers exploit this loophole by setting serving sizes to deceive you into believing that there are fewer calories since total calories (which is higher) of the entire content is not shown.

Here’s an example of 3 brands of cereal from the same company.

Weetabix: 127kcal per serving (serving size = 37.5g)

Crunchy Bran: 122kcal per serving (serving size = 40g)

Oatibix Flakes: 114kcal per serving (serving size = 30g)

Do you notice the different serving sizes?

Most people can easily eat more than 1 serving of cereal at one time. Hence, total calories consumed can be at least 300kcal!

Be sure to read the label wisely. Calculate the total calories for the entire food package. You get a better idea of the actual calorie intake based on the amount of food you consume, rather than some random serving sizes made up by the food manufacturer.

Don’t become a victim of portion distortion. Use these 5 tips on portion control to eat according to your calorie needs and for fat loss or weight maintenance.

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An effective weight loss program would incorporate not only what kind of foods you need in your diet but also the type of exercises you need in order to burn those fats. The truth is that you don’t have to undergo those outrageous fats and spend all your time doing cardio once you learn what makes an effective weight loss program. Read on:

1. Incorporate incline walking into your exercise routine

If you want to lose your weight faster, dieting should be combined with exercising. Relying on only one of these two components would only give you temporary results, as well as a long time before you can see any difference.

Walking is a good exercise but it will be even better if you walk in an inclined direction. If you don’t have a hill near your house, an inclined treadmill is a great way to do some incline walking exercises.

A treadmill that’s inclined at least 10-15 degrees is enough. An inclined walk of about 25 minutes will also do you good, and you’ll realize how it helps get rid of unwanted flabs. You will discover that incline walking is an important part of an effective weight loss program.

2. What the fitness experts prescribe in a weight loss program: apples and the so called protein shakes

The apples and the protein shakes are not your normal meals. They are just meant as snacks which you can eat in between meals for you not to overindulge when it comes to eating your lunch or dinner.

An apple or a protein shake has around 30 grams of protein and you can alternate between the two. This doesn’t mean skipping on your normal meals. You can eat regular food without “starving” yourself to death just because you would want to be slimmer. A couple of hours after lunch and you feel the hunger pangs, take a bite of apple, and see the difference.

Incorporating the said tips into your weight loss program would not only give you a leaner or thinner body, but a healthy one at that.

Good news for people hoping to control calories-the key could be your favorite snacks; as long as they’ve been portioned into 100-calorie or less packages.

Convenient, portion-controlled packages are new to the market, but you don’t have to buy processed foods to take advantage of this healthy trend.

For example, if sweet and juicy appeal to your taste buds, consider the orange. With only 80 calories, oranges are naturally portion-controlled, ready-to-go, juicy and refreshing. What’s more, because of their high fiber and water content, oranges contribute to the feeling of fullness, which suppresses appetite and helps prevent overeating.

Citrus is a great-tasting way to make calories count by getting more nutrition in fewer calories.

Introducing kids to fruits and vegetables early in life shapes their behaviors so they choose these foods throughout life. A child who grows up nourished with wholesome fruits and vegetables will learn to prefer such foods.

That’s why Sunkist partnered with Sesame Street’s “Healthy Habits for Life” initiative. They encourage young children and their families to establish an early foundation of healthy habits. And remember, fiber and proteins also give you that full feeling with small amounts, so don’t forget to keep both in your main courses throughout the day.

Children and adults need a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables every day. Getting the proper number of servings is easy if you fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables at every meal and make them your first choice as snacks. Making eating healthy a habit is the hard part, but once it becomes a habit, you will know longer crave calorie rich foods that is the trap door for most Americans in today’s culture.

Yes, you are doing your regular workouts. You have even substituted your meals with more healthy and balanced ones. Yet, why is it that the bulges refuse to leave your body? Because you are eating more than your body requirement and the only solution to this problem is restricting your quantity which is called portion control diet.

Normally people eat whatever fits on their plates and that means a sizeable amount of calories is being consumed. With portion control diet you will be eating the right type of food in the right measure. Then only will you be able to see the results. If you cannot control your portions of diet then you will end up gaining more weight. Try incorporating more low calorific foods and less of high calories.

Eating In Right Amount

Everybody wants a big share of everything and this concept is used to the hilt by restaurants that serve large size portions capable of feeding four which is very bad for you. When dining out order kids’ sized meals which will be perfect for you. You can even ask the meal to be divided with one half being served and the other half being packed. This kind of portion control diet will keep you away from finishing off the entire meal.

Portion control diet can also be practiced by dividing your snacks and leftovers in smaller portions. After having your smaller but perfect portion if you still feel hungry do not give in to the temptation for the second serving. After having the right quantity of food if you eat more it will simply add to the calories. Avoid eating large meals thrice a day. Instead divide your meals into 5 or 6 times a day which are smaller and healthier.

The Results Speak The Truth

Eating salads with raw vegetables is a perfect portion control diet that will satisfy your hunger and also not make you binge when the main meal is served. Sometimes when you add lean meat this meal it serves as a complete meal and you do not have to go for the main one. After so much painstaking efforts you can occasionally indulge in the food that has been forbidden for you. Depriving yourself of the most desirable foods will tend to make you overeat. Thus you can sometimes give yourself a treat.

It is a wise decision if you decide to keep away from buffets that do not regulate your indulgences and can give you the reverse results. Be sure to check the serving sizes mentioned at the back of the packets which will give you an idea of how much you are overeating. It is in your hands to make the portion control diet a success.