When it comes to weight loss, a winning strategy always involves portion control. The ability to control your portion is very essential regardless of whether you are trying to lose weight or maintain your current weight after the HCG Diet. These tips can help you learn to control your portion sizes.
Tip #1: Start your meals with a glass of water
Your stomach has only enough space for limited foods and drinks. So, filling with a glass of water can make you less likely to overeat. As you drink water, you’ll start to feel full, which makes you eat less.
Water contains no calories and can leave you feeling full. This makes it a good idea to drink water before a meal. As a result, you are more likely to limit your consumption to an appropriate portion.
Tip#2: Fill up on vegetables
The best way to reduce calories while filling up is by adding veggies to your meals. As an example, you can add spinach to sandwiches or add it to pasta or stir-fries. In addition, you can add diced apples to oatmeal to make it more filling or replace half of the meat with mushrooms.
Tip#3: Avoid eating from large containers
You generally eat from a dinner plate or bowl, but not all of these containers yield the same result. Several studies have shown that when people eat from large containers, they tend to eat more foods, regardless of portion size. This suggests that people consume more food when they use larger containers. Use smaller bowls and plates for your meals and snacks to prevent overeating.
Tip#4: Take time with your food
To slow down your eating, try eating foods that require peeling, shelling, or unwrapping, like nuts and oranges. Besides their healthy food options too. This gives you a bit more leeway in terms of the amount you can eat.
Tip#5: Use a portion control plate or portion control containers
Portion control plates often have various sections for specific food groups. Sometimes the plate has raised physical barriers, lettering, or graphics. Portion control containers, on the other hand, hold a specific amount of foods and are meant to store a single food group only.
The portion control plates and containers are tools that can help make sure you are not consuming too much of a specific food group.
Tip# 6: Limit your mealtime distraction
According to a clinical nutrition study, people who are attentive to their food while eating tend to consume fewer calories overall. So, don’t get distracted at mealtimes. Put away your smartphone, turn off the TV, and eat away from your desk.
Tip#7: Be mindful when snacking
Many HCG dieters have little trouble keeping their portions in check when they eat a real meal like breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, when it comes to snacking, things can get a lot murkier.
To maintain your weight after the HCG diet, be mindful when snacking. Exercise care and caution when enjoying a bite in between your regular meals.