Health weight loss - it’s about eating healthy and portion control

December 10, 2008 | By Valen | In Weight loss diet

We all almost always related weight gain to eating junk foods. But what if you are already eating healthy foods but still see your weight up by a few pounds? The answer to this question may then be - you’re overeating. When you eat more than what you need, you will certainly gain weight. Naturally, you will have to solve this weight gain problem with portion control.

However, the ‘portion control’ here is not so much about controlling the amount of food on your plate. Instead, it is about controlling your daily calorie consumption. Your weight gain problem, despite a healthy diet, could be due to you consuming more calories than what your body needs, and consequently causes you to gain weight.

What to do?
It is important for you to know your calorie need per day in order to lose weight or maintain weight, and that depends on how active you are, how much of your weight is fat, and how much of it is lean mass. If you have a true overweight problem, then calorie counting becomes an important part of your weight loss plan. To know how much calories you are consuming daily, just check the calorie contents stated in the package labels of the foods you buy. Are you consuming too much? You should cut it down then.

Find out how much calories you need each day by using this calorie counter for men and this calorie counter for women.

Of course, when you reduce your food intake, you calorie intake may also reduce accordingly. So you can try control your portions by eating on a smaller plate as well. It’s a ‘psychological strategy’, you may put it. Think of this: if you eat less food on a bigger plate, you will ‘feel’ that you are eating less, even though it could be untrue. Besides filling up your stomach, you have to satiate your mind and eyes, too. And the only way to achieve both goals is by using a smaller plate.

When you use a smaller plate, it will naturally be full to the brim. You maybe eating the same amount of food as before, but your mind you will actually believe that you are eating a lot more! Once your mind is satiated, you won’t feel tempted to eat any junk foods. You see, most people overeat not because they are hungry but because they want to derive emotional comfort from food. That happens to me occasionally. ;P

Other ways to reduce your food intake without having to starve yourself is to add raw fruits and vegetables to every meal you eat. This is because fruits and vegetables, especially when eaten in their raw forms, can satiate you very quickly and even keep you full for a long time because they are rich in fiber.

So, remember two rules in your weight loss diet - choose healthy food and control the portion you eat.

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