Portion Control for Weight Loss: Why How Much You Eat Matters Just as Much as What You Eat
Portion sizes have doubled – and so have our waistlines! Over the past 30 years, portion sizes for all types of foods (both nutritious options like salads and healthy entrees, and non-nutritious options like burgers and fries) have grown. Even healthy eaters sometimes struggle to lose or maintain their weight, because portions of healthy foods continue to grow, too!
If you struggle with portion control for weight loss, know that you’re not alone! Throughout this article, we will cover tools, tips, visual aids, and mindset strategies that you can use to help you learn the correct portion sizes for your body and your goals.
What Is Portion Control?
Portion control refers to managing the amount of food you eat, either in a single serving or throughout the course of a day. Ideal portion control involves eating a healthy amount of food that is appropriate for your body size and goals. It meets your body’s needs for nutrients without overeating or undereating.
Understanding the difference between how much food your portions (how much food you eat) and a serving (the amount of food that is recommended to eat) is important. Balancing portions and servings helps to manage weight and improve digestion, while ensuring that you receive proper nutrients without over-serving yourself.
Portion control is important for weight loss because it helps create a calorie deficit, which is needed for weight loss. By being mindful of your portion sizes, you can reduce your caloric intake without feeling overly restricted. Portion control also helps with proper digestion and can help manage certain health issues, such as regulating blood sugar and reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
Portion Size Versus Serving Size: What’s the Difference?
Before we dive deeper into how to properly portion out your meals, it’s important to understand the difference between two key terms that are often (mistakenly) used interchangeably: portions and serving sizes.
A serving size refers to the standard measurement of one serving that is listed on food labels. In other words, it is a standard amount of food that is used to calculate nutritional information. The serving size of three Oreo cookies, or one cup of chopped broccoli, is the same for everyone.
On the other hand, a portion size refers to the amount of food you put on your plate and choose to eat. Portion sizes can be smaller, larger, or even multiple times the size of a suggested serving size for a food. For example, you can choose to eat six oreos (which is equivalent to two serving sizes) or one-half cup of broccoli (which is equal to a half-serving size.)
While these two terms and their definitions are related and may seem similar, it’s important to understand the difference between the two, so that you can make informed decisions about the best portion size for your body and your goals.
The Most Accurate Way to Measure Portion Sizes
As a health and nutrition coach, one of the top questions I am asked is “What is the most accurate way to measure portion sizes?”
While there are countless ways to measure portion sizes that work, the most accurate way (or the golden standard) for measuring portion sizes is to use a food scale. If you’ve never used a food scale before, you may feel overwhelmed as to how to properly use it. Don’t stress, I’ve got you covered! Let’s learn a bit more about how to best use food scales to measure portion sizes.
Pros of Using Food Scales to Accurately Measure Portion Sizes
It’s the most accurate way to measure portion sizes
Food scales are affordable and small, meaning they are easy to store in all kitchens
They build awareness by providing visual, eye-opening feedback
They teach you how to eyeball portions correctly (for the future)
While food scales are the most accurate (and easy) way to measure portion sizes, there are a few drawbacks. Let’s cover some of those now!
Cons of Using Food Scales to Accurately Measure Portion Sizes
Food scales can be challenging when food is pre-prepared. For example, it’s hard to know how much one serving of lasagna weighs on a food scale.
Weighing food can feel tedious and sometimes awkward if done in front of others, or in social situations
Recipes often call for ingredients that are measured by volume, not weight. Using a scale for these recipes requires converting the volume to grams.
Remember that portion control is important for all foods, including healthy foods. While most people struggle with portion control around indulgent, less-nutritious foods… It’s definitely possible (and actually quite common) to overeat healthy foods, which can lead to either a plateau or even weight gain.
Tools and Techniques to Master Healthy Food Portions
Food Scale
We’ve already discussed the pros and cons of using a food scale, but let’s learn about how and when to use a food scale to accurately measure your portions!
To use a food scale, first turn on the power button. If you need to measure a food using a bowl or cup, for example, olive oil or coffee creamer, then set the cup or bowl onto the food scale FIRST and then click the tare button.
If you don’t need to use a food or bowl, then click the tare button immediately. Next, plate the food onto the scale. Within a few seconds, you should know the exact weight of that food.
Using a food scale is best for measuring protein sources, as well as foods and/or drinks that are calorically dense (such as olive oil, peanut butter, nuts, ice cream, etc.)
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Using measuring cups and spoons to measure out your portion is great for beginners, because they promote consistency and confidence while reducing guesswork.
To correctly use measuring cups or spoons, choose the appropriate utensil for the ingredient you’re measuring.
For dry ingredients (such as flour), scoop or spoon the ingredient into the measuring tool and level it off. Avoid packing the ingredients down into the cup/spoon unless the recipe calls for it.
For liquid ingredients, slowly pour them into the measuring cup. Try to align the meniscus (the curved surface of the liquid) with the measurement marker you are aiming towards.
Measuring cups and spoons are great to use while measuring common ingredients, such as olive oil, rice, oats, pasta, etc.
Hand Portions
One of my favorite ways to improve portion control is to use my hand to guide portions. This method is great because, as humans, our hands are proportionate to our build (meaning taller or larger people have larger hands, while shorter and petite people have smaller hands).
Here’s how it works:
🍗 Protein
One portion (per meal) is equivalent to 1-2 palms of protein
🍚 Carbohydrates
One portion (per meal) is equivalent to 1-2 cupped handfuls of carbs.
🥜 Healthy Fats
One portion (per meal) is equivalent to 1-2 thumb-sized servings of carbs.
🥦 Vegetables
One portion (per meal) is equivalent to 1-2 fist-sized servings of carbs.
This method of portioning works best for meals on the go or while dining at restaurants because your hand is with you 24/7.
Portion Control Tips for Real Life
Now that we’ve covered a few ways that you can measure out portions, let’s shift the conversation into a more practical one – how to practice portion control throughout your busy life!
Dining Out Without Derailing Progress
Let’s be real – dining at restaurants or at gatherings with family and friends is an important part of life, especially for our social, emotional, and mental health! Sometimes it can be hard to practice portion control while dining out, especially when portions at restaurants these days are massive. Here are some practical tips to help you create moderate portions while dining out or at social events:
🥡 Box it up!
Ask for a box when your entree arrives at the table and immediately box up half for later, before you start eating.
🍓 Smart Ordering!
If you feel having less food on your plate would help with portion control, consider ordering an appetizer with a side salad or from the kids’ menu. In a similar way, don’t be afraid to ask for customizations to your meal at restaurants so it’s more in alignment with your goals.
For example, maybe you choose to order the cheeseburger with a side of steamed broccoli, or you ask for salmon to be grilled without any added oil.
📝 Plan ahead!
Make a game plan based on what foods are offered. This tip is especially helpful for social events where you won’t know ahead of time the foods that will be served. Once you get to the event, take a look at all the foods offered and create a quick, mental game plan of how to portion out the foods you plan to enjoy.
For example, maybe you decide to fill half of your plate with protein and veggies, and the other half of your plate with more indulgent foods, like carb-heavy foods or dessert.
Managing Portions With Emotional Eating and Mindless Snacking
Eating when you’re not hungry, including when you’re feeling stressed or emotional, makes it challenging to practice portion control. If you struggle with emotional or mindless eating, know that you’re not alone! Here are some tips to help you become more mindful of your portion sizes while honoring your body’s hunger and fullness levels.
🧠 Notice Your Triggers
Start to identify the emotions and the triggers behind why you eat. Are you stressed or anxious? Are you feeling overwhelmed, lonely, or simply bored? Awareness is the first step in changing these habits and improving portion control.
⏰ Create a “Pause Practice” Before Eating
If you struggle portioning out your favorite foods when stressed, bored, or emotional, try creating a “pause practice.”
Here’s how it works: When you get the urge to eat, set a quick timer for 3-5 minutes. During the break, ask yourself, “Am I truly hungry? Do I feel hungry enough to eat broccoli or an apple?”
Final Takeaways
Like many habits in life, portion control is a skill that requires practice. In other words, you only get better at portioning out your foods by practicing! 😁 Whether you choose to use a food scale, measuring cups, and/or the hand method, keep in mind there is no “perfect way” to portion food that is universally applicable to everyone.
If you’re looking for more personalized tips (plus the accountability) to learn more about portion control, be sure to check out our customized 1:1 online weight loss coaching programs. My team and I specialize in teaching how to portion meals and overcome emotional eating.
