We have all heard the motto "All things in moderation" before, but how does it fit into the weight loss world?. Well, in thought and theory, experts believe that if we can cut our portions in half we would be able reach our natural weight and maintain it for a lifetime. Now with the thought of portion control on our minds, lets consider some very simple portion control techniques that will inspire you to take heed. They are very easy to do and you will notice the difference they will make.

Meet in the middle of the road

This statement will surprise you but "you can lose weight and still eat your favorite foods!". We just need to decrease our portion sizes by half. For example, if you love eating at Subway or some other deli and you order a 12 inch sub sandwich for lunch, just eat half and eat some raw veggies on the side and finish up with some fresh fruit. Then wait 10 to 15 minutes to see if you are still hungry. If you eat slow and pause after eating the first half of your sub and allow yourself a few minutes to see if you are feeling satisfied, you just might find you are too full to eat the other half.

Doggie Bag Please

Restaurant portions have doubled in size in the last 15 years. When dining out, ask your waiter for a take out container as soon as your food is served. Put half of your food into the container as soon as it is brought to the table. You can always take some out of the box if you are still hungry after eating what is on your plate, but chances are you won't need to. Now you can heat up the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Two meals for the price of one.

A Kid At Heart

Many restaurants offer lunch size portions of their meals, which are smaller than their full sized dinner menu's. Ask your waiter if you can purchase a lunch size portion even though it is dinner time. Have you ever felt like a kid at heart? Ask to order off the children's menu! If you tell your server that you are watching your weight, they will probably allow it. Practicing this portion control advise will save your waste line and your wallet some bucks.

Don't Super size Me!

Fast food portions are definitely oversized, so there is never a need to super-size! Sometimes they make their super sized meals even more tempting by giving you a much better deal, avoid the temptation! It is better to just stay clear of meal deals. You would be better off ordering a chicken sandwich and a side salad. You could also order the kids meal; kids meals contain what used to be an adult size meal. I guess that was before the value meals and the combos that are sold in today's world.

Small Packages Equals Good Portions

If you find it is hard to control your will power with a bag of chips sitting on the cupboard, then don't buy large bags anymore. Buy the lunch size bags that are already portioned out as a serving. This is an easy remedy if you are tempted to eat more than one or to finish off the box at one sitting. You could buy some snack baggies and divvy out the chips in singe servings as soon as you get home from the grocery store. You know your weakness, do what is best for yourself.

Eye Balling Your Servings

Just how many almonds (or one of your other favorite snacks) are in a serving? Do you know? Have you read the food nutritional label to see? Check the box and see, you may be surprised at how many servings you are actually eating. Learn what the portions of your favorite snacks are by measuring them out the next time you eat them. Once you see how much a serving really looks like, you'll be able to eyeball it out from then on and know how much you are eating.

No More Buffets

I have learned over the years that all you can eat buffets aren't good for me. I have to avoid them like the plague. It is difficult to practice portion control at an all-you-can eat buffet because all you want to do is eat!

Standards

• 3 oz. meat is the size of a deck of cards or an audio tape
• 1 oz. meat is the size of a matchbook
• 1 cup of potatoes, rice or pasta looks like a tennis ball

Portion Control is the difference between being overweight and healthy! You Choose!

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