Skipping meals or Portion control? Are you among many people who are confused about which option to choose in the desire to get back in shape or want to lose extra kilos? The truth is, there is no quick or easy solution for a healthy weight loss. Eating a balanced diet and exercising good portion control are the greatest ways to maintain a healthy weight.
Various types of research and studies are done on this topic and every studies suggest a different path, some talks about Skipping meals, and intermediate fasting while other suggest Portion control is a more sustainable way of keeping weight in control, to which I am also inline with.
Skipping meals on a regular basis could lead to serious health related consequences.
Why is skipping meals not an appropriate choice?
Food provides power to each and every system of our body. If you skip food it’s obvious that every part of your body gets impacted.
If you are inclined to lose weight, give the portion control a try
In my opinion portion control is a more healthy and sustainable way to lose weight. As if you eat sufficiently you can stay away from weight gain. Portion control helps you to avail the benefits of the nutrients in the food without over eating and without depriving yourself of nutrition by skipping meals.
Drawbacks of skipping meals
- Skipping meals can make you nutrients deficient
- Skipping meals makes you lethargic and dull, your body gets energy from food and if you skip having food your body becomes drained out of energy.
- Skipping meals may lead to weight gain. As when you skip your meals it causes metabolism to slow down and it decreases the ability to lose weight.
- Skipping meals may cause more harm than good, as it increases the chances of overeating. Your empty stomach makes strong food cravings like cravings for foods that are high in sugar, salt and carbs.
- Skipping meals is also not good for your psychological well-being. It impacts general brain functioning, you may experience lack of focus.
It is beneficial to have a proper amount of healthy diet that provides your body all the essential nutrients without increasing calories. Portion control could be a helpful method to lose weight in a safe and healthy manner, by which you can lose weight and sustain it for the long term.
Benefits of Portion control
- If you practice portion control your digestive system works efficiently. As food you eat, digest easily.
- Helpful in maintaining a healthy weight.
- Helps in weight loss
- Controls blood sugar levels.
- You can eat almost all foods while keeping calories in check.
- Aids in staying energized throughout the day.
- When you adopt the habit of portion control, the feeling of satiety comes quickly when you sit down to eat.
- It helps to curb the cravings to binge on junk food and keep your levels of calories in control.
- People suffering from any medical condition or undergoing any treatment, in that case also portion control is a better option than dieting. As your body gets a healthy diet with enough protein, vitamins and minerals, carbohydrates and fats.
How to do portion control
- Replace your plates to smaller ones: This will help you to portion control. As in larger plates food appears smaller and you unconsciously do over eating.
- Make the plate your portion guide: Your plate can be used as a portion guide. Fill half of your plate with seasonal vegetables or salad, quarter of the plate with protein like meat, eggs, fish, beans, pulses, tofu etc. Another quarter of the plate must be filled with complex carbohydrates like whole grains and starchy vegetables. Don’t forget to add a little bit of healthy fats like cheese, oils and butter.
- Drink enough water: Keep yourself well hydrated, as it helps you to identify between hunger and thirst. Drink a glass of water 30 minutes before your meals. It will give you a feeling of fullness and reduce food intake.
- Eat slowly: Take time to chew food properly. Your body also takes some time to come to know that it is full. In comparison to gobbling up your food, if you sit down without any distraction of television or any other gadgets and eat slowly, focusing on your food. It will lead you to the feeling of fullness and it will help to curb overeating. If you eat slowly focusing on food, you will not only enjoy your food but you can also control portion size.
- Keep a record: It can be a great way to do portion control. When you keep a record of everything you eat and drink, you become more conscious of the quantity of your food intake.
Practice these tips and tricks, I am assured that it will prove helpful in your weight loss journey.
In this manner, by practicing portion control you can avoid overeating and consume an appropriate amount of calories to reach your weight loss goals. You can achieve a sustainable weight loss by portion control in this way you consume fewer calories without depriving your body of nutrition.
Weight loss is not about dieting but it’s all about eating a healthy and balanced diet. So don’t just lose weight but lose safely and in a realistic, healthy way, which can be sustainable in the long term by using regular balance diet.
Disclaimer: The advice provided in this blog is generic information. Always consult a specialist or your family physician for more information.
