Rethinking portion control…
“I know what I need to do,” a client will tell me. “I just need to work on portion control.”
Somewhere, decades ago, portion control became the credo in dieting and nutrition circles. This approach stuck so well that many folks are stuck thinking it’s the only way to lose weight, or to maintain a healthy weight.
In the strictest sense, portion control starts with calculating how many calories you should consume each day to lose weight (also a tricky approach, but that’s a different article). Then you measure the quantities of food that go on your plate. And forget about going back for seconds.
I don’t use a portion-control approach with my weight-loss clients for many reasons — primarily because it doesn’t work. Or, it may work for a while. Some weight comes off, but then the demands of real life and feelings of deprivation torch the whole endeavor.
I’ll show you how to be confident and flexible in your food choices, to both lose weight & still enjoy yourself!
And the worst part? When this happens people often think they’ve failed, especially if they’ve put weight back on. This makes me bananas, because it’s not their fault (or yours). This strict form of portion control is an unnatural strategy and our humanness wins out in the end.
Fortunately, there are more logical and sustainable ways to reach your weight-loss goals.
(Want to know more about the problems with portion control? Click here.)
A realistic approach to losing weight — and keeping it off
Successful weight loss looks different for everyone. That’s because each person’s reasons for being overweight differ. Of course, some people overeat. But whether that applies to you or not, usually multiple factors are part of the weight gain picture, including the types of food you eat, sleep quality, chronic stress, hormonal changes, gut health, medications, mental health and other non-food factors.
In my nutrition and lifestyle program, I take a holistic approach to helping you uncover and address factors involved with your weight challenges. I will suggest foods and eating routines, and guide you through mindset, habit and lifestyle changes that make these food choices doable. We’ll keep it simple, taking on change one step at a time.
Working together, I will help you:
• Learn to balance your plate with sufficient protein, fiber (plants) and healthy fats, which lead to fullness, satisfaction and stable blood sugar — all of which support weight loss
• Learn which foods and meals are nutrient-dense (packed with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients). These are mostly whole foods vs. processed foods, and we start with easy meals
• Create awareness around your hunger, feelings of fullness and how your body and brain respond to eating more or less of certain foods. I want you to feel good!
• (If you overeat) figure out why and when this happens — locations, times of day, emotions, etc. Then I’ll help you develop eating habits that leave you satisfied with a healthy amount of food
• (If you eat too little) choose foods that support your metabolic machinery, which can get wonky when you don’t eat enough. (Yup, skimping on food can result in your body holding onto weight!)
• Learn what to look for on the Nutrition Facts panel and ingredients list on food labels
• Help you understand the big picture of strong nutrition, so that you have the confidence and flexibility to make great food choices in any environment, without relying on rules or math
Ultimately, the road to weight loss looks different for everyone. But sustainable weight loss requires an understanding of the many factors contributing to weight gain.
By contrast, portion control is like relying on GPS navigation just to drive home from work each day… Wouldn’t you rather just know the way?
