When it comes to reaching your fitness goals, whether it’s losing a certain amount of weight, building muscle, or just generally getting healthier (and staying that way), what you eat is always going to be just as important as how much exercise you’re doing – to get the results you’re looking for, those two things go hand in hand. This is a partnered post.
And when it comes to food, it’s great to pick healthy options, but you also need to be very careful about portion control because no matter how healthy the thing is you’re eating, if you eat too much of it, it’s quickly going to become unhealthy. That’s why it’s so important to understand portion control and to make sure you get it right – in that way, all your hard work should show some great results. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more. 
What Is Portion Control?
Before you can get started with making sure you get your portion control right, it’s crucial to know what it is, and even if you think you do know, making sure is never a bad idea – you can’t move forward if you’re working on an incorrect theory, after all.
In essence, portion control is about managing the amount of food you eat at each meal or for a snack; when you get portion control right, you’ll be able to meet your body’s nutritional needs and ensure you’ve got enough energy to do what you need to do during the day without flagging, so it’s clear it’s important.
And although the idea of portion control might seem quite straightforward, when you stop to look at your plate, the portion size you thought was just right might not be after all. It’s far easier to eat too many calories without realizing it than it’s ever been before because of how many fast food options are available. Plus, you’ll often find in restaurants you’re given more food than you can really eat because that leads to good reviews about portion sizes – however, if you eat it all, you’ll be harming yourself. The problem is, this leads people to think that’s what a normal-sized portion really is.
The great thing about portion control is that it doesn’t mean you have to cut things out of your diet – in fact, you can eat a massive range of things, whatever you want to, as long as you don’t eat too much (or too little). It’s a good balance of food that’s the key here as well as the amount, however, so don’t get carried away with unhealthy food and just eat less of it – that’s going to lead you down an unhealthy path.
Why Portion Control Matters
Now you know what portion control is, it’s a good idea to think about why it matters so much in terms of your health.
Calorie Management
When you control the portion sizes you’re eating, you’ll also be able to manage the number of calories you consume each day more easily, and that’s great for your health. When you eat more calories than your body needs, that leads to gaining weight, just as when you don’t eat enough, you’ll lose weight (although not always in a healthy way – that weight might not be fat, but could be muscle instead). If you can do portion control, you’ll strike the perfect balance for calories too, and you’ll be able to maintain a healthy weight much more easily.
Nutrient Balance
Another thing that portion control can do for you is to ensure you’re getting the right mix of what are known as macronutrients (which include proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) plus micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) in your diet. If you want good energy levels, if you want your muscles to be able to repair themselves, and if you want your overall health to be good, this is a balance you need to get right, and portion control is the key.
Mindful Eating
Once you get your portion control right, you’ll find mindful eating becomes easier, and even if that’s not something that’s really been important to you (or perhaps you’ve never heard of it), it can be very beneficial. Mindful eating is all about paying attention to what you’re eating and how much you’re eating so that when your body tells you it’s full, you stop. That means you’re less likely to overeat, and that leads to healthy weight loss and better overall health too.
How To Practice Portion Control
If you’re keen to get started with your portion control, it’s easy to do pretty much right away, and it certainly doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated. To begin with, you might notice that some meals and recipes have serving sizes written on them, and understanding what that means is going to help hugely – you can use measuring cups, scales, or perhaps just compare a portion to an object like a mug or similar and make a note of what you use – that way, you can stay consistent.
Another good ‘trick’ is to use smaller plates and bowls for your food – when you use smaller dishes, it’s going to make your portions look bigger, and that can make you feel fuller and more satisfied even if you’re actually eating less than you were before. And when it comes to what’s on those plates, try to fill at least half with vegetables; once again, eating more veg than anything else will help you feel full but you’ll be consuming fewer calories.
Meal prepping is another fantastic option because not only does it save you time and potentially money, but with regards to portion control, it means you’ve got a chance to think ahead about how much you should be eating and portion it all out in advance. Or why not consider pre-prepared soups and shakes diet NHS? If you do that, you’ll get your meals sent directly to you, and you’ll know for sure that the portion sizes are correct – you won’t even have to think about it!
In the end, if you want to be fit and healthy and if you want your food to help you rather than harm you, portion control definitely needs to be something you think about and put into practice sooner rather than later.