Starting a diet plan can be daunting and were all looking for the one weight loss diet that works when we need to lose weight. For my husband and I the diet plan that was a success for us and had us lose over 4 stone (56 lbs) each was the small portion diet.
Following a portion control diet has kept us slim and we haven’t had to suffer through the dis-hearting yo-yo affect that can result from many weight loss diets.
The portion control diet is easy to follow but like all diets you need to learn to manage it properly that’s why I have compiled a list of Question you might want answering about losing weight on the smaller portion diet
Weight Lose tips on the Portion Control Diet
These Weight Lose tips should help you to get started on a portion control diet and aid in successful weight loss through smaller portions.
*What is the Portion Control Diet – The portion control diet is about managing your portion sizes to lose weight effectively.
*What Do I Do On The Small Portion Diet – Eat the exact same food you are eating, but in smaller portion sizes.
*Do You Need To Deny Yourself Certain Foods – NO. You can eat all food groups.
*Do I Need To Restrict Calories – NO. Eat when you are hungry. The portion control diet is about eating the right amount of food for you, without over indulging. Satisfaction and the love of food still applies to this diet plan. The amount on your plate is the reduction in calories and you should eat a portion size that keeps you full.
*Do You Need To Follow An Official Portion Control Diet Plan – NO. We came up with our own to suit our needs, the main concept of the diet is easy to understand and you don’t need a drawn out plan of daily requirements or meal plans. There are some on-line if you feel you do need more structure and help with self control.
*Do I Need To Buy Any Equipment – NO. There are products that can make reducing your portion sizes down easier like Portion Plates or Bento Boxes, but there are no specific weight loss products for the smaller portion diet. The portion control diet is as kind to your wallet as it is to your waist line.
*Do You Need To Drink Lots Of Water To Curb Hunger – NO.
*Who Determines An Ideal Amount of Food – YOU DO, how much you eat and when is up to you. Some people on the portion control diet eat 5-6 times a day (We eat 4 times a day like we always have). It’s your decision how you manage your diet plan, just ensure you eat a smaller portion than you normally do at every meal and stick to it.
*Do I Have To Measure How Many Calories Are In My Food – NO. On the portion control diet you don’t need to work out how many calories are in your food with a calorie calculator, it’s a relaxed diet plan.
*What Is A Good Meal Size – a Size That Doesn’t Leave You Hungry. Scientist have discovered on average people are putting 30-50% more food than they need on their plates due in part to portion distortion.
*Do I Need Willpower – Yes. Willpower goes hand in hand with losing weight and is a vital component to whether you are successful at losing weight or not. Self regulation and the willpower to do it is essential on any diet or change in lifestyle. You will need to stay with it for it to work and to see the benefits.
*Is The Smaller Portions Diet Hard To Follow – NO. You live your life the same as you are now, just eat smaller amounts of food at meal times, when snacking or drinking sugary and alcohol drinks. You eat the same amount of meals the only thing you reduce is how much you eat or drink.
*Can I Still Eat Chocolate – Yes. Try not to inadvertently eat more than you would normally. I lot of people make the mistake that because you have had eaten less, you can eat more. It’s not true and is the wrong mindset to have for the portion control diet to work. If you normally eat one standard sized chocolate bar a day, you could have one fun sized chocolate bar and only one in a 24 hour period.
*Should I Eat Fast Food – You can still eat fast food but in smaller portions – Buy a smaller sized meal than you usually do. Try to stick with single burgers rather than double cheese burgers and only buy one item of food during your meal so no doubling up with two packets of fries. You could also share a meal with a friend rather than eat it all by yourself.
*Do I Have To Exercise – NO. You don’t have to exercise on the portion control diet plan, but exercise should be apart of your life whether your losing weight or not.
*How Do I Start Cutting Down My Meal Sizes Try cutting your food down by a around a third at first then after your body has adapted see if you can go any further.
*What Do I Do At Weddings and Social Gatherings – Eat a smaller portion size of the main meal (Maybe even take your own small plate with you), using the palm rule for small snacks like nuts and crisps/chips is a good tip and limit the number of horderves you eat by setting yourself a number before you start.
*Can I Still Drink Alcohol – Yes. Alcohol is something people tend to over indulge in and don’t realise some alcohol drinks have a lot of calories in it. Try making a glass of wine last longer by drinking it slowly and drink water in-between alcoholic beverages.
*Will The Weight Stay Off – Yes if you stick with it and adopt the smaller portion diet as a lifestyle choice.
*Will I lose Weight Fast – Difficult to say. Personally I wouldn’t recommend anyone lose weight fast. We took our time so as not to harm our bodies while following the portion diet. Fast Weight Lose can result in some scary medical conditions. We lost the recommended amount of 1-3lbs a week. Within 9 months I had gone from a UK ladies jean size 20 to 12.
*How Long Before I Lose Weight On The Portion Diet – There are certain factors to take into account like how much you have cut your meals down by, If you have cut out refined sugar from your daily diet, took on heavy exercise regime or have started to choose to eat healthier foods all will determine how fast you could lose weight.
*How Fast Should I Cut My Portion Sizes – This depends on you. We cut our meal sizes down roughly once a month give or take. I personally would recommend taking your time so your body can adapt you will know when you are ready. We found reducing our portion sizes down slowly a bit at a time when we were ready was best, our bodies didn’t notice we were eating less food and didn’t react to the change in portion size.
*Can I Splurge Occasionally – Yes but try to take it into account that you ate more and adjust the rest of your meals throughout the day or week. Remember not to make over eating a habit, keep your meal sizes consistent and the odd splurge will be fine.
*Will I Yo-Yo On The Small Portion Diet – We haven’t and we’ve been eating smaller portions for years. If you stick to smaller portions of food and don’t increase the amount, then you should maintain a consistent weight.
*What Happens If I Get Cravings – You can eat them, but make sure it is a small amount. when snacking for example think lining the stomach not filling it since snacking is extra food you don’t need to in your diet.
*Am I Allowed to Eat After 8pm – Yes
*Once I’ve Lost Weight Do I Stop The Diet Plan – NO. Stopping a successful diet isn’t the best thing to do. If you are on a sensible diet (not a fad diet) then it should become apart of your life. If you have found the perfect portion size for you and it has enabled you to lose weight that correct portion size will keep your weight stable.
*Are There any Extra Weight Lose Tips You Can Give Me – Yes. Eat your food slowly take time to appreciate the flavours of your food, there’s no rush.
– Don’t be ashamed to leave food on your plate or to turn down food you don’t like.
– Use smaller plates, bowls and cups.
– Rate Foods against one another and only eat the foods you really like. Don’t put foods in your body your not that keen on.
– Try to eliminate snacking on a daily basis from your diet, we did this by weening ourselves off the sweet stuff over time now sugary snacks and junk food are rare in our diet, we still eat and enjoy them but not daily.
