A Post-Valentine’s Day Portion Control Refresher Course
It’s the day after St. Valentine’s Day and you are sitting in front of a beautifully wrapped box of chocolates. While you already promised yourself not to have any more, inadvertently your hand reaches again into the box as you surf the web, chat on the phone, or flip the television remote. Before you know it, your hands digs around the box only to find that nothing is left. You realize suddenly that you have eaten the entire box in one sitting. “That’s funny,” you think, “I really didn’t eat that much for the box to be empty already.”
Alas, my friend, you have indeed eaten the entire box of chocolates. Although, you know there is another new box sitting in the pantry, let me stop you before you head in that direction. This refresher course in portion control is just what you need to be reminded of before you finish another box and see the results from that reflected on you scale.
Lesson 1: Limit yourself to only one serving per day.
A serving is what the nutritional information on the side of the package indicates. Unless the serving size tells you ‘one package,’ refrain from eating polishing off a whole box of whatever and stick to the serving size as your limit for that day!
Lesson 2: Eat only until you are satisfied, not stuffed!
If sweets are not your pleasure, then be sure to put your decadent dinner menu meals onto smaller plates. Many of us have the ‘clean plate’ syndrome, which is a quality acquired by youth from parents where you cannot waste any food. This sometimes leads to one eating more than they were satisfied. To prevent this phenomenon, use smaller plates, like salad plates for your dinner. This gives you the feeling you got a full plate, with almost half the amount of food!
Lesson 3: Hide food out of sight!
Ever heard the saying, ‘Out of sight, out of mind?’ This rings true with those chocolate boxes lying around, or your favorites box of cookies. Putting it in the the very back of the pantry, behind some other things so that it is not the first thing you look at when you are hungry can significantly reduce the chances you will grab for that unhealthy snack first.
Lesson 4: Share as much as you can!
Eating alone tonight? Ask a neighbor to come over for dessert so you will not really help yourself to all that ice cream in the freezer. Sometimes a little sharing can go a long way!
