Portion Control: Why Breakfast Matters

By Gary Rock :: More posts in Fat Loss | Food and Nutrition

“My biggest problem is portion control. Potato chips and soft drinks are not my problem… however, I could eat a humungous salad with all the right veggies, etc,. that could serve four to six people… I’m trying to eat smaller meals more often. Do you have any tips on how to control my appetite at night?”

- Betty

Hi Betty,

This is a question I hear often and is surely worth addressing. The following advice is for anyone who has a similar problem with portion control.

Having issues with portion control or overeating is oftentimes due to not eating enough early in the day. Simply put, if you under-eat during the day your body will instinctively release certain peptides that increase your appetite. Your body essentially thinks it is starving and starts sending out signals to eat. People who go on diets usually fail here – they start their day with the best intentions and try and use willpower to not eat. This is a huge mistake. If you ever try and lose weight by restricting calories you will 99% of the time gain it back. Read that again… dieting does not work for long-term weight loss.

In your case, Betty, waiting for dinner to come around has made you so hungry that you’re able to eat a salad big enough for four people. The good news is that you ate a healthy salad. Many people who encounter this problem get so hungry that they go overboard and gorge on a pizza. Afterwards they feel guilty, decide that they just don’t have enough willpower to diet, and often give up. This is very upsetting to me. If they had eaten more during the day, they wouldn’t be so hungry at night. Willpower is not necessary to lose weight, eating enough nutritious food throughout the day and being active is. Bottom line, if you eat enough food early in the day, you should have the “willpower” to control your portions at night. It’s really that simple.

The solution is to start your day with a big breakfast and to never let yourself get hungry. If you do get hungry, it means you have waited too long to eat. In this instance, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Another helpful tip is to be sure you drink plenty of water. We often mistake thirst for hunger so if you find yourself hungry soon after eating try drinking 12 ounces of water and see if that helps. Aim for a total daily intake of ½-ounce of water per pound of bodyweight daily.

Other reasons you may be overeating at night include stress and poor food choices throughout the day. Poor food choices include processed and high-sugar foods that could result in periods of lethargy and extreme hunger. Try and make better food choices if you feel this is the case. I suggest you stick with natural foods found around the perimeter of the supermarket – a great tip for supermarket shopping. If it comes in a package don’t eat it! If you are an emotional eater you need to address these issues with a qualified health professional or if you prefer a more DIY method that can be very effective, give EFT ( www.emofree.com ) a try.

In Health,

Gary Rock

www.nextfitnessevolution.com

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This Health Disclaimers were last updated on 10-07-2010.