I want to be clear from the start. The amount of food you eat is important in your quest for permanent weight loss and should certainly be considered. However, I dont feel teaching or observing portion control is the best way to get you to your goal. Why in the world am I saying this?
The 3 biggest problems your Westchester Personal Trainer has with focusing on portion control ONLY:
1. Everyone is different. A portion size for a 30 year old woman who is 150 pounds and 53 is different than a portion size for a 45 year old male who is 225 pounds and 62. It just does not work well in the real world in my expert opinion.
2. Its negative. People are more likely to change their habits when their focus is on what they CAN do instead of what they cant do or cant have. Deprivation is not a good motivator.
3. Portion control does not address the real problem. The real problem (with the vast majority of my clients anyway), is that their metabolisms are slow from not eating frequently enough, not getting enough protein, and not exercising anywhere near as much as they should.
My #1 goal for my clients is to get their metabolisms up I focus on getting their bodies to burn more so they can eat a good deal of food and still lose weight. Simply taking your 2 or 3 large meals and cutting them in half is not a long-term solution. As a matter of fact, the severe overuse of portion control as your only strategy for achieving weight loss will eventually cause your energy and focus to plummet, your cravings to increase, and your friends to stop picking up the phone when you call because your mood will flat-out suck. Once your willpower runs out, put a fork in ya cuz youre done.
Really ask yourself this question Why do people overeat?
People overeat because they go long periods without food and are starving by the time they sit down to eat and/or their meals are unbalanced meaning they dont have a balance of protein, carbs, and fat that affect blood-sugar levels. You see, eating more often and eating balanced meals and snacks naturally control your appetite. This is not my opinion- this is scientific fact. If you can put your focus on eating more frequently and balancing your meals better than guess what?
PORTION CONTROL WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF WITHOUT FOCUSING ON IT A MUCH BETTER WAY TO GO AS FAR AS IM CONCERNED!
1 last point to drill into your mind: Eating more often and increasing your intake of dietary protein increase your metabolism. Portion control does not increase your metabolism at all. Eating huge meals is a symptom that the way you are eating is off. If anything, eating significantly less than you should could cause your metabolism to slow down even more. Be careful before you say something silly like, I know what I need to do, I just need to watch my portions Big diet mistake if you want lasting weight loss
I love food and Im sure you do too. I prefer to have my clients eat their way thin but the choice is yours!