Chat with AHA!

Chat with Ask Healthshots

Battling obesity? Try these tips for portion control

Battling obesity is not only about what you eat, but how much you eat too! ere are 5 tips to practice portion control!
tips to stay fit after 40
Don't eat more than your stomach can take. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Published by Purvi Kalra
Published On: 28 Aug 2022, 12:00 pm IST
  • 175

The battle to fight weight gain can seem never-ending. Ask those who are in the battlefield! Obesity has become a growing epidemic, with more and more people falling victim to it. The primary culprits behind obesity is the high consumption of high-calorie foods for a longer period, as well as lack of exercise. Sometimes, people tend to gorge on everything they serve themselves. Therefore, the best way to shed excess fat is by controlling the high-calorie food intake. You can do that once you learn how to practice portion control.

Health Shots reached out to Dr Kiran Rukadikar, Bariatric Consultant, to get insights on portion control. Here are a few tips he shared that can help to control those hunger pangs and stop you from overindulging – both at home or on the go.

5 tips to practice portion control

1. Reduce cravings in between meals

Sometimes, cravings feel hard to beat. You can turn to low-calorie foods like fruits, salads, skimmed milk or buttermilk. Beware! Don’t have more than one at a time. The rationale behind this is that the more gap we tend to keep in between our meals, we increase our chances of always ending up eating more during our major meals. This seems very likely, considering you may have been roaming around on an empty stomach for a long time.

So, needless to say, keep munching on those low-calorie foods by keeping them handy whenever your cravings spike. Eating right will help you reduce weight.

Reduce your cravings
Control your cravings. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

2. Make your meals more about salads

No one is alien to the fact that salads are always healthy. They become healthier for people battling obesity when they make it a point to incorporate salads during daily meals. This is so because salads give you a fuller feeling, and you would naturally end up eating less high-calorie foods.

3. Minimize the size of your dinnerware

Evidence suggests that the size of our plates, cutlery and glasses can unconsciously influence the amount of food one eats. For instance, placing your food on a large plate can make it look smaller, often leading to overeating.

In a study, nutritional experts scooped out 31 percent more ice cream for themselves when given larger bowls. The increase was 14.5 percent more when they were given larger serving spoons.

Take a Poll
How do you fight obesity?

Interestingly, most people who ate more due to the large size of dishes were totally unaware of the increase in portion size. Dr Rukadikar adds, “Eating on smaller plates has helped many weight watchers.”

Drink water regularly
Drink water and stay hydrated. Image courtesy: Shutterstock

4. Drink water before meals

Drinking a glass of water 30 minutes prior to your meal will naturally help in portion control. You may drink water before or in between the meals, as filling up on water tends to reduce your appetite for the meal at hand.

Take a Poll
How do you fight obesity?

5. Follow a fixed schedule for your meals

According to the expert, trying to keep a fixed time for your meals since it is considered one of the best ways to practice portion under control.

Unwanted weight gain always has its roots in large portion sizes. Portion control is the most natural quick-fix remedy to improve the quality of life by helping prevent binging.

Related Topics:
About The Author
Purvi Kalra
Purvi Kalra

After testing her skill-set in the field of management and marketing, Purvi Kalra is exploring the world of turning thoughts to words. Her penchant for writing stems for being an avid reader all her life. Her work drives her to be better every day.

Next Story