Portion Plates
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Use portion control plates to reign in distorted serving sizes.
Size Matters
That's right. How much you eat is just as important as what you eat.
If you feel like you're eating all the "right" foods but are still having difficulty controlling weight, the problem may be your portion control.
Baked chicken breast without the skin might be a "good" food choice, but eating a 6 ounce portion instead of 3 ounces on a daily basis translates into a 12 pound weight gain over the course of a year.
Fight portion distortion with healthy portion size plates.
Study after study has shown that the more people have on their plates the more they're likely to eat. That's why portion control plates make perfect sense.
Portion control plates are intended to do just what their name says: get portion sizes under control.
The basic concept is simple: If you eat less, you'll weigh less.
portion control = weight management
You can still eat the foods you like. NO counting calories/points and NO measuring is necessary. The plate counts/controls the portion (and therefore the calories) so you don't have to!
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed portion plates promoted weight loss in people with Type 2 Diabetes....when used properly!
"Using properly" doesn't involve piling food sky high or using the plate to go back for seconds. Sorry.
Limitations
What are you going to do when you eat at a friend's house or in a restaurant? Whip your plate out of your purse or man bag? Probably not.
But hopefully, after having used your portion control plates regularly you have a better understanding of what serving sizes SHOULD look like and can better eyeball proper portions sizes when you're away from home.
It's hard to know what a "normal" serving size is anymore because portions have gotten so ridiculously out of control.To see if you know how today's portions compare to the portions available 20 years ago, take this portion distortion quiz.
You Have 2 Choices
- Purchase a Portion Control Plate
- Make Your Own Plate
Dish Diet: This is my personal favorite because it's made to look like your own dishware. No pictures of decks of card portion sizes or words "diet plate" inscribed on the plate. No one needs to know you're on a diet. Choose from a set of plates, portion bowls, or a combo of the two.
The Portion Doctor: If you don't mind using a plate that looks like a dieting plate, then this is a good choice. It's divided into three sections by a picture of a knife and fork and has words inscribed telling you how big (or small) your portions should be. The largest section is meant to hold a cup of vegetables, and the two smaller sections to hold half a cup of potatoes/pasta/rice and 3 ounces of meat/poultry/fish.
The Portion Plate: This one is cute, but it definitely screams of dieting thanks to the words "The Portion Plate...Take a better look at your portions," inscribed around the perimeter of the plate along with the colorful pictures of a deck of cards, tennis ball, computer mouse, etc. that are there to show you how big proper portion sizes should be. Children's plates and place mats are also available.
The Diet Plate: This plate is also very cute, but screams "The Diet Plate" around the perimeter, making it very obvious you're eating differently from others at the table. But no biggie if you're ok with that! It's available in "male" and "female" versions (the latter intended to yield lower-calorie meals), and is divided into sections for carbohydrates, proteins, cheese and sauces, with the rest of the space for vegetables.
The EZ Weight Plate: This is more like a bunch of cups assemble together and collectively called a plate. It's plastic and divided into eight "compartments": two teaspoon-size, two tablespoon-size, two that hold a cup each, one that holds two-thirds cup and one that holds 6 ounces. (This makes eating a combination food a little difficult.)
- Find a local paint-it-yourself pottery studio.
- Choose a small salad size plate and decorate it as you like. (Having a child help is always fun!)
- Use squiggly lines to create sections on the plate that will look like abstract art!
- Have the pottery studio fire it for you and pick up when ready.
Search for a paint-it-yourself pottery studio in your area now:
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