Portion control with pictures

Recording What You Eat There is a lot of value in the actual act of recording what you eat. It’s a behavior that truly takes seconds to minutes a day to do, but each and every time you pull out your app or diary, you remind yourself of your healthy living desires and strategies. It’s through regular and conscious effects and reminders that new habits are formed, and any behavior that helps you to keep your goals and intentions at the forefront of your busy mind is a good one. The point of this habit is awareness, not change. What we don’t like about food logging is when it becomes punitive or judgmental. Food diaries aren’t there to tell you what you are or aren’t allowed. A food diary is simply a source of information to help inform your decisions, as well as an incredibly powerful habit building tool. So this is NOT a calorie counting habit. Recording what you eat isn’t meant to replace your dietary strategy; it’s there to supplement it.

Photos and your food

We often find that people are surprised at how much food they eat. For example, one study found that 21% of people who ate more due to having larger serving bowls denied having consumed more. It's not until we sit down with our clients and start adding up the daily caloric intake that they realise just how much they are overeating.

Taking pictures of all food and drink intake can increase awareness of the type and amount of foods you're consuming and keeps a tab on those little high calorie treats we all forget that we have eaten. In weight-loss studies, those who kept a food diary or picture log tended to lose more weight overall. This likely occurred because they became more aware of what they ate including their unhealthy choices and adjusted their diet accordingly. Learn to "eyeball" your food to gauge what's too much -- and what's just right.

Remember the 80% rule

Increased portion sizes sustained over a long period can contribute to overeating and unwanted weight gain. People tend to eat almost all of what they serve themselves. Therefore, controlling/being aware of portion sizes can help prevent overindulging. Putting pictures in the group allows us to analyse how much you are consuming and where/what we can advise in terms of change.

As we mentioned previously, most people who ate more due to large dishes were utterly unaware of the portion size change. Swapping your usual plate or bowl for a smaller alternative can reduce food and prevent overeating. Most people feel just as full having eaten from a smaller dish as from a large one. If measuring or weighing food isn't appealing, try using your plate or bowl as a portion control guide. It can help you determine a better macronutrient ratio for a well-balanced meal.

A rough guide for each meal is: Vegetables or salad: Half a plate High-quality protein:

Quarter of a plate — this includes meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, tofu, beans and pulses.

Complex carbs: Quarter of a plate — such as whole grains and starchy vegetables. High-fat foods: Half a tablespoon (7 grams) — including cheese, oils and butter. Remember that this is a rough guide, as people have different dietary needs.

Top tip Drinking a glass of water up to 30 minutes before a meal will naturally aid portion control (ensure you post pictures of your beverages as well). Filling up on water will make you feel less hungry. Being well hydrated also helps you distinguish between hunger and thirst. One study in middle-aged and older adults observed that drinking 500 ml of water before each meal resulted in a 44% greater decline in weight over 12 weeks, most likely due to reduced food intake. Similarly, when overweight and obese older adults drank 500 ml of water 30 minutes before a meal, they consumed 13% fewer calories without making any other changes. In another study in young average-weight men, drinking a similar amount of water immediately before a meal resulted in greater feelings of fullness and reduced food intake. Therefore, having a glass of water before each meal can help prevent overeating and aid portion control.