25 Jan Dole Control

In all honesty, I hate this topic. Out of everything I do to maintain my weight, this is what gives me the most trouble: It’s portion control.

I’ve always been a big eater. Even as a kid, I remember adults commenting on my “healthy appetite.” Of course, this was a nice way of telling my parents: “Quit letting your kid eat off of everyone’s plates.”

Because of my great love of eating, I’ve always had to make exercise my main priority. Otherwise, I’d have a serious weight issue. But now, as I get busier and travel more often for work, I find that my workouts are becoming less consistent. I might work out five times one week, and then only hit the trail twice the following week.

I’ve realized that if I cut back on my portions just a little, I can maintain my weight (and sleep better) even if I can’t get my exercise in every day. I don’t even have to cut back much: Just eating 100 fewer calories each day is one pound of fat not gained by the end of the month.

Although I really dislike measuring and weighing out my food, I’ve noticed that it does help to keep my portions under control. So, I’ve had to get a little creative and enlist the help of a few handy tools. One thing that has really worked well for me is the Portion Plate. I keep it on my counter and I use it during dinner at least once a week. It serves as a good reminder of the amount of food I should be eating each day.  

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