Losing Perspective: Portion Control

One of the first things I do with my clients in my initial fitness assessment is to ask them to describe a typical meal. What I'm looking for, before I even get to what they're eating, is a clear indication of their portion control. That is, how much food do they eat in one sitting. When it comes to the actual volume of food we put down our throats, let me say this politely: North Americans eat FAR too much at meal time. Seriously, we're pigs. We load up huge dinner plates with massive helpings, and can't figure out why we suddenly have a belly. We eat massive amounts and wonder why the food doesn't just mysteriously vanish, but actually gets lodged on our hips and thighs and stomach. Why is this such a mystery?

At least, that's how my fellow trainer put it when he was ranting last week.

The truth of it is a bit murkier. We live in a society where we are pushed to always be consuming. Whether its food or toys or religion or sex, everything is a commodity. And when it comes to food, we are pushed towards volume eating by our so-called dinner plates and the portions we're served when we go out to eat. Have you ever wondered why our plates are so big? If they don't seem big to you, know that you have been sufficiently tricked by those pushing you to consume. Our portions are significantly higher than those in most countries, and as a result (along with a few other issues), we're a significantly obese populace.

Neurologically, our brain doesn't "do" size. It sees a plate and counts it as "1 plate." It sees a cup, and counts it as "1 cup", regardless of size. My parents used to tell me that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. Thanks to the advances in neurological studies, I can tell you that she's absolutely correct. You cannot trust your eyes to measure portion control. (For more information, check out Malcom Gladwell's article on it in his book) The other issue with portion control is speed. We eat too quickly. Since we're always rushing, gulping down our food instead of savouring it, we literally eat too fast for our brain to receive proper signals from our stomach that we are "full." Food is meant to be savoured and enjoyed, not consumed, and it's the first step towards a better diet.

The assignment this week for my boot camp is to eat only off dessert plates. No dinner plates or large bowls! And, only one helping every two hours. Instead of three meals, however, they are allowed to eat five. Why? Smaller meals shrink the stomach. We want to promise our body we will feed it small amounts on a regular basis. What that does, in turn, is increase our metabolism. You'll feel lighter as you shed this idea that "more is better." That's a flat out lie used to get you to consume more products. Don't believe it. Instead, challenge yourself by shrinking your portions and observing how much better you feel. It's unfortunate that we have to wade through so many lies to be healthy. In this case however, it's pretty simple. Stay away from buffets, and make your dessert plates your dinner plates. I guarantee you'll see and feel the difference.

-Steve