Portion Size is Potent in Losing Weight

Overview

The restaurant industry is comprised of more than 500,000 locations with more than $400 billion USD per year in gross revenue. While no one will dispute the benefits of someone else doing the cooking, clean up and shopping for the meal - or the quiet retreat of a 5 star location; the restaurant industry has made weight loss more challenging. The culprit is the portion size we have come to expect from our local eatery. Oversized, Supersized, All-You-Can Eat are not great terms in the battle of the bulge.

Think Deck of Cards

Steak and Rib Restaurants love to see the steak slip over the corners of the plate, as the size of the steak or slab of ribs pushed the one pound or more mark. Couple all that meat with a starch, salad smothered in fat based dressing and suddenly weight loss is impossible.

The right size for lean protein (well marbled is all about the fat content) is 3 oz which is roughly the size of a deck of cards. This is a far cry from the over sized portion we have come to love at the local restaurant.

Small and Frequent

In the battle to lose weight, often the strategy is to diet, starve or fast to quick results. It has been shown that the right portions, of the right foods couples with a more active lifestyle is far more successful.

Load up on the Greens
The rule of thumb is to divide the plate in half and then divide one half again
The large half should be vegetables, steamed or raw with no sauce or butter. This could be steamed green beans, a leafy salad or steamed pepper and onion medley or any other choice of vegetable with a low carbohydrate point value. Avoid potatoes, corn and other starchy vegetables.

The smaller sections should be lean protein and healthy carbohydrates and the right fats (avocado, olive oil or nuts).

Try using small, pretty plates for the food and garnish it nicely. Smaller plate can fool the eye into feeling less deprived.

Conclusion

Successful weight loss is not rocket science, nor does it need to be pain and suffering. A few simple changes like:
* Eating more often - small healthy meals 5-6 times a day
* Eating the right portion size is essential - weigh it
* Calorie comprehension is essential - they are not all alike
* Healthy, consistent physical activity is essential

Eat often, eat right and the pounds will seem to effortlessly disappear.

Matt is a fat loss authority and author of The Burrito Diet, the diet plan that helped him lose 80 pounds in only 8 months and maintain his weight for over 4 years. Matt conquered his life-long struggle with his weight through the power of the burrito - find out more about his amazing story at http://burritodiet.com