Portions, Portions, PORTIONS!

Portion control plays a major role in weight management.  It helps to eliminate bloating and increases your metabolism through out the day because you eat more frequent smaller meals.  For those of you who don't know this about me I can destroy food.  I have always been able to eat a ridiculous amount of food in one sitting for my size.  Am I bragging?  No, but growing up always hanging out with guys I thought it was cool I could eat just as much if not more then them.  Now I see why I had so many stomach problems as I got older.  As I have started eating 6-8 smaller meals through out the day I feel so much better and have a lot more energy.  Because I like to eat food, well who doesn't, I HAVE to be eating all the time.  I just changed the size of what I ate.  Something that I did was not allow myself to eat on a dinner plate.  Just put them away, there is no reason why you should be filling an entire dinner plate of food and eating it in one sitting.  To stay small you have to eat small!!!  It is fulfilling to eat everything off your plate but it is such a mental game we all play that we have to clear our plates.  So just make them small and that way you still clear it with out having the guilt of consuming too much.  America has this crazy mentality that we have to eat footlong sandwiches and full pound burgers but that is insane.  Your stomach can't handle food in large quantities.  Why do you think so much of our nation has gastrointestinal problems?  Irritable bowel syndrome?  Bloating and gas?  Ulcers?  Diverticulitis?  All of which I have been diagnosed with at some point in my life and none of which I struggle with now.  Why?  Because almost all of these can be cured with diet!!!  90 percent of our nation doesn't get enough fiber in their diet because they eat so much processed grains with no green vegetables.  I can't stress enough how much your diet can affect your body.  Your body is made up of living tissue so why do you think it is so important to eat living food?  A good rule of thumb, the longer the shelf life the shorter yours will be.  Eat what your body can break down and that is food that breaks down fast like fresh fruits and veggies with lots of water.  Portion out your plate to have more greens then protein and more protein then carbs.  I love to eat 4 oz. of Salmon with lots of greens and sometimes no carbs at all with lots of fluid.  I feel so good after eating like that and I know my body thanks me for it.  So hide your dinner plates and remember that small amounts of food frequently will help you lose weight and keep it off for life.