Serving Says

I need you to help me with something.

Something I have been milling over ever since a conversation Tate and I had weeks ago.

Here goes…

If you eat whole, real food at every meal and you are, and always have been, at  a healthy and happy weight, is it important to be aware of potion size?

It’s not important because

  • it’s the ultimate intuitive eating!  Fill your body with what you want and feel you need, nothing more, nothing less.
  • portion “control” is mostly about caloric intake, if your weight is a complete non-issue than so is portion control.
  • many portion sizes are built in (a piece of bread, an apple) so you are going to eat “a portion” anyway.

It is important because

  • although portion awareness is mostly about calories, it’s also important for understanding your intake of fats, proteins, and micronutrients.
  • you can make informed decisions about how and where to get your calories and nutrients.
  • even if you are at a healthy weight it’s important to understand how quickly calories add up, especially with high-fat food.

I have had more than one client who claimed they ate whatever they wanted, and how much they wanted, for years without gaining weight.  They were at a total lose when, seemingly all of a sudden, the pounds started piling on.  Even if they ate quality, whole food, the balance was off.

As a volume eater myself (low calorie foods in generous quantity is my preferred “diet”), I would teach these clients about finding a balance between appetite, nutrition, and quantity (portion size).  I firmly believe that had my clients had this information and awareness throughout their life they would have had an easier time maintaining healthy weights.

“Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”
–Hippocrates

Even good medicine in the wrong dose can become detrimental to your health.

Thoughts?