The Great Plate Size Deception
Many people believe that simply switching to smaller plates will magically solve their overeating problems. This myth has been circulating for years, with countless articles promising quick fixes. However, recent research suggests that the effect of plate size on food consumption might be much smaller than previously thought or may not even exist at all.
While some studies do show a modest reduction in food intake with smaller plates, the effect isn’t nearly as dramatic as people hope. The real kicker? Many of these earlier studies came from research that has since been questioned for scientific misconduct. Smaller plates are often recommended to reduce portion sizes and appear to reduce portion sizes. However, there are no studies evaluating dishes specifically designed to facilitate portion control.
Calories Don’t Count if the Food is Healthy
Here’s a shocker that might ruin your day: healthy food still contains calories. You do need to eat fewer calories than you burn to lose weight. “But food provides much more than calories. It’s nutrition and fuel. An avocado that contains 200 calories of healthy fats and fiber is better than the same calories from a bag of chips.
The quality versus quantity debate has led many people astray. Sure, that organic kale salad with nuts and olive oil might be packed with nutrients, but it can still pack a caloric punch if you’re not careful. The important nutritional component of weight loss is being in a calorie deficit. This forces your body to draw energy from its current stores (body fat) regardless of the macronutrient makeup of your diet.
The Six Small Meals Magic Formula
The idea that eating six small meals throughout the day boosts your metabolism has been gospel in the fitness world for decades. But here’s the reality check you didn’t ask for. Studies show that splitting the same number of calories into six meals rather than three does not help with daily energy expenditure, weight loss or fat loss.
University of Colorado researchers found that those who ate smaller, more frequent meals ended up feeling hungrier than their counterparts who ate less often. Think about it logically – you’re essentially training yourself to think about food constantly throughout the day. That’s not exactly a recipe for portion control success.
Your Hand is Your Perfect Measuring Tool
The palm-sized protein, fist-sized vegetables approach sounds convenient, but it’s based on some pretty shaky assumptions. This hand portion system allows you to use your own hand as a personalized, portable portioning tool. Rather than measuring your food, you’re using your hand to gauge portion size.
The problem? Not everyone’s hands correlate with their actual nutritional needs. A basketball player and a petite office worker both using their palms as measurement tools will end up with vastly different caloric outcomes. Each person’s macronutrient needs are different, so no two macro diets will look the same. If a person wants to count macros, it is a good idea to consult a dietitian for advice on appropriate macro ratios.
All Calories Are Created Equal
This might be the most persistent myth in nutrition, and it’s driving people absolutely nuts trying to lose weight. Two foods with the same number of calories can have different effects on your hormones, gut microbiome and metabolism. A handful of nuts, for instance, will take longer to digest compared to a bag of Cheetos.
The hormonal response to different foods can dramatically affect how your body processes and stores energy. Weight loss is all about our hormonal response to certain macronutrients. When high glycemic index foods are consumed, the body responds via two hormones. It increases insulin and suppresses glucagon. The combination of the two set up the stage for fat storage by telling our fat cells to store calories.
Portion Control Plates Are Revolutionary
Special portion control plates with built-in dividers might seem like the answer to all your problems, but the research tells a different story. The use of portion control plates in nutrition interventions appears to promote weight loss among those with overweight and obesity and/or type 2 diabetes. However, portion control plates were mostly used as part of multicomponent interventions and the effectiveness of the portion control plate as a stand-alone educational resource or portion control tool alone was uncertain.
These plates work best when combined with education, counseling, and other behavioral changes. On their own, they’re about as effective as putting racing stripes on your car and expecting it to go faster. The real magic happens when you understand why you’re overeating in the first place.
Restaurant Portions Reflect Normal Serving Sizes
If you think restaurant portions are anywhere close to normal, you’re in for a rude awakening. Cookies are 700% larger than recommended servings. Cooked pasta, 480% larger. Steak, 224% larger and bagels, 195% larger than a recommended size.
We’ve become so accustomed to these supersized portions that normal serving sizes look ridiculously small. A strong environmental factor contributing to the obesity epidemic is food portion size. Food portion size represents an environmental factor contributing to the obesity epidemic which has changed the food environment. Your perception of what’s “normal” has been completely warped by years of portion inflation.
