Portion Control Tips!

So, with the holidays fast approaching I've decided to whip up a little advice for portion control. This is probably the time of year when portion control matters most, what with buckets full of mashed potatoes at every table.

1. Kid Plates - Don't look at me like that. I'm serious! I eat off of little kid plates, sectional plates, bread and butter plates all the time. You're basically playing an optical illusion on yourself. When we eat off of large dinner plates, we WANT to fill them. But doing that means over eating. By using a small plate, we fill it and it's still an appropriate amount of food.

2. Measuring Cups and Spoons - But you're not baking! I know. I used them to serve my food rather than using serving spoons. That way I'm not eye balling the portion and possibly over estimating the amount. I KNOW I'm eating what I SHOULD be eating.

3. Drink Water - Water is good for hydration, yes. But if you drink a glass before each meal, you'll feel fuller faster. You are far less likely to over eat!

4. Eat More Often - By eating every 3 - 4 hours hours you don't get hungry, your body is always in burn mode, you have more energy and you don't go a-hogging every morsel in sight.

5. DO NOT Skip Meals - Ever. EVER! If you skip meals to conserve calories you're actually having the opposite effect. After about 4 hours your body goes into starvation mode and starts to store all the fat. That's counterproductive. Plus, when you skip a meal, you're starving by your next one and are more likely to over eat and make bad food choices because you're so hungry.

6. Split Meals - This is for when you're dining out. Restaurants always serve huge portions so if you eat out, split a meal with your dining partner, eat half and take half home, or eat off the kids menu if you can.

7. DO NOT Eat Out Of The Container - Don't eat food directly out of it's container (cereal, popcorn, pretzels, etc.). Get the portion size out and put the rest away. OR when you bring it home from the grocery store, pre-portion your snacks into little snack bags and THEN store them. Either way, don't eat from the box, bag, carton, etc. If you do you're probably going to eat more than you should.

8. Eat SLO-O-OWLY - I know this sounds ridiculous but it seriously helps. Eat food more slowly and your body has time to realize it's full.

Best advice is to combine and use these tips each and every time you eat. Portion control is a HUGE factor in successful weight loss. If you have other suggestions, feel free to post them! Good luck!

Protein Pancakes!

Protein Pancakes

My friend, Stephanie, gave me this recipe a couple of years ago. I made them this morning and it occurred to me that I hadn't posted them here. Silly me! These Protein Pancakes are ridiculously easy and fast as well. It's all lean protein and complex carbs. It's a great way to start your morning or an easy snack. I'm going to give you the basic recipe but note that the amounts can be increased to make a huge batch and stuff can be added to the mixture to add variety.

Ingredients

1/2 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup egg whites (I use All Whites, doesn't really matter. It's just easier when it's in a carton)

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Spray skillet with Pam (I use Olive Oil Pam).

Pour small, equal portions of the batter onto the heated pan. Cook until brown (about 30 -60 seconds) then flip and repeat!

See, it's very easy. You could also add frozen fruit or applesauce to the batter in the blender. You can top them with sugar free fruit spread, peanut butter, honey, whatever your pleasure.

If you decide to make a big batch you might want to make it in the amounts listed above, and just do it more than once.

Note: They're not as poofy as regular pancakes. Also, they don't seem to bubble when they're ready to flip so you'll have to keep watch.

Enjoy!