How To Lose Weight By Eating Half Portions

Eat just half of the delicious food on your plate. It’s a concept that sounds so easy until those sushi rolls or chicken tacos are right in front of you! Here’s the thing—eating just half of what’s on your plate will absolutely help you lose weight because you’re eating half the food and fewer calories. But there are other, somewhat smarter ways to lose weight without tempting yourself every time you order a meal.

At least half of us dine at restaurants at least twice a week, and you don’t have to be a nutritionist to know those meals have far more calories than the meals you make at home. So what do you do? If you’re a dedicated dieter, strive to take half of what’s on your plate home. But let’s be real. Most people will want to eat everything that’s in front of them, so here are other ways to get your food portions right!

If you have a choice (and you usually do) pick vegetables over fries, pastas and other “bad carbs.” Think reds, oranges and dark greens to get a variety of the nutrients you need. It’s okay to eat more of your meal if you’re focused on the quality and not just the quantity. USDA’s My Plate is a great tool for building the right mix of foods if you need a little guidance.

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If you’re eating at a buffet, for example, look for a smaller salad plate and use that for your main course. If you’re being served family-style, eat off the smaller bread plates. You will naturally trick yourself into eating a smaller amount of food, even though you’re also eating everything on your plate. When cooking at home, try a sectioned plate.

When you share a meal, you are offering up half of what’s on your plate so there’s no temptation to eat everything served to you. Plus, you won’t have it at home haunting you as a midnight snack. Some experts recommend just splitting the entrée, then ordering a vegetable or fruit side so you don’t cut yourself short.

Restaurants recognize that many diners want smaller portions. They’re shrinking their meal sizes to get you to buy more add-ons like desserts, appetizers and beverages. ABC News calls it the “room-for-dessert factor.” Don’t cave in!

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Our bodies often mistake thirst for hunger. Instead of quenching that thirst with fatty food, try to finish an entire glass of water before you start eating.Being mindful of calories is a often touted as being a crucial part of successful fat loss, but according to fitness coach Max Weber, counting calories will only get you so far.

While total calorie intake will directly impact weight loss or weight gain, there’s more to the picture than simply calories in vs. calories out, he writes on his Instagram.

He says that it's imperative to eat the right amount of protein, carbs, veggies and fats at each meal, because each macronutrient plays a different role in the body.

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Some are responsible for energy levels and gut health - both of which can impact how much sugar we crave, for example.

Others regulate hormones which make us feel more hungry or full, while protein, for example, can help us to build muscle and reduce body fat - changing our body composition.

Max recommends using your hands for measuring out how much of which nutrient you need - which is probably more accurate than using a cup or scales because our hands grow in direct proportion to our bodies.

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Sophie Bertrand, registered associate nutritionist at Rhitrition, says that although portion control has a role to play in reaching goals, there are no 'rules' in regards to portion sizes.

Max says that it's only a rough guide and that it's totally fine if your portions aren't all perfectly equal or the ratios are a bit off - so long as you're total day's calories and macronutrients work for your goal.

She told The Sun: Whilst it’s true that in general, men may need bigger portion sizes than women, it also largely depends on the individual and factors such as their physical activity levels, height, weight and lifestyle.

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Portion size is obviously going to depend on our individual goals and needs. If you want to lose body fat, for example, you're going to need different portions to someone who is looking to build muscle.

And even then, your own mix of hormones might mean that your approach to fat loss needs to be tailored slightly differently to another dieter. Conditions like PCOS, for example, can make losing weight harder - and so one-size-fits-all approaches aren't going to be useful.

Regardless of the goals, it is important to note that portion sizes are likely to be different from person to person and we shouldn’t compare our diet to other people’s, Sophies said.

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Many fat loss experts will agree that you can never really eat too much dark green leafy veg like spinach and kale. Max recommends that women have just one serving of veg.

That may be because not all veg is the same (some contain more sugar than others, for example). But the portions of other macros are more important to get right because they're the most energy dense. A thumb of humous isn't that much - and yet loads of us eat spoonfuls of it at mealtimes.

There's no need to freak out about whether you've got slightly over a handful of rice or under a handful of broccoli, but it is useful to see what one portion does actually look like for us.

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Many couples often find that they pile on weight together and one reason for that can be that women think they should eat the same amount as their partners. This graphic shows that actually, we need roughly half the amount of all macronutrients - regardless of calories.

We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yoursThis little habit was picked up when I was attending San Diego State. Being a bartender I was constantly surrounded by delicious ( more like rich ) foods so I decided ‘shit, I want to enjoy my life…but in moderation.’ So every time I went out to eat ( or ate at my workplace ), I’d only eat half.

First off, the portions are out of control in America as it is. I mean really though, have you guys been to The Cheesecake Factory lately? The portions are just absolutely ridiculous. Their entrees could serve a small country.

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Playing the long game means seeing the bigger picture in every aspect of life. The short game doesn’t interest me. In fact, it’s kind of boring. & I’m up for the challenge of the long game. The way I ( try to ) eat is definitely for the long game. Small moderations every day, add up in the larger game of diet/health. Instead of starving myself for days to eat a huge bowl of pasta ( the short game ), I’d rather enjoy small portions of pasta a couple times a week when traveling, have a few bites, & move on with life.

I feel like when you let yourself enjoy what you want, you don’t feel deprived. And if you don’t feel deprived, you don’t end up shoving your face with crap you never wanted in the first place.

This is how I order: typically I split an appetizer with Michael ( I like to go with proteins like ahi or Burrata Cheese covered with olive oil, tomatoes, & basil, the protein sort of fills me up so I’m not starving for a huge entree ). And then for my entree I’ll always order an appetizer, pasta, burger wrapped in lettuce, or a piece of fish ( sometimes I like grass fed steak too ). If I order the pasta, I will only eat half. ALWAYS. If I order an appetizer as an entree, I try to eat until I feel full instead of licking the plate clean. I sort of use my best judgement. If I order a beautiful piece of salmon, I’ll eat the salmon & veggies & only eat half of the rice. If I order a burger ( medium rare, add jalapeño, & extra avocado ), I cut it in half.

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(…unless of course I’m in like Venice, Italy having the most romantic dinner ever with the best bottle of red wine & handmade pasta with Farmer’s market tomatoes…but you get it ).

By the way, I usually take the other half home or have Michael eat the other half if we’re traveling, so it doesn’t go to waste.

This post is just to share a little eating out tip that I practice and I feel like it makes a BIG difference in the LONG run. Also, I always feel satisfied. If I want a few bites of dessert, I’ll have some & move.

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Oh, & another weird thing I do: I always order peppermint tea to end a meal. There’s something perfect about