Nowadays, watching what you eat has become a rather common habit. Many people have learned to count calories, hoping that it will solve their body-weight issues. However, is measuring every single thing you put in your mouth a healthy practice? Many experts believe it can do more harm than good. First of all, it gives you the illusion that all calories are created equal, which is not true. Your body needs important nutrients that you may be missing if you are constantly controlling food intake. Besides, eating 1,500 calories of energy-dense foods means you’ll be eating tiny portions that won’t make you feel satisfied. You’ll be hungry most of the time, and sooner or later you’ll give up. In addition, counting calories on a regular basis can lead to an obsession with food, which can easily become a full-blown eating disorder such as bulimia and anorexia nervosa.
On the other hand, we live in times of food abundance, and controlling portion size can be a useful way to keep our weight at bay. Research shows that people tend to overeat when given an oversized meal or snack. This happens because when the portion in front of us is too big, we think it is ok to have a few more bites (even if we are already full). Also, some foods such as pastries, chips, and ice cream are easier to overeat than others. That’s because processed foods don’t provide enough fiber, taking larger portions to make us feel full (even if the amount of calories consumed is way higher than what we actually need). Fruits and vegetables, on the other hand, are water- and fiber-rich, which contributes to satiety. Think of it this way: it is easy to ingest 500 calories worth of cake, but it is almost impossible to consume the same amount of calories worth of watermelon, for instance.
Therefore, what would be the best approach to control food intake without going overboard? I truly believe that you should experiment in order to discover what works for you. However, there are a few things you can do to assure you are getting all the nutrients you need while staying within your recommended caloric intake. First, you need to learn to assess your hunger and fullness levels. Remember that if you wait to eat when you are over-hungry, you may not be able to make smart food choices, and you’ll be more likely to overeat. So, pay attention to hunger signals such as a gurgling stomach or growling noises, and honor your hunger. This may mean you’ll be having more meals per day, which is fine because your portions will tend to be smaller. To avoid overeating, create the habit of doing a mini-break during your meals to assess your fullness level, and stop eating when you are 80% full. Finally, you may want to follow a simple guideline: consume at least five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. This means eating at least one serving of fruits or vegetables with every meal or snack (if you are having five meals per day). Because fruits and vegetables are rich in water and fiber, it is more likely that you’ll feel full sooner, which leaves less space for energy-dense foods.