2008 Woodie Awards
Dining out leave you feeling stuffed?
Katrina Hartwood
Issue date: 4/2/08 Section: Life
When you eat out do you usually find afterwards that you are too full to move? Not only is the feeling of being stuffed uncomfortable, but it usually indicates that you ate too much. Regularly eating too many calories quickly adds up to unwanted weight gain. Many things can be done to avoid overeating at restaurants and at home.
Portion sizes have been getting bigger in all kinds of restaurants as well as at the home. To ensure you are not overeating and you are getting the right balance of the types of foods your body needs (protein, carbohydrates and fats), it is important to know and be able to recognize proper portion sizes. For example, a portion of protein is only considered to be about the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm.
Not only is it important to know what is considered to be a portion, but it is also important to know how much of each food type you need in a day. The amount of food or calories a person needs in a day varies from person to person based on many factors such as age, sex and activity level. The easiest way to estimate how many servings your body needs is to visit the website mypyramid.gov. There, not only can you find an estimate of what your body needs based on your characteristics, but you can calculate and track the number of calories and nutrients you consume. There is also a physical activity tracking section where you can keep track of the calories burned and check if you are in energy balance.
Knowing portion sizes and how much your body needs are not the only factors involved in controlling overeating. In fact, many other factors should be taken into account when you try to manage overeating. It has been stated that it takes 20 minutes for the body to recognize that it is full. Eating slowly, and paying more attention to the cues that you are full, can cut back on how much is eaten but this may be difficult to do when the foods tastes too good and you feel too hungry before eating. Eating regularly throughout the day can help manage overeating at one meal. Having a light snack (like some vegetables or a few crackers) prior to arriving at a restaurant may help. Starting a meal with a salad or a broth-based soup, (cream soups add fat and more calories) can also help control hunger so that overeating is controlled. Not only are the vegetables good for you, but the fiber or fluid in the soup can help make you feel fuller sooner.
Knowing that portion sizes have increased throughout the years may encourage you to not clean your entire plate while eating out. It is sometimes too tempting for people to eat all the food on their plate even when they know they are full. By requesting a box at the beginning of the meal, and immediately placing half of the food in it, there will be less temptation to finish it all and you will also be able to enjoy the food again for the next meal or the next day.
Overeating can quickly add up to excess weight if it is done on a regular basis. Controlling portion sizes, not depriving your body of food before a meal, and boxing up half the meal prior to starting to eat are all ways to control overeating.
Katrina Harwood is a Senior in the Dietetics Program in the Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences. She may be reached at harwkatr@isu.edu
Portion sizes have been getting bigger in all kinds of restaurants as well as at the home. To ensure you are not overeating and you are getting the right balance of the types of foods your body needs (protein, carbohydrates and fats), it is important to know and be able to recognize proper portion sizes. For example, a portion of protein is only considered to be about the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm.
Not only is it important to know what is considered to be a portion, but it is also important to know how much of each food type you need in a day. The amount of food or calories a person needs in a day varies from person to person based on many factors such as age, sex and activity level. The easiest way to estimate how many servings your body needs is to visit the website mypyramid.gov. There, not only can you find an estimate of what your body needs based on your characteristics, but you can calculate and track the number of calories and nutrients you consume. There is also a physical activity tracking section where you can keep track of the calories burned and check if you are in energy balance.
Knowing portion sizes and how much your body needs are not the only factors involved in controlling overeating. In fact, many other factors should be taken into account when you try to manage overeating. It has been stated that it takes 20 minutes for the body to recognize that it is full. Eating slowly, and paying more attention to the cues that you are full, can cut back on how much is eaten but this may be difficult to do when the foods tastes too good and you feel too hungry before eating. Eating regularly throughout the day can help manage overeating at one meal. Having a light snack (like some vegetables or a few crackers) prior to arriving at a restaurant may help. Starting a meal with a salad or a broth-based soup, (cream soups add fat and more calories) can also help control hunger so that overeating is controlled. Not only are the vegetables good for you, but the fiber or fluid in the soup can help make you feel fuller sooner.
Knowing that portion sizes have increased throughout the years may encourage you to not clean your entire plate while eating out. It is sometimes too tempting for people to eat all the food on their plate even when they know they are full. By requesting a box at the beginning of the meal, and immediately placing half of the food in it, there will be less temptation to finish it all and you will also be able to enjoy the food again for the next meal or the next day.
Overeating can quickly add up to excess weight if it is done on a regular basis. Controlling portion sizes, not depriving your body of food before a meal, and boxing up half the meal prior to starting to eat are all ways to control overeating.
Katrina Harwood is a Senior in the Dietetics Program in the Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences. She may be reached at harwkatr@isu.edu
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