Diet

You Don’t Need to Make Your Portions Smaller to Lose Weight โ€” Just Rearrange Them, Expert Says

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Thereโ€™s almost nothing more frustrating than vigilantly sticking to a diet and have it fail to show any real results. What was the use of all that hard work if itโ€™s not even going to do what itโ€™s supposed to? Before you decide to just give up and dig into your favorite comfort food, take a look at the food comparisons dietitian Paula Norris shares on her Instagram page.ย 

Both plates of dishes are made of similar healthy ingredients, but the difference in how much of each item you pile on can clearly add up when it comes to the calories youโ€™re consuming. For example, both of the pizzas shown below look delicious โ€” but the one on the right contains about 300 fewer calories.

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HEALTHY HOMEMADE PIZZA ๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿป โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € What other meals would you like to see in this spot the difference format? Tell me below! ๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ๐Ÿ‘‡๐Ÿฝ โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € On the left ๐Ÿ”ธMedium sized Pizza base ๐Ÿ”ธDried herbs ๐Ÿ”ธChilli flakes ๐Ÿ”ธ40g tomato paste ๐Ÿ”ธ50g full fat cheese ๐Ÿ”ธ10g red onion ๐Ÿ”ธ3 anchovies ๐Ÿ”ธ50g Salami ๐Ÿ”ธ7 cherry tomatoes ๐Ÿ”ธ20g Feta ๐Ÿ”ธBasil โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € On the right ๐Ÿ”นMedium sized Pizza base ๐Ÿ”น40g tomato paste ๐Ÿ”นDries herbs ๐Ÿ”นChilli flakes ๐Ÿ”น40g low fat cheese ๐Ÿ”น10g red onion ๐Ÿ”น3 anchovies ๐Ÿ”น50g prawns ๐Ÿ”น10 cherry tomatoes ๐Ÿ”นBasil โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € We probably left these in the oven a few minutes too long but they were still delish ๐Ÿ˜‹

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Each example Norris posts just goes to show how important it is to consider every ingredient and how you should be using them. Just because certain items of food are considered โ€œhealthyโ€ doesnโ€™t mean you can just toss them in together without taking their individual nutrition into account. Norris lays out the ingredient swaps of each dish she posts so you can pick up better habits for all of your daily meals.ย 

If youโ€™re afraid that this will mean youโ€™re simply giving yourself smaller portions to eat at mealtime, donโ€™t worry โ€” most of the comparisons Norris displays actually seem to create an equal (if not larger) amount of food to fill up your belly. The burrito bowls shown below definitely look just as filling with a few minor rearrangements, like cutting back a bit on the rice and guacamole.

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Mexican chicken or burrito bowls came up as a regular item in lots of your households when I asked a few days back. Again- while the ingredients are all HEALTHY (maybe except for the Mayo ๐Ÿ™Š) – this is to show how a lower or higher calorie version can be prepped by playing with the portions of ingredients. The volume of the meals are similar. โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € On the left ๐Ÿ”ธ3/4 cup cooked brown rice ๐Ÿ”ธ1/2 large tomato ๐Ÿ”ธ1/2 Avocado – mashed ๐Ÿ”ธ1/4 cup black beans ๐Ÿ”ธ1/2 cob corn ๐Ÿ”ธ1 cup lettuce ๐Ÿ”ธ1/8 small red onion ๐Ÿ”ธ1 Tbsp Mayo ๐Ÿ”ธ180g chicken – cooked in pan with Cumin & Piri Piri/Chipotle spices ๐Ÿ”ธ2tsp oil (for cooking chicken) ๐Ÿ”ธParsley โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ €โ € On the right ๐Ÿ”น1/4 cup cooked brown rice ๐Ÿ”น1/2 large tomato ๐Ÿ”น1/4 Avocado – mashed ๐Ÿ”น1/2 cup black beans ๐Ÿ”น1/2 cob corn ๐Ÿ”น1 cup lettuce ๐Ÿ”น1/8 small red onion ๐Ÿ”น1/3 Zucchini ๐Ÿ”น100g chicken – dry grilled with Cumin & Piri Piri/Chipotle spices ๐Ÿ”นDressing of 1 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp lime juice, 1/2 tsp honey ๐Ÿ”นParsley

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Plus, you can adjust this idea to any diet you might be attempting, including forms of keto and intermittent fasting. Itโ€™s all about being more mindful about what you put in your body, which is definitely something we should all be doing more of even if weโ€™re not on any diet at all. You might be surprised by how such a simple twist of your perspective can make a difference the next time you step onto the scale.ย 

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