Tips on portion size

One of the most common reasons for not losing weight is underestimating portion sizes. The best way to check your meals is to use the 'Meal/Recipes' tool, but if don't you have time to do this, then try the following:

1. Reduce the size of your portions by one third. To help you do this, try using a smaller plate or bowl for your meal.
2. Before having your main meal [of reduced portion size!], have a starter of a low cal vegetable or tomato soup to help fill you up.
3. Make a conscious effort to eat more slowly – and make sure that you are sat at the table concentrating on your meal – not watching TV at the same time.
4. Weigh – at least once – certain foods before you cook them and enter the exact calorie figures in your food diary. Foods we recommend weighing are jacket potatoes / potatoes in general / pasta / rice / breakfast cereals. It is so easy to just pour these out, and the actual calorie content is much higher than you think – breakfast cereal is a classic example. The manufacturer's suggested serving size of 35g or 40g looks like a very small amount in a bowl – especially if it's muesli!

Weighing food sounds like a pain, but we recommend leaving digital scales out on your worktop so it's really easy just to pop food on and check it. Once you have a visual reference, you may not need to do it every time.

When people say they are sticking to their diet but not losing, one of the first questions a dietitian will ask about is whether portion sizes are creeping up again! Try being really accurate for a week and see if this kick starts the weight loss. If it does, then you have your answer!