{"id":10116,"date":"2024-03-29T22:32:37","date_gmt":"2024-03-29T15:32:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10116"},"modified":"2024-03-29T22:32:37","modified_gmt":"2024-03-29T15:32:37","slug":"8-factors-that-can-alter-your-food-portions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/?p=10116","title":{"rendered":"8 Factors That Can Alter Your Food Portions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\">\n<p>Your food portions will change from meal to meal, and day to day.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not only important for you to understand how to listen to your body\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/hunger-signals\/\">hunger and fullness signals,<\/a> but it\u2019s also important for you to understand why your portion sizes change from meal to meal, so you can\u00a0use those little insights about yourself feel more confident in how to best nourish your unique body.<\/p>\n<p>There are so many different factors that can influence how much you eat and if you\u2019re not aware of these factors, it can cause you to eat portions that aren\u2019t in alignment with your body\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n<p>Having more awareness of <em><strong>why<\/strong><\/em> you\u2019re feeling you need a larger or smaller portion will guide you to find the right amount of nourishment you\u2019re needing.<\/p>\n<p>Keep reading to see what to be mindful of as you\u2019re choosing your food portion sizes so you can strengthen your ability to use your hunger and fullness as a guide.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Your Food Portions Can Change<\/h2>\n<p>Keep these in mind when you check in with your hunger and determine what your food portions should be.<\/p>\n<h3>1. What You\u2019ve Already Eaten (or Not Eaten)<\/h3>\n<p>One common factor that\u2019s likely to influence your food portions is what you\u2019ve already eaten, or not eaten and how nourishing the food you\u2019ve consumed was for you.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you\u2019ve intentionally or unintentionally undereaten throughout the day, this can cause your body to feel intense hunger that may lead to larger portions. These larger portions can often cause overeating because you\u2019re just so ravenous.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, when we undereat for an extended period of time, then consume a really large amount of food due to exceptional hunger, this can result in <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/blood-sugar-spikes\/\">blood sugar spikes<\/a>.\u00a0 These can lead us to feel less satisfied and satiated overall, perpetuating the cycle.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, let\u2019s say you\u2019ve eaten a substantial dinner and would now like to enjoy a dessert. That portion of dessert often times will naturally be on the smaller side because of your adequate intake at dinner. Eating a very small dinner before dessert can often lead to a larger portion of dessert because our hunger cues were never quite satisfied.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also important to consider how nourishing the foods you\u2019ve chosen to eat are for you and how you balanced those during your meals. If you\u2019ve eaten a well-balanced <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/the-foundational-five\/\">Foundational Five<\/a> meal, you\u2019ll feel more satiated between meals, but if your meal wasn\u2019t balanced, you\u2019ll likely find yourself hungry shortly after.<\/p>\n<h3\/>\n<h3><strong>2. Activity Levels<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Our activity levels can also impact our food portions.<\/p>\n<p>On days when you\u2019re more active, you\u2019ll likely notice yourself needing a larger portion of food to support the level of activity you\u2019re participating in. To accommodate this, aim for carbohydrates and healthy fats that will provide your body with the sustained energy it needs, alongside some protein that will help rebuild your muscle tissue.<\/p>\n<p>When you notice yourself being more active than usual, be mindful of that so you can ensure you\u2019re adjusting your portions to meet your needs.<\/p>\n<p>On the other hand, if you\u2019re normally very active and you\u2019re resting or taking a break, your body won\u2019t need as much nourishment, so you\u2019ll want to pay attention to how your hunger changes on your less active days.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Environmental Triggers<\/h3>\n<p>One common factor that can influence your portion size inadvertently is environmental triggers. These are anything in your environment that is triggering you to eat something or eat a certain amount.<\/p>\n<p>Some environmental triggers may be very supportive, such as having more nourishing food options at eye level in the fridge, rather than tucked into the produce drawers below. This can remind you to choose larger portions of vegetables and greens because they\u2019re top of mind.<\/p>\n<p>However, some environmental triggers may not be supporting the type of eating habits you\u2019re wanting to experience for yourself. For example, one of the members in our Mindful Nutrition Method\u2122 program noticed that she was often snacking on chips or cookies in the afternoon. After some exploration, she realized this was because she was always walking by the office kitchen to go to meetings or refill on her tea, and she was simply grabbing a snack because it was out and available.<\/p>\n<p>Noticing your <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/mindful-eating-exercise\/\">eating patterns<\/a> to see when you may be influenced by your environment can help you identify if and when it\u2019s impacting your portion sizes.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>4. Stress Levels<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Stress can impact your food portions in two different ways.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Smaller portions\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>When stress initially comes on, your appetite is likely to go down because your sympathetic nervous system (SNS) puts your body is in \u201cfight or flight\u201d mode to respond to the stressful situation. Your brain tells your adrenal glands to release adrenaline which increases your heart rate, sending blood to muscles and your heart so you can take action, temporarily putting your hunger on hold (1). When the stressful situation passes, your SNS returns to its baseline.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re unaware that your hunger is suppressed due to stress, you may notice you\u2019re undereating. While we use our hunger signals to guide our food choices, it\u2019s important to recognize when those signals may not be working (i.e. due to stress) and nourish yourself well anyway.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/3U0A3627-scaled.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Larger portions\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The second way stress can influence your portions is when you\u2019re experiencing chronic stress. If stress isn\u2019t managed or alleviated, the SNS will remain triggered and responding to that stress.<\/p>\n<p>When this happens, your body releases cortisol, which is why it\u2019s often referred to as the stress hormone. Unlike adrenaline which can put a pause on your hunger, cortisol can increase your appetite (2).\u00a0If your stress response continues to remain \u201con,\u201d your cortisol levels may remain elevated.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re experiencing this chronic stress, you\u2019re not only more likely to experience physical hunger, but you\u2019re also more likely to experience more comfort or cravings for carbohydrates or sugary foods.<br \/>Sugar can release dopamine \u2014 the feel-good chemical, activating the pleasure centers of the brain (3).<\/p>\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/stress-eating\/\">stress eating<\/a> can lead you to reach for larger servings of those foods.<\/p>\n<h3>5. Distracted or Rushed Eating<\/h3>\n<p>Distracted or rushed eating is exactly that \u2014 eating while you\u2019re distracted or rushing through a meal. This commonly looks like eating in front of the TV, at your desk, while scrolling social media, or anything else that takes your focus away from sitting and enjoying your food.<\/p>\n<p>When you\u2019re distracted or rushed, it\u2019s much more challenging to use your hunger and fullness signals as a guide for how much to eat. This may lead you to either eat more or less than your body needs because you\u2019re not mindful of and in tune with your body\u2019s signals.<\/p>\n<h3>6. Lack of Sleep Can Influence Your Food Portions<\/h3>\n<p>Research has shown that poor <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/sleep-problems-diet-choices\/\">sleep<\/a> quality leads to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/causes-of-food-cravings\/\">increased cravings<\/a>\u00a0for processed or\u00a0sugary foods, overeating throughout the day, and not eating as many fruits and veggies.<\/p>\n<p>Try eating meals that are packed with protein and fat when you\u2019re tired, so you have more sustained energy throughout the day!<\/p>\n<h3>7. Your Cycle<\/h3>\n<p>Nearly 30 percent of premenopausal women are iron deficient (4), and if you\u2019re vegetarian or vegan or have a heavy menstrual flow, you\u2019re at a greater risk for iron deficiency. In addition, menstruation alone lowers the amount of iron in your body (5).<\/p>\n<p>Because of this, you may feel more tired during menstruation, which signals to your body that it needs energy. Carbohydrates are the body\u2019s fast-acting form of energy, so you may notice yourself craving carbohydrate-rich foods or feeling like you need a larger portion to get that energy source.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to eat plenty of <a href=\"https:\/\/nutritionstripped.com\/plant-based-iron-rich-foods\/\">iron-rich foods<\/a>, especially during your menstrual cycle to support your body\u2019s needs and energy levels.<\/p>\n<h3>8. How Hydrated You Are<\/h3>\n<p>Water is responsible for every process in the body, including your metabolism. By drinking enough water every day, you\u2019re helping your digestion keep moving, while supporting an efficient metabolism, and so much more (1)(2).<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re dehydrated, you may feel hungry when you\u2019re truly thirsty. Staying hydrated will help keep your hunger cues more accurate.<\/p>\n<p>When you feel hungry, drink 1 glass of water, wait 10-15 minutes and reassess your hunger cues. If you\u2019re still hungry you may be experiencing true hunger, and if your hunger subsides you may try drinking a bit more water to see if you\u2019re just thirsty.<\/p>\n<h2>How You Can Strengthen Your Ability to Find the Right Portions<\/h2>\n<p>Finding the right portions take patience and practice. It requires the ability for you to tune into your body and discover what physical hunger and fullness feels like for you and then also have the proper knowledge to know how to use that information in a supportive way. This is what we support our members with inside of the Mindful Nutrition Method\u2122 program.<\/p>\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/members.nutritionstripped.com\/mindful-nutrition-method\">sign up here for our free workshop<\/a> where we share an exercise to help you better tune into your unique hunger and fullness cues and guide you through our Mindful Nutrition Method\u2122.<\/p>\n<p>Sources<\/p>\n<div id=\"article-content\" class=\"article-content\">\n<ol>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/11732637\/\">Pharmacology of appetite suppression: implication for the treatment of obesity. Halford JC.\u00a0<span class=\"ref-journal\">Curr Drug Targets.\u00a0<\/span>2001;<span class=\"ref-vol\">2<\/span>:353\u2013370.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/28349668\/\">Stress, cortisol, and other appetite-related hormones: Prospective prediction of 6-month changes in food cravings and weight.\u00a0<i>Obesity (Silver Spring)<\/i>. 2017;25(4):713-720. doi:10.1002\/oby.21790<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/15987666\/\">Rada P, Avena NM, Hoebel BG. Daily bingeing on sugar repeatedly releases dopamine in the accumbens shell.\u00a0<i>Neuroscience<\/i>. 2005;134(3):737-744. doi:10.1016\/j.neuroscience.2005.04.043<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/10.1056\/NEJMra1401038\">Camaschella, C. (2015). Iron-deficiency anemia.\u00a0<em>N Engl J Med<\/em>,\u00a0<em>2015<\/em>(372), 1832\u20131843.<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3975385\/\">Blanco-Rojo, R., Toxqui, L., L\u00f3pez-Parra, A. M., Baeza-Richer, C., P\u00e9rez-Granados, A. M., Arroyo-Pardo, E., &amp; Vaquero, M. P. (2014). Influence of diet, menstruation and genetic factors on iron status: A cross-sectional study in Spanish women of childbearing age. <em>International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 15<\/em>(3), 4077\u20134087.<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1675549\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your food portions will change from meal to meal, and day to day. It\u2019s not only important for you to understand how to listen to your body\u2019s hunger and fullness signals, but it\u2019s also important for you to understand why your portion sizes change from meal to meal, so you can\u00a0use those little insights about &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10117,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10116","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10116"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10116\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10116"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10116"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/loudhdtv.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10116"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}