Table of Contents
There is a common debate among bodybuilders regarding whether or not their diet should include portion control. Some believe that bodybuilders should control their diet by cutting down on the amount of food that they eat, while others believe that portion control is a bodybuilding diet killer. So, what exactly is portion control? Portion control is a diet for bodybuilders, where the size of one’s meals are drastically reduced in an effort to lose weight in a specific area of the body. Bodybuilders can do this by limiting the amount of food that they consume in an effort to reduce body fat percentage or to increase muscle mass in specific areas.1
If you are a professional bodybuilder you probably already know and understand the importance of portion control. The key thing to remember here is that no matter which diet for bodybuilders you choose, portion control is still a must-have for maintaining good health. Some people think that portion control diets are extreme, but there are a lot of people who follow these types of diets and have had great success with them. As always, check with your doctor before starting any new diet for bodybuilders.
As with any type of dieting program, always consult with your doctor before starting any new diet. The same holds true for any other type of dieting program.
What are the Benefits of a Bodybuilders Diet?
There are many benefits to a bodybuilder’s diet. One of the most important benefits of a bodybuilding diet is that it allows the bodybuilder to build muscle and lose fat. The diet should allow the dieter to consume all the calories he or she needs to maintain healthy body weight. Bodybuilding dieting is not just about calories and portion control; there are many other aspects to bodybuilding dieting as well. In this article we will discuss the benefits of a bodybuilder’s diet; we will also explore the importance of eating several small meals throughout the day and when to eat them.
There are many advantages to a bodybuilding diet. A bodybuilding diet can keep the dieter feeling full for a longer period of time. When the bodybuilder consumes fewer calories than his or her body burning the food, the dieter will have fewer hunger pangs and will be able to avoid the binding phenomenon during weight training sessions.2 When the bodybuilder consumes fewer calories than he or she burns during workouts, the bodybuilding diet is said to “feed” the body by reducing hunger and giving the body the energy it requires to maintain normal body weight.
Another advantage to a bodybuilding diet is that the diet provides the bodybuilder with the vitamins and minerals he or she needs to perform at peak performance. When starting a bodybuilding diet, a person must first understand what the body needs to perform at its optimum level.3 Then, the diet can be designed to supply the body with the necessary vitamins and minerals that the body needs to help perform at that optimal level. Also, the bodybuilding diet will help the bodybuilder to feel full longer. Finally, when the bodybuilder consumes a bodybuilding diet, he or she will generally burn more calories and retain these calories longer.
What is Portion Control?
Over the past 60 years, the typical American adult has steadily grown obese, mostly due to unhealthy fast food habits and lack of exercise. Now more than ever before, people are becoming more aware of their bodies and are beginning to take better care of their health. 4For this reason, the popularity of “conventional” weight-loss plans such as dieting, exercising, and laser surgery is dwindling. At the same time, many people are beginning to discover the wonders of natural and healthy weight loss programs such as; bodybuilding diet programs, which use foods that will complement weight loss, and portion control, which allow you to eat what you want without having to worry about how much you are eating.5
So what is portion control exactly? It is basically the use of charting your food intake so that when you reach your goal weight, you know exactly what you have to cut back on. Basically, what happens is you create a chart of what you weigh on various days throughout the week and then make dietary changes accordingly. Basically, what you are doing is replacing high-calorie foods with lower-calorie foods, and avoiding certain food groups altogether.
The problem with portion control is that some people tend to overeat when they are eating only certain portions, and when they reach their goal, they gain back all the weight they lost. The beauty of this, however, is you can still eat what you want, and you do not have to starve yourself to death in order to lose weight! Fad diets are all the rage, and in some cases are actually dangerous because there is nothing left for you to eat once you have reached your goal weight.6 You can eat healthy and maintain your current size if you just learn to limit your portion size and know what to eat. If you follow these principles, your weight loss journey will be much easier to handle.
What Are the Benefits of Portion Control While Eating?
When talking about the benefits of portion control over portions there are so many things that can be deduced from this simple concept. Firstly we would be able to explain that when one eats a big meal it would mean that they have consumed more food than what is allowed. This is why people find it hard to regulate their portion sizes as well as their calorie intake. Secondly, it can be very difficult for dieters to keep track of all their food intake especially with so many temptations around us. Lastly, if you are able to control portions you will have fewer hunger pangs and hence fewer cravings which will make it easier to keep your weight in check.
In order to maintain a healthy way of eating and still lose weight, one of the best ways of controlling your overeating tendencies is by controlling the amount of food you eat at a time. If this is done without giving in to your cravings and eating only what you like then it is said to be one of the most effective ways of losing weight. However, this needs to be done in a controlled manner and hence it has to be approached in a well-planned manner. You should also make it a point to not overeat even when you are eating a portion control meal.
The benefits of portion control over portions go a long way in helping people to reduce their waistlines. One of the best ways of doing this would be to start exercising regularly. The best part about exercising is that it gives your body a chance to burn fat which is one of the causes of gaining weight. Moreover, exercising helps to control your appetite and hence you would not be tempted to overeat. Once you begin to exercise on a regular basis, you will soon start to lose weight because of its ability to curb overeating and make you eat less.7
Image Credits
Shape Magazine / 2021
Healthline / November 19, 2018
Guy and the Blog / 2021
1 “Simple Secrets to Portion Control and Healthy Eating – WebMD.” https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-serving-sizes Accessed 30 Jun. 2021.
2 “Meal Plan For Every Guy From Bodybuilding to Beginner.” 29 Mar. 2021, https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/meal-plan-for-every-guy.html Accessed 30 Jun. 2021.
3 “Four great ways to keep your body functioning at optimum level ….” 23 Aug. 2014, https://www.capegazette.com/article/four-great-ways-keep-your-body-functioning-optimum-level/70871 Accessed 30 Jun. 2021.
4 “How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight ….” https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/portion_size.html Accessed 30 Jun. 2021.
5 “Slide show: Portion control for weight loss – Mayo Clinic.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/multimedia/portion-control/sls-20076148 Accessed 30 Jun. 2021.
6 “10 Easy Portion Control Tricks – Diet and Nutrition Center ….” 4 Aug. 2009, https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/meal-planning/tips/keep-portion-sizes-in-check.aspx Accessed 30 Jun. 2021.
7 “How to stop overeating: Effective strategies for controlling appetite.” 23 May. 2019, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325258 Accessed 30 Jun. 2021.
