# Portion Size Problem?

Published: 2015-04-21T10:20:41.728910-04:00
Canonical URL: https://www.getmealplans.com/blog/2015/04/21/portion-size-problem/

Ever have jury duty?

I did last month, AND on the very first day, security took my lunch!!

(Apparently glass tupperware is a weapon.)

The next day I packed the same lunch in small, 1-cup plastic containers.

(You know, to appease security.)

6 little containers instead of 2 big ones, and curiously, I didn’t finish my lunch.

I packed the same lunch AGAIN the next day, and didn’t finish again.

Then jury duty was over and I had the last serving of Bang Bang Chickpea Pasta for lunch at home.

And I ate the whole thing no problem.

WHAATTT??

Why did I eat it all on day 1 and day 4, but not the other two?

Did jury duty make me that nervous?

*Not exactly.*

**The small containers created boundaries.**

I had to stop eating to open the next container, a pause that gave me a chance to assess my hunger and satisfaction.

**Most of us rely on external clues to tell us when to stop eating… like an empty plate.**

Or in my case, an empty container.

This is one reason why it’s not a good idea to eat straight out of a bag or directly from the pot of food.

You should always pre-portion or pre-plate, then step away from the food source when you eat.

(Not having food ON the dinner table has made a huge difference with my overeating tendencies!!)

Another reason I LOVE the meal plans: **portions are already decided for me.**

I don’t have to guess or eyeball… because as we learned earlier this month, humans are TERRIBLE at estimating calories and portions.

**The meal plans are an educational tool for you.**

The longer you stay on them and use them consistently, the more you’ll KNOW what a portion is.

You’ll know EXACTLY how much to eat or serve yourself.

You won’t be victim to external cues that force you to overeat (more on that tomorrow!)

For now, I want you to start learning true portion sizes.

Download your free handy guide to serving sizes (below)!

![https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/04/serving-size.jpg](https://dmi4pvc5gbhhd.cloudfront.net/2015/04/serving-size.jpg)