But you’ve had bariatric surgery; you’re eating small portions—right? You know that post-surgery portions should be between ½ cup and 1 cup per meal. Yes, but even with your small stomach capacity, portion sizes can expand over time. You take an extra bite here, a larger piece there and pretty soon that slightly larger portion seems normal. Constantly bombarded with jumbo-sized portions of food everywhere you go, portion distortion can set in.
The good news is that there are some specific strategies you can use to maintain small portion sizes after surgery—even in a supersized world.
In general:
▪ Track food intake—this helps you be both aware and accountable for what you eat.
▪ Strive to put right-sized portions in front of you for each meal / snack.
▪ Keep it simple. More variety equates with eating more food.
▪ Eat six small protein-rich meals to help keep blood sugar levels even and portions small.
▪ Don’t graze between meals. It’s easy to walk by a bowl of nuts and grab a handful each time—eliminate this type of eating.
▪ Maintain portion sizes of ½ – 1 cup of solid food at each meal or snack.
