Emma Miller
You need to follow the rule of the hand and the principle of the plate. In addition, it is important to identify patterns – which foods affect the feeling of satiety and how.
Exercise alone is not enough to lose weight. You also need a calorie deficit. One way to avoid weighing food and counting calories is to use the plate principle and the hand rule.
Camilla Tymoshenko, a dietitian with 25 years of experience, Ph.D., said that the last meal should be three hours before bedtime, reports Dr. Peter.
“Apply the rule of the plate to make it satisfying, but not heavy and last until the morning. To see your portion with your own eyes, you should count calories for a couple of weeks or use the “hand rule,” the nutritionist said.
Also, according to her, it makes sense to identify patterns – which foods and how they affect the feeling of satiety.
“A food diary will help with this. And remember that with age, it becomes more difficult for the body to compensate and resist harmful factors,” Tymoshenko said.
The hand rule
- A palm-sized portion determines the amount of protein (for men – 6-8, for women – 4-6 per day).
- A fist defines a portion of vegetables (for men – 6-8, for women – 4-6 per day).
- A handful determines the portion of carbohydrates (for men – 6-8, for women – 4-6 per day).
- The thumb determines the portion of fat (for men – 6-8, for women – 4-6 per day).
- This calculation is not considered ideal, but it is useful for beginners.
How the “plate principle” works
Half of the plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables. For example, it can be eggplant, broccoli, cabbage, green peas, bell peppers, cucumbers, green beans, zucchini, all greens, etc.
Divide the second half of the plate into two parts. Place proteins (fish or chicken, beans or chickpeas) on one side, and slow carbohydrates with high fiber content (brown rice, quinoa, etc.) on the other.
