Portion Control

There is a subtle difference between serving size and portion size.

Portion size is how much you choose to eat. It is completely under your control and is steadily increasing each year as fast food joints and restaurants increase the size of their meals.

Serving size is a standardized amount of food. 1 slice, 1 cake, 100g, 1 cup. This standard can be set by the manufacturer or just generally accepted.

I would like to suggest that real temperance for a diabetic is “portion control.” First of all, you need to be aware of what constitutes a “portion” or “serving” of every food you eat. If you don’t know, you should consult a reliable food database (like CalorieKing or a similar one). For accountability and motivation, you should keep a detailed food journal.

If you have never kept a detailed food journal before, you need to do that for at least a few weeks (often much longer) until you have an accurate idea of what and how much you are eating. Your food journal can be as simple as a manually written one or as complex as a computer or phone app (like My Fitness Pal and others).

Be sure to check your blood glucose first thing in the morning (fasting blood glucose), at bedtime, at pre-meal and 1 hr. and 2 hrs. post-meal at various times during the day. Record these blood glucose numbers in your food journal. And, if you are on diabetes medications and/or insulin, write the times and dosages in, too. This is so you’ll be able to see how any changes in your dietary lifestyle are affecting your blood sugar numbers.

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