New Year’s Resolution

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Join me in getting rid of the word DIET in your New Year”s resolution and let”s replace it with portion control. Dieting involves limiting yourself from eating certain foods and often is something that individuals rarely stick with. These individuals usually fall back to old habits. With portion control, it is a lifestyle change. You can enjoy your favorite foods in smaller portions and experiment with lightening up familiar comfort foods without losing flavor. For lightened up Mac n cheese, try my cauliflower “Mac” n cheese recipe in my cookbook. My cheesy potato “risotto” recipe in the recipe section of my site is a lightened up version of hash brown casserole.

My mom has always been a petite woman. As she got older and her metabolism began to change, her weight did as well. For years, my mom tried different ways to lose weight. Drinking Slimfast was one of them. Nothing stuck…It wasn’t until she had braces put on in 2008 that her eating habits changed. The braces made her teeth sore which resulted in her eating less because of the pain. She came to a realization that reducing her meal portions could result in weight loss. For her though it wasn’t just about weight loss but about developing a healthy lifestyle. Too much of a good thing is not always a good thing. It wasn’t a quick fix. My mom lost her weight over the course of a year.

What does it mean to portion control? How do you do it?

1st answer these questions…

How much do you eat? What size plate are you eating on? Do you fill the plate with food?

Portion control means reducing the amount you eat and savor each bite. For my mom, she began eating off small plates at home. When we go out to eat, my mom, sisters and I share. Two of us will share one entree or we will order a couple appetizers or a few vegetable sides to share. We ask our waiter/waitress for appetizer plates to eat on. We all like dessert but we try not to make it an every day occasion. We order one dessert and take a couple bites.

My mom has pretty well maintained her weight over the past few years. She feels happy and lighter. The only down side for her is the missing clothes in her closet from my sister and I borrowing them.

To see a picture of my mom from 2012, visit my Whitney Miller-Masterchef Facebook page.

January 1, 2013 By Whitney

About Whitney

Whitney is America's first Master Chef winner. She is from Poplarville, Mississippi and now living in Nashville, Tennessee.

4 Comments

Andrew Schoeman

January 1, 2013 at 2:17 pm

Thanks for the tips, love the photo’s, you look amazing with your family.

p.s. I should be coming over to the States later this year, so please let me know if you want anymore Appletiser 😉

Paw Obe

January 1, 2013 at 4:56 pm

Hey! This is a very good article to read in new year! ♥
I totally agree with you Whitney, and I want to share a little bit about this kind of “diet”.
long story short, I was 57 kgs back then (about 104 lbs) and with my height (155 cms or 5’1), I was almost obese. my body was always so heavy and I get sleepy a lot. and then, almost the same as your mom, I can’t eat because my teeth sore (but not because the braces) for 1 week, I cannot eat anything! and after that, I can only eat in a very small portion, and you see, it’s all about time before my weight loss take change! I’m now 88 lbs (44kg) and I never been this happier. point of story is, your mother’s way of controlling eating portion may one of the best diet doctors will always keeps as their secret! (because it’s free and it’s still healthy)

Ellie Sowick

January 1, 2013 at 5:45 pm

As you can see from my e–mail name, I cook for a living. I totally agree with your Mom, I just lost 30 pounds, I am 57, and I fully intend to keep it off. I am now following a low carb high protien life change. I too eat smaller portions, and on occasion will have a treat, but I get right back on that low carb train. I just purchased size 6 jeans and I never want to wear a size 12 again. As a cook, I have to taste, but I don’t have to eat what I taste, it is hard, but very do-able. I do have your Master Chef cookbook, I love it. I followed the show faithfully, knowing you would win. Your Mom looks great, and I too know exactly what she is experiencing . Good luck, and happy cooking.