Is Portion Control Necessary?
Subconscious Fat on Eating
Mr. Skeptical sets down his coffee cup with an exaggerated clink, staring at me. “Okay, I’ve been thinking…”
I take a slow sip of my buttered coffee, already bracing for the debate. “Uh-oh.”
Subconscious Fat at 30,000 Feet
He ignores me. “Portion control. It’s essential, right? I mean, calories still count, don’t they? You can’t just eat unlimited food and expect to stay lean.”
I raise an eyebrow. “You ever see a lion weighing out its zebra meat?”
He groans. “Come on, man. Humans aren’t lions.”
“No, but we’re animals, and animals don’t count calories. They eat until they’re full, and they stay in shape.”
Mr. Skeptical sighs, rubbing his temples. “Yeah, but animals in the wild aren’t eating unlimited food. If they had a buffet, they’d get fat too.”
“Not necessarily,” I counter. “Because when you eat species-appropriate food—like a carnivore diet—your body naturally tells you when to stop. You don’t need portion control. You need hunger control—which happens automatically when you eat the right foods.”
Subconscious Fat at 10,000 Feet
“But portion control is important for weight loss,” Mr. Skeptical insists. “If someone eats too much, they’ll gain weight, right?”
I shake my head. “Not if they’re eating the right foods. The problem isn’t how much people eat—it’s what they eat. Processed foods and high-carb meals hijack hunger signals, making people overeat. Protein and fat don’t do that. Ever try binge-eating steak?”
He pauses, then shrugs. “I mean, no, not really. After a couple of steaks, I feel like I’m gonna explode.”
“Exactly. That’s the point. Protein and fat trigger satiety naturally. You eat until you’re full, and then you stop—no calorie counting or portion control required.”
Subconscious Fat at Eye-Level
“So you’re saying people can just eat as much meat as they want and never gain weight?”
“If they listen to their body, yes.”
Mr. Skeptical crosses his arms. “I don’t buy it. What about bodybuilders who track every gram of food? They don’t just eat ‘till they’re full.’”
“They’re optimizing for a specific goal—like competition-level leanness. That’s different. But for the average person just trying to be healthy, portion control is unnecessary if they’re eating the right foods.”
He frowns. “So you’re telling me portion control is only necessary when people eat junk?”
“Yes! If your food is highly processed, loaded with carbs, and designed to override your hunger signals, you have to portion-control. But on a carnivore diet? Your appetite is self-regulating.”
Practical Suggestions and Conclusions
Mr. Skeptical drums his fingers on the table. “So you’re saying no portion control, no tracking calories—just eat meat till you’re full, and that’s it?”
“That’s it.”
He narrows his eyes. “And you’re sure people won’t overeat?”
“Try eating four pounds of steak in one sitting and tell me how you feel.”
He sighs. “Okay, fine. But what about snacks?”
“There are no snacks. If you’re still hungry, you didn’t eat enough at your last meal. But maybe you still want to snack, so snack on the right foods. That’s what I have my pork rinds and beef sticks for. Simple.”
Mr. Skeptical groans. “I hate how much sense this makes.”
I grin, lifting my buttered coffee. “Welcome to the dark side. We have ribeye.”
Be aware.
Other links related to this post:
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Broccoli
Wealth Over Health?
PS Links on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Chat GPT was used to research and enhance this post.
I believe less is more but I seem to always eventually have more when I try to have less.
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