05 Feb Weighing in on Portion Control

great tips on controlling portions and losing weight

No matter how much you workout and cut the sugars as well as the high glycemic carbs, you will still not lose the weight you want unless you practice some kind of portion control. Getting skinny in a numbers game. Around 3500 calories equals one pound. The average person burns about 2000 calories +/- per day. If you eat more that that 2000 calories your body will store it in the fat reserves.

Here are a few tips on estimating portion size.

• A deck of playing cards = one serving (three ounces) of meat, poultry, or fish.
• Half a baseball = one serving (one-half cup) of fruit, vegetables, pasta, or rice or simply vegetables if you are following a keto diet.
• Your thumb = one serving (one ounce) of cheese.
• A small hand holding a tennis ball = one serving (one cup) of yogurt or chopped fresh greens

Now that you understand what a portion size should look like now here are a few good ideas to keep your portion sizes down.

1. Take a standard serving out of the package and eat it off a plate instead of eating straight out of a large box or bag.
2. Get a doggie bag for half of your meal.
3. Avoid mindless munching or eating in front of the TV or while busy with other activities. Pay attention to what you are eating and fully enjoy the smell and taste of your foods.
4. Split a meal or dessert with a partner or friend at a restaurant.
5. Eat slowly so your brain can get the message that your stomach is full.
6. Ask for salad dressing, butter, and sauces on the side so you can control how much you use.
7. Take seconds of vegetables or salads instead of higher-carbs, higher-calorie parts of a meal such as bread or desserts.
8. When cooking in large batches, freeze food that you will not serve right away. This way, you won’t be tempted to finish eating the whole batch before the food goes bad. And you’ll have ready-made food for another day. Freeze in single-meal-sized containers.
9. Try to eat three sensible meals at regular times throughout the day. Skipping meals may lead you to eat larger portions of high-calorie, high-carb foods at your next meal or snack.
10. Eat breakfast every day.
11. Keep snacking to a minimum. Eating many snacks throughout the day may lead to weight gain.
12. When you do have a treat like chips, cookies, or ice cream, eat only one serving, eat it slowly, and enjoy it!
13. Get in the habit of having one helping.

So… practice watching your portions and get skinny.