JANA'S 7 DAY CHALLENGE - TIP #5 DOES IT MEASURE UP?

The Right Measure by Deshondra Green Portion control is the key to successful weight loss. Measuring the right portion of foods is just as important as eating the right foods. One of the benefits to controlling portions is that it decreases the chance of binge eating. When controlling your portions, the goal is to eat smaller not bigger which slowly trains your stomach to shrink, which can cause you to eat less. Large portions make you eat more and have more calories. Another benefit is maintaining a healthy weight by allowing your body to consume the appropriate amount of food and cutting out a significant amount of unhealthy calories that are being consumed daily. The first step in successful portion control is learning the correct serving size which is the amount of food recommended by government agencies, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans put out by the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services, and the USDA Food Guide Pyramid. The serving size can be found by reading nutritional labels. But the portion is the amount of food or drink a person chooses to consume. In many cases, the portion eaten is larger than the serving size simply because we don’t know any better. In a world where large food has become the norm, many of us don't know or have lost touch with what's considered an appropriate serving. Here are some tips to help with controlling your portions: 1. Measure accurately using measuring cups and spoons. 2. Use smaller dishware (cups, plates, bowls, spoons). 3. When at a restaurant order appetizers as your meal or share an entree with another person. 4. Make your own single serve packs using ziploc bags. 5. Drink water before you eat which will make you less likely to overeat. 6. Add more vegetables. It is a way to bulk up your food without a lot of calories. Below are tips you can use to eyeball standard serving sizes: cereal (1 c.) = a baseball salad dressing (2 Tbsp.) = a shot glass nuts (1 oz.) = a cupped palm cheese (1 oz.) = a ping-pong ball hamburger (3 oz.) = a mayo jar lid peanut butter (1 tsp.) = one dice beef (3 oz.) = a bar of soap rice (½ c.) = an ice cream scoop potato = a computer mouse dinner roll = a yo-yo butter (1 tsp.) = a Scrabble tile fruit (1 c.) = a tennis ball cooked pasta (½ c.) = a golf ball fish (3 oz.) = a checkbook poultry (3 oz.) = a deck of playing cards Deshondra Asst Trainer Bfit Athletic Club LLC www.bfitathleticclub.com BE STRONG, BE HEALTHY, BFIT References: http://chiropractorbreathejoint.com/blog/portion-control-6-health-benefits/ http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/meal-planning/tips/keep-portion-sizes-in-check.aspx http://weightloss.about.com/od/eatsmart/qt/eyeportions.htm