Tag: portion control

Easy methods to estimate your servings

May 07, 2015

There is no question that being able to watch your diet is going to be extremely helpful for your overall health. When you learn to estimate the serving sizes you get with each meal, you will have more control of your diet and you will be able to maintain an ideal weight. We are now going to give you some easy methods to estimate your serving sizes and this is going to prove to be very useful for your life in general. Remember that you need to consult with a nutritionist before you make any changes to your diet.

Here are some ideal guides to help you portion control your food. The foods listed below are to be consumed in moderation. One great way the strategies below could work is if you are going out for dinner. Use this portion control guide and take the rest home for later.

Butter
This is one of the most common things that people include in their diets. We put butter in many of the foods that we enjoy eating. One tablespoon contains about 34 calories, with a total of 4 grams of fat. The size of this serving is about the size of the tip of your thumb. That would be a good estimation for the amount of butter to consume per meal.

Spaghetti
This is probably the most common and popular pasta in the world because it’s very easy to make. ½ cup of cooked spaghetti equals about 99 calories and 1 gram of fat. You should eat a serving that is about as big as your fist and this would be ideal. Remember to try and choose the whole grain spaghetti option to keep your blood sugar levels in check.

Chicken soup with noodles
When you eat chicken soup with noodles, you usually eat much more than you are supposed to, because you don’t really feel like you are getting full. The ideal portion is 1 cup to get 175 calories and about 6 grams of fat. This serving is about the size of a baseball.

Lasagna
This is another very common and nutritious pasta that is served in many tables all over the world. The ideal serving for Lasagna is about the size of two hockey pucks. This is the equivalent of 270 calories and 8 grams of fat. Just like spaghetti, try and opt for the whole grain version.

Beef
This is one of the top best meals to eat because it includes a lot of protein and it’s perfect for people who want to get lean muscles while losing fat. The ideal serving of steak is about the size of a deck of cards. This means you would be getting 3 oz. of beef and 219 calories with about 13 grams of fat.

Mashed potatoes
This is a great and healthy option to go with your meals. ½ cup of mashed potatoes equals 112 calories and 5 grams of fat. The best way to measure a good portion of mashed potatoes is to compare it with half a standard American Apple. Remember to always eat potatoes in moderation. And if you can, try out sweet potatoes. They taste great and are friendlier to the waste-line.

Cheese
Cheese is a very delicious food to have, but you need to come up with an ideal amount of cheese to eat. Four standard dice that are used for gambling are the best way to estimate the perfect serving of Swiss cheese for example. This equals 107 calories and 8 grams of fat.

Conclusion
There is nothing more important than being able to keep your meal sizes under control. This is going to help you keep an ideal weight and it also leads to a much healthier lifestyle. Being able to estimate the size of each one of your servings is going to be a very useful method that can have a very positive impact in your life.

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Weight Loss After The Holidays

Jan 19, 2013

The first time you jump on the scale after the holidays, it might be a particularly traumatizing experience. Weight has a way of creeping up on you at this time of the year. You might even be one of those who is afraid to look at the number on the scale. Yes, I know, it’s time for a killer weight loss strategy!

As you may know from reading my blog, I’m NOT a quick weight loss advocate.  I believe in the slow and steady lifestyle approach.  However, I know those holiday pounds on your hips or in your belly don’t feel good.  So let’s talk about a few quick and easy strategies to get the weight loss effort moving in the right direction.

 

For a start, consider limiting or cutting out alcohol until you get back down to your desired weight. Alcohol is just empty calories (and a lot of them) and I’d rather have you concentrate on EATING calories instead DRINKING them. If you really can’t do without your beloved alcohol, consider pouring less of it and having it less often.

After the holidays, it’s common to feel incredibly bloated. Often times this is due to a higher refined carbohydrate intake and/or water retention.  The fix for this? Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and cut back on refined and processed grain products (like bread, cookies, cakes, pies, etc). This will help you drop excess water weight, and you can replace the non-nutritious flour-based products with vegetables and fruits.

One of the reasons for weight gain over holidays is many of us over-indulge on rich treats and we eat larger portions. Now that the holiday is over, it’s time to push the rich treats to the back burner as occasional treats, and go back to normal portions.  Truth be told, I believe that most of us who are struggling with weight issues have probably fallen victim to PORTION issues :-).  If you’re looking for weight loss after the holidays—look to put smaller portions on your plate. Plain and simple!!

Aside from portion control, one of my best weight loss solutions for you is to write down your food intake each day.  Yep.  I know.  It’s tedious.  However, IT WORKS!  You’d be amazed at all the little things that go into your mouth that you forget about when you mentally recall your daily food intake.  When you WRITE DOWN your daily intake—it’s easier to keep track of what goes in your mouth!

Finally, in your effort to get on the weight loss wagon after the holidays, I’d suggest  you start making an appointment with yourself for regular exercise.  I like interval training to spur on faster weight loss, but if you’re  new to exercise, just getting out for a brisk walk, a hike, or some time on cardio machine at your health club is certainly a start.

Weight loss after the holidays doesn’t have to be daunting. In fact, if you only gained a few pounds over the holidays, and you employ just one of the strategies I’ve told you and return to your  normal, non-holiday eating patterns, you should be back to normal weight within a couple of weeks.

Get out the the “indulgent” calories, be aware of what you’re eating and your portions, and schedule exercise.  That’s it.  There’s your post-holiday weight loss plan!

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