Portion Control The Key To Losing Weight?

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How many times have you heard that the key to weight loss is portion control?
The problem is that many of us do not know the difference between a portion and a serving.

Packaged foods and restaurant foods are usually two to three times a normal serving size.

Studies show that we will eat what’s put in front of us. And so much has “been put in front of us” that we perceive oversized meals as normal.

Many of us have lost the ability to “eyeball” a true serving size. This is why portion control is so important in your weight loss and maintenance phase.

Calories do count so when making your meal choices and practicing portion control - Choose lower calorie foods more often than higher calorie foods.

My dad used to always say “I live to eat”. If this describes you, learn to “Eat to Live”. Learn proper portion control. Obtain and maintain your ideal weight. You’ll live a longer healthier life and will truly be able to enjoy life!

What’s the difference between a portion and a serving?

A portion is how much food you eat at a meal or a snack.

A serving is a standard amount set by the U.S. Government or the amount of food listed on a product nutritional label.

So portion control actually means how many servings you eat at a meal or snack. A portion can be one serving or four. It all depends on how much you decide to eat.

A serving on a food product may or may not correspond with the standard amount. Servings on product labels are not recommendations of how much you should eat. It is simply a way of letting you know the nutritional values in a certain amount of food.

If you look on a box of macaroni and cheese, the label lists a serving as 1 cup. However according to the USDA a serving of macaroni is 1/2 cup.

The USDA recommends 6-11 servings bread, cereal, rice and pasta. So if you eat one cup of macaroni and cheese and count it as one serving, you are doubling your food intake. It’s worse if you eat the whole box of macaroni and cheese.

The FDA recommends that daily we should eat …

6-11 servings bread, cereal, rice and pasta
1 serving size = 1 slice of bread, 1/2 bagel, 1 oz dry cereal, 1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice or pasta

3-5 servings of vegetables
1 serving size = 1 cup raw leafy greens, 1/2 cup chopped vegetables, 3/4 cup vegetable juice

2-4 servings of fruits
1 serving size = 1 medium apple, banana, or orange, 1/2 cup chopped fruit or berries, 3/4 cup juice

2-4 servings milk, yogurt and cheese
1 serving size = 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 oz natural cheese, 2 oz processed cheese

2-3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts
1 serving size = 3 oz cooked lean meat, poultry or fish, 1 egg, 1/2 cup cooked beans, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, nuts or seeds.

While practicing portion control, you’ll want to keep the above servings in mind. If you are attempting to lose weight staye in the lower range of the servings per day.

Tip: Many overweight people eat too fast. Often times it’s like we are trying to be the first one to finish eating. When I was a little girl … I tried to eat as fast as my mom. It’s really silly when I think back on it. Why not try the opposite - try to be the last one to finish eating. By eating slower, you’ll enjoy your food more and get full on less - which makes portion control easier.

Measuring & weighing our food constantly just isn’t practical. Learn to “eyeball” standard portion sizes. Once you’ve mastered this simple technique portion control will be easy at home and when dining out.

Portion Control thru Serving Sizes

An easy way to recognize a serving of food is to compare them to common objects.

3 ounces of meat or poultry is the size of a deck of cards
	3 ounces of fish is the size of your checkbook
1 ounce of meat is the size of a matchbook
	1 pancake is the size of a CD
1 cup of salad greens or 1 medium fruit is about the size of a baseball
	1/2 cup of rice, pasta, potatoes and ice-cream is the size of 1/2 of a baseball
1 1/2 ounces of cheese is about 4 stacked dice
	1 teaspoon margarine is the size of 1 dice
2 Tablespoons peanut butter is the size of a ping pong ball
	1 piece of cornbread is about the size of an average bar of soap
1/4 cup raisins is about the size of 1 large egg

Another way to determine serving size is by using your hands.

A salad should be about the size of two fists
A medium baked potato about the size of a fist
½ cup of potatoes, pasta or rice is the size of a clenched fist
1 cup cereal flakes is the size of a fist
3 ounces lean meat, fish or poultry should be the size of the palm of your hand
1 ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb
1 teaspoon of oil is about the size of the tip of your thumb

I don’t like using the hand method for portions simply because our hands are all different sizes. Think of an average womans hand when using this method. My husbands hand is literally twice the size of mine … so if he used his hand, he’d be eating double the amount that he should be.

As you continue to practice proper portion control with the correct serving sizes, it will all become second nature to you.
Enjoy Your Weight Loss Journey!

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One Response to “Portion Control The Key To Losing Weight?”

Easy Portion Control | blog.honestdietreviews.com on October 28th, 2008 8:57 am

[...] It’s also important to know Portion Control - Serving Sizes. [...]

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Portion Control The Key To Losing Weight?

What’s the difference between a portion and a serving?