Eating Correct Food Portions Help With Weight Loss/Diet
When I decided it was time for me lose weight, I started keeping track of everything I ate. I was very diligent about adding up the calories. I was so proud of myself for keeping such good track of my food and drink intake.
I’d add up my figures at the end of each day and finally have a grand total at the end of the week. According to my figures, I should have been losing at the minimum two pounds a week. It wasn’t happening. It didn’t take me long to get discouraged on my weight loss journey.
I figured out why I wasn’t losing two pounds a week. My calculation of what was a portion size was way off the mark. I wasmaking good food choices but I was eating more than what the National Institutes of Health described as a portion size.
If you use the following list as a guideline when eating, you will be able to successfully track your calorie intake:
- ONE CUP of PASTA IS = A WOMAN’S CLENCHED FIST.
- A HALF CUP OF VEGETABLES = HALF A TENNIS BALL.
- ONE TABLESPOON IS = TWO THUMBS PRESSED TOGETHER. (thumbs up)
- ONE TEASPOON IS = A THUMB TIP.
- ONE FRUIT SERVING IS = ONE TENNIS BALL.
- THREE OUNCES OF MEAT IS = A DECK OF CARDS.
It takes awhile to get acustom to using the correct method of portion size. It’s kind of like bowling, the more you practice, the better you get. I’ve started using smaller plates so it looks like I’m eating more. When growing up, my sisters and I were not allowed up from the table until or plates were clean. I have retained that mentality into adulthood which is partly what has caused me to be overweight. It only makes sense for me to use smaller plates….I can have a clean plate without excess calories.
You know the old saying…..What ever works!!
August 24th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
You are right! It is so hard to learn correct portion sizes, especially since in America you get served so much food! Any restaurant gives you at least triple what you should be eating. And people definitely don’t know how much to serve at home. I think I read somewhere that plate size has actually GROWN steadily, so the plates you are eating off of are probably the correct original size, actually.
August 25th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
So true. Basikbox is a great new tool for helping with portion control. basikbox.com
August 25th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Sounds like you got the same speech growing up that I got about not eating everything on the plate, “you should be ashamed of yourself-think about all of those starving children in Africa”, and it sounds like it turned into a paradigm that you had to eat all of the food on your plate. I had that paradigm and an additional one that I’m a big eater–which was fine until a few years ago, now I’m changing that paradigm, thru self-talk, to I’m a small eater.
August 29th, 2009 at 2:16 am
When I absolutely have to use a visual judgment on the size of the portion of food, say in a restaurant, I try to use some of the above tips. The deck of cards for meats is surprisingly accurate and so is the tennis ball for sizing up a cup. I always add a little extra calories just to make up for discrepancies.
I would suggest investing in a digital scale to weigh food and count calories that way at home. It really does make a significant difference.
August 29th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Portion size was always a problem of mine too. Whats worse is the fact that I completely ignored that little voice that says ‘Hey I’m full’.
Heck I can’t even count how many times I ate to the point of vomiting.
This was a great eye opening entry and one that I’m going to try to use. Me and the fiance have been talking about getting a digital scale too.
August 30th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Good advice. The portion sizes in America have gotten out of control, so we’ve become used to huge portion sizes and think they are normal. They’re not!
When you count the calories like you’re doing, you see that we eat a lot more than we think we are.
September 2nd, 2009 at 11:09 am
you’re right, the majority of people don’t understand porions at all. They eat huge meals and think that they will burn stomach fat like that. Well… they are quite wrong! the portions of your food should be very small. the amount of calories tat you eat are still important, too. however, if your goal is to burn stomach fat and tim that gut down, you should eat smaller portions several times a day and include lots of protein and vegetables.
September 2nd, 2009 at 7:06 pm
It really does come down to having a plan. And especially staying motivate. With a great planed out diet, the correct variety of exercise, weight loss c an not only be achieved but sustained. I have recently loss 25lbs last month and have been able to keep it off because i lost it the right way by not starving myself and crippling my metabolism.
September 3rd, 2009 at 11:21 pm
saw an interesting article about weight loss and the emotional benefit of having extra weight.
a href=”http://ebtnews.blogspot.com/2009/09/secondary-gain-of-body-size.htm”>EBT News
Thought your readers might be interested, thanks for the great discussion.
September 7th, 2009 at 3:50 am
Hi there! Just wanted to say that I came across your blog and it’s great! I’m on the same journey of weight loss and it is no easy task! Good luck to you you are doing great and I hope that you reach all of your goals
Zoe
September 7th, 2009 at 4:09 am
I also have desire to lose weight.. thanks for your advise.. I have been trying to reduce but what happen is i lose weight this month and on the next month i will gain weight.. and I am really frustrated about it..
*sigh*
September 8th, 2009 at 10:04 am
You’ve hit the right point. Although what we eat also counts but how much we eat will determine the speed of our getting thinner!
September 9th, 2009 at 8:04 am
I think with all these “super-size” meals our portion sizes have gone way out of whack. I have to admit, when I look at a meal with the “correct” portion sizes, I think it is just a snack! How bad is that…
September 9th, 2009 at 10:21 am
I failed every time I tried low calorie diets or keeping track of portions. My metabolism just slowed down and I ended up gaining.
I didn’t start seriously losing weight until I forgot about calories and portion sizes and started switching between eating plans that focused on what foods to eat or the timing of meals. I lost on almost every one of those plans and some of them I ate 3600 or more calories on.
I really don’t think calories has anything to do with anything for the severely obese (like I was). Smaller portions or calorie counting might work for those who are 5-20 pounds overweight, but I don’t know anyone who was severely obese like I was that it works with.
I lost 75 pounds and kept it off by switching between fad diets that were based on when to eat or what to eat rather than how much to eat.
Like you said… whatever works for you. We all just want to get rid of the fat and keep it off!
Thanks for the great blog!
September 9th, 2009 at 10:06 pm
Great examples for portion size. It’s way to easy to get distracted by comparing the portion on the plate to the plate itself. All we need to do now is remember a deck of cards and suddenly it’s obvious we’re eating much more than is good for us.
September 11th, 2009 at 5:50 am
It is a good idea to write down every day exactly what you eat. My biggest problem is that I snack so many little things in between which I tend to “discount” as they were so little anyway… forgetting that they, too, add to the grand total and can be your stumbling block in trying to lose weight!
September 11th, 2009 at 6:55 am
It’s always good to watch what you eat but for me personally I like to eat without keeping numbers in mind but like you said whatever works.
Counting calories is one thing but actually keeping track of everything is hard, I’d suggest that if you think you’re eating more than you should then have the initiative to burn it off before you hit the sack.
September 13th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
SO so true. I have just picked up my game. Have been exercising and not getting anywhere and am now reducing my portions. Can’t wait to see some results!
September 16th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
I felt really bad because I put my thumbs together and realized that my thumbs are two “big people” tablespoons. :< I really have to get to work on this whole weight loss thing.
September 17th, 2009 at 7:58 am
We all use estimates to work out a proper portion size and since portions have got so much bigger over the last few years, we need to work out new rules of thumb. I liked your suggestions.
One of the problems it seems to me is that we buy prepackaged ready to eat meals nowadays. The pack says it is for two, but that seems disingenuous to me. What they mean is that it is calories for two, but the portion looks mean cut in half and really they know we are eating the pack all on our own.
September 18th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Good advice. I was terrible for eating the same sized portions as my boyfriend, then wondering why I was putting weight on whilst he stayed the same size. The day I found out about portion sizes was the day my diet really started. It’s sounds stupid when I say it now, but I really didn’t know that it was making that much difference.
September 20th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I know most of us eat more than we need to, but as Caroline pointed out, some of the recommended serving sizes are unrealistic.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:51 pm
It is a good solution to control what your eating it does make sense to eat a smaller plate. But after that hunger comes up in a short amount of time so it’s not everybody who can control themselves at this point and that’s the difficult part of weight loss. Some people might listen to their stomach and get another plate. So what do you guys suggest for a hungry audience?
September 21st, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Good luck with the weight loss. As a personal trainer in Brisbane, Australia I find the hardest thing to get clients to do is cut the portion sizes, “i’ll start the next meal” is the most common phrase. The sizes of meals in restaurants in Australia are getting bigger but not as big as they are in the USA, i’ve heard, we’re nearly there though…
September 21st, 2009 at 10:09 pm
I agree with other commenters that portion sizes in America have gotten out of control.
I’ve never been one to count calories, but I do like the idea of portion control. It used to be that I would eat until I was bulging full, but now I eat until I’m just satisfied. Doing this has enabled me to maintain the same weight.
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:27 am
I have the same problem.
I was thinking of just buying a scale and measuring everything I put in my mouth.
I once followed the body for life program which also uses portions, and while I had some success with the program, I believe what stopped me from even better achievements was under estimating portion sizes.
Thanks for the tips.
Andi
September 23rd, 2009 at 5:49 am
I totally agree about the over-portioning dilemma! The fast-food culture that most of us Americans are caught-up in is one of the main reasons why over two-thirds of Americans are obese. Making a gradual change to a healthier life through proper-portioned healthy meals and regular workouts will help us live lighter, leaner, and much happier!
September 24th, 2009 at 1:21 am
I’ve always shuddered in horror when friends have returned from America and commented on the massive portion sizes. My sister said that she and her husband would share a main meal and still be stuffed! I cannot understand why in a developed country, eating establishments will always try and deliver quantity over quality.
If you cut your portion sized RIGHT down, you could swap to 4 or 5 meals a day so that you’re never hungry and don’t psychologically feel like you’ve been diddled out of a meal!
I think we have a lot to learn from the French. Eating is a social thing over there so eating is a slow and considered process. Because they shop on a daily basis, the food they buy is fresh, in season and delicious.
September 25th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I greatly believe that one way to an effective diet is eating the right amounts of food per meal. Also, one must avoid in between meal especially fast foods. It’s a contributor to fats stored in the body.
September 28th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
The mass of the meal isn’t everything. You need to look at calories as well. You can eat an entire pizza and it won’t have the negative affect as a piece of bacon.
September 29th, 2009 at 10:35 am
Portion control is unquestionable important, especially with high calorie-density foods. You have more flexibility to consume larger portions of foods that have fewer calories per gram, than those that pack a lot in each little bite.
That’s why a huge bowl of green salad with one scoop of canned tuna or chicken breast (all of ~360 calories with olive oil dressing) is much more filling than one sandwich or burrito, which may have 600-900 calories.
So, the answer is to use both portion control and content control to stimulate you brain’s satiety (or fullness) center.
October 8th, 2009 at 3:58 am
I believe that the effective diet is eating the right amount of food and also, one should avoid having fast foods and junk foods. This is a biggest contributor to fats stored in the body. One should calculate the intake food calories and avoid taking excess calories.
October 19th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
The larger the portion of vegetables and fruit, the better it is for you. The smaller the portion of meats, breads, and pastas the better it is for you. And drink plenty of water!
October 19th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
I agree with I Rachman, finding ways to portion control is essential. I find it nearly impossible to just eat what I portion out, especially if I eat foods that are too calorie dense and therefore are ridiculously small portions. I get around this by adding a ton of vegetables to my meals and allowing myself to eat as much as I want of these items. Portion control the meats, pastas and refined carbs and go wild on the vegetables.
October 25th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Great article! I have found that eating water-dense foods – salads, veggies, fruits, soups – at the beginning of each meal makes one start to feel full before getting to the more calorie-dense foods. This helps to easily lose weight without having to count every calorie.
October 28th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Just wanted to say that this was a very informative article.
I think it’s hilarious that our portion sizes have blown up over the past few years. I remember when my girlfriend and I started actually abiding by the correct portion sizes.
When we put a piece of chicken on one of our plates I thought it was a joke, like the portion size couldn’t possibly be right.
I think you guys are right about the “finish your plate” speech too. I found that what worked for me was drinking a bottle of water before I eat. Really reduced your appetite.
Again great article!
October 29th, 2009 at 9:41 am
One of the things my husband and I do to try and control portions is when we go out to eat, we split a meal. As I noticed above in several posts, the portion sizes restaurants serve are way too much for one person. What we have found out is that we are plenty full with sharing a meal, but not stuffed as we would be if we ate a full meal between us.