In order to help you avoid becoming the walking calorie counting machine when you are trying to lose weight, you need to have an understanding of serving sizes.
The truth is, size matters. At least when it comes to the foods you consume. Portion size can make or break your diet and your health and learning how to limit portion sizes can ultimately help you to fast-track your weight loss.
However, understanding what a portion size actually is and sticking to that amount can be tricky because people are notoriously bad about judging portion sizes.
At home you could use a food scale to determine exactly how much you are consuming…but even that gets old after a while. And, it’s just not reasonable nor realistic to carry a food scale with you into restaurants so that you can control portion sizes.
You need to be able to eyeball the meals you’ll be eating whether at home or out and select an appropriate serving size so that you take in the correct amount of food that allows you to take off or maintain your body weight.
So, what constitutes a serving size?
Here’s a simple portion guideline to follow…
- Your palm determines protein portions.
- Your fist determines veggie portions.
- Your cupped hand determines carb portions.
- Your thumb determines fat portions.
By following these guidelines as you form your meals, then you should be taking in the right level of calories for your gender. However, bear in mind that if you are a much larger individual or someone who is considerably more active than the average person, you may need to double up on your servings, especially protein at the main meals as well as carbohydrates before and after activity which helps to provide the additional fuel that your body requires.
Choosing healthy foods and correct portions is a big part of the weight/fat loss equation but you should also be learning how to structure those healthy foods properly for optimal success.
How and what you eat depends on the time of day you are doing your workout. Your workout time is when you are going to be doing the most energy intensive activities so you’ll want to focus your intake around foods that provide the energy you need.
If you truly want to take command of your life and avoid disease somewhere down the road, choosing the right foods and the right portions along with eating them at the right time can make all the difference.
My Minimalist Exercise and Nutrition Program can help you do just that…
For more tools and resources from Carolyn Hansen to assist you in attaining your health and fitness goals and achieving the success you desire in life, please visit:
Isn’t it time to throw away all the false statements you’ve accepted about dieting and exercise and learn what it really takes to stay healthy and fit.
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