In an effort to maintain our current weight as we age, or to lose a few pounds that have crept up on us quietly when we weren't paying attention, we need first and foremost to understand what a 'Portion' or serving is.
Typically what you get in a restaurant would feed a small army.
However if you are 6 foot 5 and weigh in at a muscular 240 pounds, perhaps you need that many calories to keep your weight at par.
If you think this is typical then you clearly suffer from a distorted reality on what constitutes a portion.
Understanding what equates to a portion is just as important as the food we eat.
Misconceptions will sabotage weight loss efforts in most cases.
What we require each day, for a healthy diet for an adult is 5-9 servings of fruit and/or vegetables, 2-4 servings of protein, 2-3 milk or milk alternatives, and 5-7 servings of grains.
To round this out, we need fat in our diets, unsaturated fats should constitute part of our intake, 2-4 tablespoons but to consume fats to excess would impact weight loss efforts in a negative way.
Since we know 'what' the question is how much? A typical serving of protein is about the size of a standard deck of playing cards or 3 ounces.
Not the giant size novelty playing cards and not the 10 ounce steak that you get at your favorite restaurant.
Examples of what makes up a serving of grains, stick with whole wheat products and one half cup of rice or cooked pasta, one slice of bread or half a bagel make up a serving.
Fruits and vegetables will vary based on the food choice.
You will find a large number of the vegetables are one half cup cooked and a medium sized apple, orange and pear make up your perfect portion.
If you have something more exotic in mind check it out to see what makes up a portion before you wrongly assume.
One cup of skim milk and one cup of whole milk are portions however clearly one will ramp up your calorie intake a lot faster.
When in doubt, find out from product labels or use online sources to be aware of exactly what you are eating and how much.
A great deal of success has been realized with weight loss just understanding what is realistic in terms of what our bodies need to function.
If you are highly active and assume a regular fitness program then your body requires more calories to keep you active.
Eating the right things in the right portions is critical for your energy levels, to give you the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy and to maintain or achieve a healthy weight were you feel great!
Typically what you get in a restaurant would feed a small army.
However if you are 6 foot 5 and weigh in at a muscular 240 pounds, perhaps you need that many calories to keep your weight at par.
If you think this is typical then you clearly suffer from a distorted reality on what constitutes a portion.
Understanding what equates to a portion is just as important as the food we eat.
Misconceptions will sabotage weight loss efforts in most cases.
What we require each day, for a healthy diet for an adult is 5-9 servings of fruit and/or vegetables, 2-4 servings of protein, 2-3 milk or milk alternatives, and 5-7 servings of grains.
To round this out, we need fat in our diets, unsaturated fats should constitute part of our intake, 2-4 tablespoons but to consume fats to excess would impact weight loss efforts in a negative way.
Since we know 'what' the question is how much? A typical serving of protein is about the size of a standard deck of playing cards or 3 ounces.
Not the giant size novelty playing cards and not the 10 ounce steak that you get at your favorite restaurant.
Examples of what makes up a serving of grains, stick with whole wheat products and one half cup of rice or cooked pasta, one slice of bread or half a bagel make up a serving.
Fruits and vegetables will vary based on the food choice.
You will find a large number of the vegetables are one half cup cooked and a medium sized apple, orange and pear make up your perfect portion.
If you have something more exotic in mind check it out to see what makes up a portion before you wrongly assume.
One cup of skim milk and one cup of whole milk are portions however clearly one will ramp up your calorie intake a lot faster.
When in doubt, find out from product labels or use online sources to be aware of exactly what you are eating and how much.
A great deal of success has been realized with weight loss just understanding what is realistic in terms of what our bodies need to function.
If you are highly active and assume a regular fitness program then your body requires more calories to keep you active.
Eating the right things in the right portions is critical for your energy levels, to give you the vitamins and minerals your body needs to stay healthy and to maintain or achieve a healthy weight were you feel great!
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