Portions sizes have gotten out of control!! Our stomachs are like the size of a fist and fast food restaurants want us to stuff triple patty cheeseburgers in them along with a huge thing of extra greasy, artery-clogging french fries, and then when you're done you get to suck it all down with a 44 oz soda. Did you know dark soda can eat rust off of metal, can you imagine what it does to your teeth and stomach lining. Not to mention that one 12oz can a day will add 15lbs to your midsection in a year. At any rate, how many calories are you eating? How much should you be eating? Why is it so bad that your cheeseburger has 3 patties?
Well, depending on your sex, height, and activity level you should eat about 1200 to around 2500 for the ultra-active or super conditioned.
The meal I just described above has approximately 1862 calories of pure grease, sodium, bad carbs, refined sugars with just a hint of dairy and protein added in for good measure. Now, that's just ONE meal!! Are you planning on eating for the rest of the day? Ideally, you should be splitting these calories throughout 6 meals in a day.
From www.sparkpeople.com
Selecting the right foods also means choosing portions that are proper serving sizes. The terms "portion" and "serving" are often used interchangeably, but they don't mean the same thing. A "portion" is the amount of food you choose to eat for meals or snacks (like a plateful of pasta or a handful of raisins). In comparison a "serving" is the amount of food that experts recommend you eat (like 1 cup of milk or 1 ounce of bread). Servings are listed on a food's nutrition facts label too. When choosing your portion, try to make it as close as possible to these recommended serving sizes.
Grains: Aim for 6-11 servings each day. Choose whole grains whenever possible.
Examples One serving equals That's about the size of
Bread 1 ounce (1 small slice, 1/2 bagel, 1/2 bun) Index card
Cooked Grains 1/2 cup cooked oats, rice, pasta Billiard ball
Dry cereal 1/2 cup flakes, puffed rice, shredded wheat Billiard ball
Fruits and Vegetables: Aim 5-9 total servings each day. Choose fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.
Examples One serving equals That's about the size of
Raw fruit 1/2 cup raw, canned, frozen fruit Billiard ball
Dried fruit 1/4 cup raisins, prunes, apricots An egg
Juice 6 oz 100% fruit or vegetable juice Hockey puck
Raw vegetables 1 cup leafy greens, baby carrots
Baseball
Cooked vegetables 1/2 cup cooked broccoli, potatoes Billiard ball
Meat and Beans: Aim for 2-3 servings each day. Choose lean meats and plant proteins whenever possible.
Examples One serving equals That's about the size of
Meat & Tofu 2-3 oz cooked beef, poultry, fish, tofu Deck of cards
Beans 1/2 cup cooked beans, split peas, legumes Billiard ball
Nuts & Seeds 2 Tbsp nuts, seeds, or nut butters Ping pong ball
Dairy: Aim for 2-3 servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Choose low- or non-fat products whenever possible.
Examples One serving equals That's about the size of
Cheese 1 ounce or 1 thin slice of cheese A pair of dice
Milk 1 cup milk, yogurt, soy milk Baseball
Fats & Oils: Eat fats and oils sparingly and in small portions. Choose heart-healthy fats whenever possible.
Examples One serving equals That's about the size of
Fat & Oil 1 tsp butter, margarine, oil One die
I actually went to the store and bought a dietary scale to help measure my food and it has helped immensely. I've found that my "eyeballing" measurements have not been so accurate. Now I've gotten to the point to where I measure EVERYTHING I use to cook with or that I eat. I also use an online website called www.caloriecount.com which allows me to create recipes and it will break down all of the nutritional information and give it a "label" and a food grade. I use this on top of my www.teambeachbody.com dashboard. Calorie count helps me keep track of the food I've eaten throughout the day along with the calories and key nutrients, as well as allow me to log my calories burned and it provides a graph.
Thanks to that I have dropped a pant size! Booty dance for me! Went to Old Navy for their jean sale and got 2 pairs of jeans in a a new size! ~Singing~ "That's the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it, uh huh uh huh!" ~singing~
I am now getting more aerodynamic.
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