Lose Weight with Proper Portion Sizes
Today's portion sizes, especially when eating out, have gotten a little out of control. The general perception of "a serving" has gotten huge in comparison to dietary requirements. Consequently, we are eating much more than we should most of the time.
We want a good value for the money, but we tend not to consider what a good value truly is. A plate of chicken fried steak with gravy, a baked potato and a side veggie that simply overflows a plate larger than your face may be a great buy at $6.95, but it's also enough food for two or three people.
For example, a baked potato should be no larger than your fist. A baker that's as big as two or three of your fist is a huge meal. That's not even taking into consideration how much stuff you put on it, like butter, cheese, chili, or anything else.
Another example is how you drink coffee. A "single serving" coffee cup in terms of dietary intake is the size of a small Styrofoam cup. Most people today use cups that have two and three times that volume, and measure their intake that way. Instead of 6 ounces of coffee, they are counting 12 to 18 ounces as a single serving. Again, the amount of sugar or other additives is generally proportionately larger.
If you think a regular burger at a fast food restaurant is too small, and always order something larger to fill you up, you are likely eating the equivalent of two or more dietary servings. Check online for nutrition information from the larger chains and be aware of how much you may be inadvertently adding to your daily calorie intake.
Take a good look at how much you eat at a given sitting. You may find that your sense of proportion is adding to your waistline without your realizing it.
If you are really having trouble knowing what a correct portion size is, and cooking healthy food that is delicious and nutritious, consider joining the meal plans from Nutrisystem or Medifast. Both of these weight loss systems take the work and guesswork out of the equation. The food is already prepared and perfectly proportioned. You don't have to figure out correct serving sizes, count calories or anything difficult, and consistent weight loss is achievable.