Keeping a handle on portion sizes
With so much dieting information these days it is hard to know exactly which advice to follow. One thing they all have in common is that weight gain or loss can be attributed to calorie control.
Food portions are getting bigger. Being aware of this and knowing what is a healthy portion size for food groups, will help you stay the size you wish to be.
These tips based on your hand size, can provide a method for knowing how much to consume at mealtime and will control portion size to prevent your meals from becoming too large. This method will also avoid the hassle of counting calories with measuring cups, calculators or phone applications as the guide is literally in your hands.
Assuming that there are four small meals a day the measurements below will apply. Each meal should have the following amounts, keeping in mind that men have two portions, whilst women have one portion of each of the following categories;
Palm
a protein portion -fish or legumes and grains
Fist
a vegetable portion
Cupped Hand
a carbohydrate portion
Thumb
a non-oil fat portion – avocado or cheese
Finger Tip
an oil or butter portion
This simple and flexible guide for meal planning can be easily achieved and implemented as a starting point to calorie control. As such it is important to adjust these portions based your hunger, fullness, level of activities and your progress in achieving your goals. Also remember that leafy green vegetables are the most beneficial so portion size applies less and choosing to eat more of these is a healthy bonus.
In simple terms, calories in versus calories out will be a major factor in whether you gain or lose weight. Knowing exactly how many calories are in the food you eat is hard to determine, especially since you are relying on the accuracy of the information you read on-line. Yet being aware of portion size will ultimately aid your body weight goals, no matter which dieting method you choose.
