When it comes to getting in shape we call come with our own challenges. For many Americans, food intake is our biggest challenge. Everything comes in “value” sized quantities and it has distorted our portion sizes tremendously. In many cases, single meals are the equivalent of an entire day’s food intake. AN ENTIRE DAY!
Let’s Get Real!
Thats right, its time to take a good hard look at your food intake. Don’t think its an issue? I’ve heard it before: “Oh I eat healthy! I don’t eat this or that or this…” You know what that is? Its a way of tricking yourself into feeling good but not putting in the real work to see if you are eating to lose or eating to gain. Even the “healthiest” of diets can make you gain weight. (don’t get me started on “but its a healthy fat”) Regardless of whether you cut out this, only eat that, don’t eat the other…you can still gain weight if you don’t have portion control!
We tend to underestimate what we eat and overestimate what we do…
What does this mean? It means we lowball our calories, thinking we eat less than what it truly adds up to. It also means we overestimate our exercise, thinking it burns more calories than it really does. For this discussion, lets focus on food intake. We don’t take into account ounces of meat, ounces of oil, cups of rice, pasta, cereal, condiments, add-ons, juices and sodas, alcohol, chips, popcorn, candy etc.. All are distorted, overlooked or just plain forgotten in the daily add up of calories. Though you may be glossing over it, the reality is in the inches gained or tight clothes that happen over time.
POINT TAKEN! (What can I do?)
Give youreself a reality check. Here is the plan. Write down everything you eat, including quantities, for 3 days (preferably Thursday, Friday, Saturday) and add up the calories of all the foods for each day. You can use any number of online calorie guides to help you or if you are more serious you can go to www.fitday.com and open a free account and enter foods there. It will add up the calories for you.
If you do this, you are on track to getting a solid headlock on portion sizes…and taking the first steps to being able to change your body AT WILL.
Stay tuned to Part 2 of Tackling Portion Control!
Be well!
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