Day Nine: Portion Control

The average american adult consumes 2 cups of spaghetti when they sit down to eat. A portion of spaghetti is 1/2 cup, so that means that the average person consumes 4 servings in a meal instead of 1. The same is true for the garlic bread, spaghetti sauce, and meatballs. Added all together, the average american will consume 4 servings of spaghetti, 2 servings of garlic bread, 2 servings of tomato sauce, and 2-3 servings of meatballs in one sitting.

We live in an America where everything is supersized. The result is that it has supersized us. We must pay close attention to not only what we are eating, but the amount as well.

I have found that for me, the best way to keep my portions in-check is to consume healthy food, put only the right portion sizes on my plate, and recognize when my body is full. I find it much easier to eat too much when the food I'm eating is bad for me. I overdue it on pecan pie much more than I do on asparagus or salad. Getting used to what portion sizes look like on a plate is important, and putting the right portions on your plate will do this. If you don't know them, go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/ to look them up. Recognizing when your body is full is important, & that happens when you eat slowly and listen to what your body is asking. When your body hits that point where a switch flips, you need to stop eating. Remember that you will continue to get more full after you've stopped eating.

What do you do when someone spoons out heaping portions onto your plate? You tell them that you won't eat even half of that...and you don't want it to go to waste. Remember, you control what enters your body, not someone else.

Do: For your next 3 meals, go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/ to see what the portion sizes are BEFORE you consume these meals. Make notes in your food journal. Remember that each meal should have around 400-450 calories and each snack should have about 150 calories.