Goal 2: Portion Control

We hear this one all the time... Portion Control...
I know I am guilty of not controlling my portions- especially when it comes to foods like pasta... or pancake syrup... or chocolate cake... You get the idea. Yet, portion control is one of the most important things you can do for your diet.
Eating the proper portions size makes it so much easier to count calories, carbs, fat, and other things we tend to track as we obsess over our diets. Couple portion control with eating on a schedule, and after a while, you can almost forget about counting and calculating altogether. It's so easy. Eat small meals throughout the day and control your portions. Just add healthy food choices, and there you go. A slimmer, healthier you! Pfffft! I WISH it was that easy! Ok, it is, but still... it's soooo hard!!!  But it CAN be done!

So, what is a healthy portion, anyway? Well, it depends on the food. There are 3 tools that are very helpful when learning portion control: 1. Measuring cups. 2. Measuring spoons. 3. A kitchen scale.
Most of the time you can just get by with the first two, but there are times when the third will come in handy.
If you are eating packaged foods, check the serving size, and measure it out before adding it to your plate.
You may be surprised to learn that a healthy bowl of Cheerios can help you pack on the calories... IF you fill the bowl. Did you know that one serving size is 1 cup of Cheerios and 1/2 cup of skim milk? This will give you 140 calories. Hmmm.... how big is your cereal bowl? How much cereal do you typically add? How much milk do you add? Do you frequently get a second bowl? It all adds up!

Alternatively, you can "eyeball" the amount of food you are eating. It isn't as accurate as actually measuring, but it is helpful for times when you are eating away from home... or just too lazy to go get the measuring cups!   I find this chart very helpful in illustrating portion sizes and serving sizes.

Not too difficult, right?
Read the labels for your serving sizes and make sure you are eating the proper portion. This will help you stay on track with your dietary goals.