The amount of body weight is directly related to calorie intake. In general, if an individual eats as many calories as their body burns, weight levels should remain constant. If they eat fewer calories than their body burns, they should lose weight. Therefore, in any effective weight loss meal program – portion control is key. With reduced portions, calories and excess weight are reduced as well.
To add a pound, 3500 extra calories must be eaten. To reduce weight by a pound, hundreds fewer daily calories must be eaten a day. This is a significant amount. A lot of individuals have no idea just how many calories they eat on a daily basis. They also don’t know how much of each they should eat, and in what proportions. In order to know the proper balance and to learn portion control, the USDA has provided specific guidelines.
The USDA has divided all food into six main groups, and assigned recommended serving amounts to each. The fat, oil and sweets group is recommended in only sparing amounts. Both the milk, yogurt and cheese group and the meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts and eggs group are recommended at two to three servings a day. Vegetables can be eaten in three to five servings daily and fruits in two to four daily servings. The group recommended to make up the majority of the daily diet is the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group. This group has a recommended six to eleven servings a day. Though, this information is only useful if it is known what a serving size of each food is.
A single serving in the milk, yogurt and cheese category is one cup of yogurt or milk and one and one half ounces of cheddar cheese. In the meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts and eggs category, one chicken breast is a serving. A medium pork chop or one fourth a pound of hamburger is also a single serving. One cup of lettuce or half a cup of cooked vegetables is considered a serving of vegetables. One serving of fruit is half of a mango, half a cup of berries, or one medium apple. In the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group, one slice of whole-grain bread is a serving. So is half a cup of cooked rice or pasta, and one small pancake or waffle.
The USDA provides information on exact measureable quantities for foods in each category. The only problem with this is if individuals don’t have the necessary measuring cups or scales. To lose weight takes daily commitment and dining out is often a part of daily routine. In this case, most people wont have brought along their measuring spoons to a restaurant. The good news is that there are other methods of measuring portions.
A serving of cheese should be the size of a thumb. Meat, fish or poultry is the size of a palm, not including fingers. A vegetable or fruit serving should be the size of a balled fist. A pancake the size of a compact disc or pasta the size of an ice cream scoop is a one serving size.
Most people don’t pay close enough attention to just how much food they are eating. If they have no idea how much they eat, they also cant know how many calories they consume. As calories are directly correlated to body fat, portions must be taken into account. The USDA offers the food pyramid to guide people into knowing just how much to eat to be healthy.
Denise Osborne is your average American woman who eats what she wants and stays thin. For an easy, yet effective weight loss meal program to help you lose weight and keep it off while still eating french fries, please visit the Weight Loss Meal Program website.