Portion Control, Don't Go Overboard

Controlling your weight is a matter of controlling the amount of calories you consume versus the amount you expend in movement through daily activities and exercise. Many foods, like fruits, vegetables, beans, cooked whole grains, fat-free dairy, and lean protein are naturally low in calories. So if you base your diet on these, you will feel fuller on fewer calories than if you eat high-calorie sugary and fatty foods like baked goods, fried foods, chips and other processed foods.But in addition to WHAT you eat, you have to be aware of HOW?MUCH?you eat.It is a good idea to write down what you eat in a day and figure out how many calories you are eating. Can you shave 100 calories from each meal by eating less? Here are some tips:How to Stay Afloat:- Use smaller plates and cups- Read Nutrition Facts Labels- Order small- Beware of big baked goods- Share large entrees- Don't eat out of the bag- Don't eat in front of the TV- Eat before you go outBeing aware of common portion sizes is a good idea. For meat, you want 3 ounces per meal - about the size of a deck of cards. Most packaged cereals call for a cup - about the size of a tennis ball. A portion of fat-free frozen yogurt is a half-cup or about the size of a racquet ball.Portion Control Size GuideThis Amount     = Size of:3 ounces meat     =  deck of cards1/2 cup     =  golf ball1 cup     =  tennis ball1 teaspoon     =  tip of thumb1 tablespoon     =  whole thumbOrder Size Calories GuideThe difference between a small meal and a supersized meal could be much more than double the calories, as we see in our chart below:Large    SmallFrench fries     570       250Burger              730     260Soda                 310     150Cookie             470     110Ice cream       560     230Totals             2,640     1,000From the 12 Lessons of Weight Management and Wellness. www.foodandhealth.com.