Over the past ten years the prevalence of obesity in adults has increased from 1 in 4 people to 1 in 2! Lack of exercise is a big part of the reason but running close behind is the Megameal Mentality that many restaurants and food companies have adopted. Remember back in the day what size a bagel or muffin was? About the size of the palm of our hand. A quick stop at the local coffee shop will quickly show you that is not the case anymore. A plain bagel with nothing on it can have more than 350 calories and a muffin can be even more if you take into consideration all the added fat. Super-sizing at restaurants is common and often they entice us with lower prices. What can we do?
1. Become familiar with accurate portion sizes
2. Read food labels to see how many servings are in the package. Often with drinks and individual wrapped items, there are 2 1/2 servings in the pack or bottle.
3. Eat off a smaller plate - visually this will make you feel as though you are eating more.
4. Measure out commonly eaten foods until you are comfortable with eyeballing what an accurate portion size is.
5. Split a meal or dessert with a friend - this way you get to enjoy the food without over doing it!!
Remember - Eating 500 less calories a day can lead to 1 pound lost over the span of a week. This can be relatively painless once you become familiar with portion sizes and really become accountable for what you are eating!
I have several great handouts that can help you with portion control. Shoot me an e-mail or call me and I can help you with this info!
Happy Valentines Day!! Remember, a little chocolate is ok, but check the portions!
Noreen Gallo MSRD
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
