Say YES to Portion Ratio and NO to Portion Distortion
Let’s talk PORTIONS but let’s be very clear – We are not about counting & weighing. At least not in the way many of us are used to with different programs. And the truth is, if you are doing this correctly you should never feel hungry or like you are denying yourself food. That is necessary when you are eating foods that aren’t good for you. Instead of thinking “portion control“, we want to get into the habit of thinking portion RATIO. We already know WHAT we can eat but the RATIO on your plate is essential, not just for weight loss but to keep your body working the way it is supposed to (see image below). The ratios that many of us are used to (with dairy and breads) are from Food Guides that are 50-60 years old. New research shows they just don’t work. When your plate looks like this you will be able to maintain the results you’ve achieved.
NOTE: Although we don’t limit or count calories we DO listen to our body. That means eat until you are no longer hungry, NOT until you’re full.
TIP: Make sure you eat before you go to the grocery store. These rules are hard to follow when you are so hungry you could eat a horse.
Distortion- Let’s all get real here for a minute. With restaurants offering enormous plates of food, drink cups often in “Biggie” sizes and snacks sold in king-sized packages, it can be hard to know how much to eat sometimes.
It’s difficult to avoid eating bigger at home, too. The size of dinner plates, muffin tins, and pizza pans have grown. Cars have larger cup holders to accommodate the drink sizes stores sell. As everything gets bigger, bigger starts to seem like the norm, distorting how we think about a serving size or the “right” amount. One study found that modern portion sizes of popular foods added an extra 50 to 150 calories. While that might not sound like too much, an extra 100 calories per day can pack on an extra 10 pounds in a year!
Some meals appearing “average” in size can add up to a whole day’s worth of calories. A large order of french fries can contain as many as 1,000 calories. Add a hamburger and an extra-large soda, and you’re getting more than 2,000 calories in one sitting. And this isn’t unusual. A study published in 2012 found that 96 percent of restaurant meals exceed USDA recommendations for fat, salt and overall calories.
Serving Sizes: Then and Now
| Food or beverage | 1980’s (calories) | Today (calories) |
| Turkey sandwich | 320 calories | 820 calories |
| French fries | 210 calories | 610 calories |
| Bagel | 140 calories | 350 calories |
| Slice of pizza | 500 calories | 850 calories |
| Soda | 85 calories | 250 calories |
Portion Distortion is real. Don’t let it take you back to your old ways you’ve come to far!