The majority of people have no idea what a “real” portion is.  If you are concious of your weight, inches and figure, chances are you pay attention to some exstent.  To really get a good idea of what a true protion is, here are some great visuals to help you control your calorie intake!

 

If you’re a hard core snacker or grazer like me, at some point you’ve got to get a rein on portion control. It’s just too easy to sit down in front of the TV or computer and realize a half hour later that your fingers just devoured that whole bag of tortilla chips. Bad fingers! 

The autopilot hand to mouth action can be tamed if you insist on seeing what you are eating. Instead of mindlessly grabbing a full bag of (insert your fav snack) use your eye to scoop out a small portion. Where ever you choose to plant yourself look at the food before you eat, taste and enjoy it. 

Study after study shows that if you don’t use portion control you’ll eat what’s in front of you. Not because you’re hungry, but because it’s just there. So here are some helpful images to remember when deciding on the perfect portion:  

Snack Of Choice: Picture this.

Dark chocolate- A pot of lip gloss.

Popcorn- A shower-cap full.

Cheese- A tube of lipstick.

Piece of fruit- A tennis ball.

Ice cream- A half a tennis ball.

Nuts- A palmful.

Guacamole- Two cotton balls.

Chips or pretzels- A woman’s fist.

Two bagel halves- Two round make-up compacts (source)

     The bottom line is that everyone needs to have portion control.  You also need to make sure that your protein intake stays moderately high so you can avoid over eating excess fats and carbs.  Try to focus on staying prepared.  Bring healthy snacks to work and in your car so you don’t get overly hungry and binge on bad food choices.  The key to success is always thinking ahead and planning out your day!

Adria Ali