One of the key ways to maintain a healthy weight is to control your portion sizes. Research has shown that Americans often underestimate how many calories they are consuming each day by as much as 25%.

It’s not enough to eat the right kinds of food to maintain a healthy weight. Eating the right amount of food at each meal is just as important. A portion size is a specific amount of food, and it might be smaller than you realize.

How to Estimate Portion Sizes:

Estimating portion sizes is rather easy once you learn what a proper portion size looks like.  Read below to see visual example of what a proper portion size should look like.
 

Do you have an idea what 1 ounce looks like?  How about what a “serving” of fish or chicken is?  Here are some simple tools to assess portion sizes without carrying a food scale around on a daily basis.

• Meat, poultry, or fish such as tuna or salmon steaks (3 oz) is the size of a deck of cards
• Thin white fish, such as flounder or sole (3 oz) is approximately the size of a checkbook
• Cold cereal, berries, popcorn (1 cup) is  approximately the size of a baseball
• Butter or margarine (1 tsp) is approximately the size of a postage stamp
• Bread (1 ounce) is approximately the size of a CD case
• Hard cheese (1 ounce) is approximately  the size of 4 dice
• Mixed nuts, dried fruit, granola, almonds,  walnuts, peanuts (1/4 cup)

Knowing what equals a portion size is only one step–if you are eating 5 portions of bread when you should only be eating 3, for example, then you won’t see any body composition changes.  

This is why learning behavior modification through goal setting and planning is essential to long term nutritional changes. 

Teach yourself behavior modifications and proper portion control at Get Rid of My Gut Diet.  You will not only learn how to eat right, but you will shed that gut and reveal your six pack.

Yours in health!

Jayson Hunter RD, CSCS
Get Rid of My Gut Diet

"I followed the Get Rid of My Gut Diet for 2 months and the first month I lost 12 pounds and the second month I lost an additional 8 pounds. I had to go out and buy all new pants. I also lost 6 inches in my gut and 11% bodyfat. This diet was huge and following the meal plans helped speed up my metabolism. I just saw outstanding results and couldn’t be happier."

Jake Guzy
Age: 36
St. Louis, MO

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