Portion control: key ingredient to successful weight loss

June 24, 1:18 PMPhiladelphia Weight Loss ExaminerCheryl M Brown

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Portion control is a key ingredient to any successful weight loss effort. Americans eat larger portions than the rest of the world and according to the article, Twenty weight loss tips from around the world, obesity and weight gain are increasing more rapidly in America, than anywhere else in the world.

According to WebMd, most American restaurants serve 2-4 times the recommended serving size. Serving sizes are vaguely communicated, such as a 4 oz serving of meat should fit in the palm of a hand. Whose hand? Some people have big hands.

WebMd has come up with a great solution to the portion control problem. It offers a very useful tool called the portion size plate. This innovative web page distributes some really good guidelines to help avoid common errors related to inaccurate portion sizes.

 The portion size plate tool offers food choices in eight basic categories: vegetables, milk and dairy, grains, meat and beans, fruits, fats and oils, sweets and treats and mixed dishes. A click of the mouse will visually show a plate and the appropriate portion for a particular food item. For example, click on potato and it shows the correct portion for a small baked white/sweet potato is equal to a computer mouse. 3 oz.-cooked chicken is equal to a deck of cards. 1/2 cup of ice cream is equal to a light bulb and 1 cup of cooked vegetables is equal to a baseball.

It's very straightforward and easy to understand. Click here to visit WebMd's portion size plate and see for yourself how easy it is to learn how to limit and control food portions. The website also offers printable wallet and refrigerator sized guides to use as an offline reference.

There's more. A food-o-meter calculator allows access to browse nutritional and calorie information for common everyday and fast foods. Did you know that a 1/2-cup of cooked broccoli is 27 calories? What about the Burger King Whopper with cheese-- it is a whopping 790 calories!

This web page is full of helpful portion control information. Take the time to visit. Explore the information and take full advantage of the calculators to find what works best for your weight loss needs.


Source: WebMd.com