Week Two: November 19 - 25, 2012
sinama45
Posts: 7 Member
It's week two and Thanksgiving is upon us. This week is all about planning and watching your portion sizes.
PLANNING. It takes time but the payoff is worth it if you spend a little time at the beginning of each week mentally walking through your days and making a plan of action. This week is Thanksgiving, which means a lot of us will be traveling or spending extra time in the kitchen. In addition, the Delta MSP Fitness Center is closed Thursday and Friday. Here's where the planning comes in. If you spend just five minutes this morning thinking about what you have to accomplish this week and then jot down time to workout, you are ahead of the game. Eliminate the excuses and plan out your times to get moving! Even 10-minutes three times each day will get you towards your goals.
PORTION SIZES. Twenty years ago portions were much smaller than they are today. A big part of weight management is learning how to avoid "portion distortion". How many of us were encouraged (forced) to join the Clean Plate Club as kids and now still find ourselves with that mentality? The more food we are served, the more we are likely to eat but we are not always conscious of actual portion sizes and are prone then to overeating. Consuming an additional 100 calories over what we need per day can lead to an additional pound of weight gain per year! Start by reading the labels of your prepackaged foods. Many packages contain more than one actual serving of the food inside. Consider using measuring cups as you serve food at home. Or get familiar with visual representations of serving sizes that make sense to most of us. For instance:
1. Deck of cards = 3 oz. cooked chicken or 4 oz. raw meat
2. Tennis ball = 1 cup cooked rice, pasta or ice cream
3. Baseball = medium piece of fruit
4. Golf ball = 2 tbsp peanut butter, jam or salad dressing
5. 4 dice = 1 oz. cheese
6. Computer mouse = 1 small baked potato
7. Packet of dental floss = 1 oz. chocolate
Finally, here are a few practical tips for helping you to control your portions. Use smaller bowls, plates and glasses/cups. Use measuing cups and spoons or a food scale. Share meals with your friends and family, especially when out on the town. Track your food intake!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
PLANNING. It takes time but the payoff is worth it if you spend a little time at the beginning of each week mentally walking through your days and making a plan of action. This week is Thanksgiving, which means a lot of us will be traveling or spending extra time in the kitchen. In addition, the Delta MSP Fitness Center is closed Thursday and Friday. Here's where the planning comes in. If you spend just five minutes this morning thinking about what you have to accomplish this week and then jot down time to workout, you are ahead of the game. Eliminate the excuses and plan out your times to get moving! Even 10-minutes three times each day will get you towards your goals.
PORTION SIZES. Twenty years ago portions were much smaller than they are today. A big part of weight management is learning how to avoid "portion distortion". How many of us were encouraged (forced) to join the Clean Plate Club as kids and now still find ourselves with that mentality? The more food we are served, the more we are likely to eat but we are not always conscious of actual portion sizes and are prone then to overeating. Consuming an additional 100 calories over what we need per day can lead to an additional pound of weight gain per year! Start by reading the labels of your prepackaged foods. Many packages contain more than one actual serving of the food inside. Consider using measuring cups as you serve food at home. Or get familiar with visual representations of serving sizes that make sense to most of us. For instance:
1. Deck of cards = 3 oz. cooked chicken or 4 oz. raw meat
2. Tennis ball = 1 cup cooked rice, pasta or ice cream
3. Baseball = medium piece of fruit
4. Golf ball = 2 tbsp peanut butter, jam or salad dressing
5. 4 dice = 1 oz. cheese
6. Computer mouse = 1 small baked potato
7. Packet of dental floss = 1 oz. chocolate
Finally, here are a few practical tips for helping you to control your portions. Use smaller bowls, plates and glasses/cups. Use measuing cups and spoons or a food scale. Share meals with your friends and family, especially when out on the town. Track your food intake!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!
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Replies
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Yes, I was part of the 'clean plate club' and to some extent, I am still part of that club. I have the guilt when I throw away food because somewhere, someone is starving, right? However, that has made me more aware of what I am eating and how much food I am taking and placing on my plate or in my bowl. I've also learned to compost.....guilt be gone!
Thanks for the post Amara--Lori 'MSPstretch'0
