PORTION sizes - let's be serious here

Bellchick91
Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
edited November 23 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hey!

So Im curious, when people say they have lets say, oats for breakfast and they'd say "one serving" - what IS a serving to you? Everybody has a different serving preference (from what I can tell). I think I might be underdoing my serving sizes for basically everything...

Im a woman also, and I know women tend to use smaller portion sizes, but I mean on average..

So, what would you regard as a serving of oats? eggs/egg whites? bread? Rice? Yogurt? I use 30g of rolled oats in the morning, and its usually preworkout - I think it's too low. What do you all think?

Gotta get this weight on me lads! Im TOO skinny. I actually hate it now - bones eugh. Im so over being skinny. This is a HUGE thing for me to say (recovering anorexic from 10 years). But seriously. So sick of it. Roll on some muscle mass and some fat!!!

Replies

  • hotnumber
    hotnumber Posts: 222 Member
    I just follow the serving size of what's on the package. For fruits and veggies, if I don't know what a serving size is then I will google it.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I take the serving size from the side of the box. I find that pre-packaged main meals hubby will take two serving sizes and I'll take one. The fourth I package up for lunch the next day. Rule of thumb for eating out; half.
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    I go by the serving size on the package. For example, a serving of pinto beans is 130g so I measure out exactly 130g. If I calorie wise I can afford to eat more than that, then I will. I will just make sure to account for every gram I consume of those beans in my food diary.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Okay well that's sorta what I do - but here in Ireland, a serving of rolled oats is 30g, but in the states it seems to be 45g (according to Bobs Red Mill anyway). Gets me confused as I think im eating enough but apparently - im really, REALLY not.
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    Fruits and veggies I also weigh, by grams, and enter that amount in my diary. It then calculates the calories for me. That's why I pre-log all my food so I know if the foods/servings I am planning on eating fit into my calories for the day.
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    I do this too! Again, here in Ireland we always went by weight/metric system, we dont use cups. Weighing is so much easier. And prelogging is too.
  • SuggaD
    SuggaD Posts: 1,369 Member
    It depends on the calories per serving size. For example, my muesli, 1 serving is ridiculously small but only 110 calories. So I have 2-3 servings. This morning had protein pancakes. Package says 1 servings for 200 cals. Too few for me so I had 2 servings.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    edited September 2015
    A serving is whatever the nutrition label says is a serving. That doesn't mean I always eat exactly one serving. Sometimes I have half a serving (15-17g) of peanut butter on top of a Quest bar. Sometimes I eat exactly one serving (40g) of oats. Sometimes I have two servings (175g) of broccoli with dinner. It depends on my macros for the day, what I can fit in, and what I feel like eating. Just because I never eat only one serving of something doesn't make that serving size different. What's listed on the label is a serving size.

    As for women having smaller serving sizes of individual foods...I don't know about that. Women generally eat less food/calories than their male counterparts because we're generally smaller and require less, but again, a serving is still a serving.

    It doesn't matter how many servings of a particular food you eat, or what the serving size is in one country vs. another. It's all about calories if we're discussing weight.
  • shrinkingletters
    shrinkingletters Posts: 1,008 Member
    A serving is however much I feel like eating at the moment, with consideration to how many calories I'm looking to consume.
  • DoreenaV1975
    DoreenaV1975 Posts: 567 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    I do this too! Again, here in Ireland we always went by weight/metric system, we dont use cups. Weighing is so much easier. And prelogging is too.

    Off subject, but a visit to Ireland is on my (and my husband's) bucket list.
    We are going to Spain this year, hoping to visit Ireland next!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    Everybody has a different serving preference (from what I can tell).

    You may WANT to call a HUGE bowl or cereal a serving and try to log it as such, but EVERYTHING specifies what a serving is on the package. It isn't guess work or personal preference.

  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    Hey!

    So Im curious, when people say they have lets say, oats for breakfast and they'd say "one serving" - what IS a serving to you? Everybody has a different serving preference (from what I can tell). I think I might be underdoing my serving sizes for basically everything...

    Im a woman also, and I know women tend to use smaller portion sizes, but I mean on average..

    So, what would you regard as a serving of oats? eggs/egg whites? bread? Rice? Yogurt? I use 30g of rolled oats in the morning, and its usually preworkout - I think it's too low. What do you all think?

    Gotta get this weight on me lads! Im TOO skinny. I actually hate it now - bones eugh. Im so over being skinny. This is a HUGE thing for me to say (recovering anorexic from 10 years). But seriously. So sick of it. Roll on some muscle mass and some fat!!!

    I generally go off of whatever the package says or otherwise recommended serving sizes...my coach's oats for example list a serving as 1/3 cup dry...so that's a serving...I may eat one or more servings, but that's a serving. A recommended serving of fruits or vegetables is usually around 85 grams or 3 ounces...so that's generally what I go by...I may actually eat more or less. most meats and poultry, etc are around 4 ounces for a serving...again...I may eat more or less...6 ounces would be 1.5 servings.

    in RE to whether one would stick to a single serving or have more than one serving of something is a completely personal thing and would depend a lot on weight management goals as well as fitness performance/recovery, etc...dependent on a lot of factors here...
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    In all my diabetic training classes, the dietitians emphasized that the portion sizes are set by the manufacturers, and are arbitrary. These recommended serving sizes are the starting point.

    OP, if your goal is to gain weight, gradually increase your serving sizes until you find your sweet spot. It may help to eat calorie dense foods so you don't overwhelm your stomach. So full fat foods are good. Nuts are good.
  • livy270
    livy270 Posts: 3 Member
    What do you do if you have a disease that might stop you from eating? I have Cystic Fibrosis and I have a hard time processing foods. I keep losing weight but I don't want to:( I've talked to many doctor about getting all my calories but I'm just not hungry due to all the medicines I'm taking. Any advice?
  • catt952
    catt952 Posts: 190 Member
    livy270 wrote: »
    What do you do if you have a disease that might stop you from eating? I have Cystic Fibrosis and I have a hard time processing foods. I keep losing weight but I don't want to:( I've talked to many doctor about getting all my calories but I'm just not hungry due to all the medicines I'm taking. Any advice?

    You may need to talk to the doctor about appetite enhancing medication?
  • Shouliveshappy
    Shouliveshappy Posts: 161 Member
    Oats 1 serving to me is 1/2 cup = 50g. 30g is too little!
  • Bellchick91
    Bellchick91 Posts: 148 Member
    Shouliveshappy wrote: »
    Oats 1 serving to me is 1/2 cup = 50g. 30g is too little!
    Glad it's not just me so!
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    edited September 2015
    A serving is the random amount a food producer uses for reference. A portion is whatever amount you choose to eat in one sitting.

    How much I'll eat of a food depends on how much I want, or maybe on when I'm able to stop :# how much is available :D and what else I'm eating that day.

    I have a few foods that I eat in set amounts though: Porridge: 40 grams of grains, 100 grams of milk. Mashed potato/sweet potato: Get as close to 250 grams as possible (will depend on size of produce). Milk as a drink: I've had 80 grams when losing weight - I'm increasing that amout gradually. Nuts and nut butters: 26-30 grams. Smoothies: 100 grams banana, 100 grams milk, 80 grams berries. Raw vegetables: 70 grams.
  • zyxst
    zyxst Posts: 9,149 Member
    I usually go with whatever the packet says is a serving. With bread, I'm usually making a sandwich and I want both slices, so I weigh them out and multiply that to get the correct gram serving. My bun with lunch weighed 54 grams, a serving is 42 grams, so 1.29 servings. For whole fruits, I eat the whole thing minus the core/seeds. For fresh veggies, I go by gram weight of however much I want. Somethings I've figured out by trial and error what works - sesame seeds and sunflower kernels are 5 grams each when I use them in a salad or yogurt.

    I agree that 30 grams of oatmeal is pretty freaking small.
  • AnnaFit4Life
    AnnaFit4Life Posts: 106 Member
    For my oatmeal if I use Quaker Large Flake Oats my serving size is 1/3 cup @120cals +4 gms protein. But My Scottish Oatmeal- serving size is 1/4 cup @140 cals + 6.5 grams of protein. Just depends what your getting and what kind it is.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    I only use the label serving as a calculation method. My oatmeal suggests a serving equal to 300 calories. I eat a third of that for 100 calories but add in other items for a total of about 300 calories but more protein and fat. A serving can be whatever is appropriate for your calorie and macro needs.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Side of every package has serving size.
  • sbrownallison
    sbrownallison Posts: 314 Member
    I use the old-fashioned oatmeal and I weigh out what the package says is a serving. Here in the US, it's 40g. I add 8 oz of water and microwave for 4 min. I shake some cinnamon and Splenda in: it's kind of thin with that much water but I find it keeps me just fine until lunch. As a smallish woman, I don't have many daily calories, so I have to watch it!
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    EmmaRichards91 wrote: »
    Okay well that's sorta what I do - but here in Ireland, a serving of rolled oats is 30g, but in the states it seems to be 45g (according to Bobs Red Mill anyway). Gets me confused as I think im eating enough but apparently - im really, REALLY not.

    Been in your shoes, eat two Irish servings. I eat two packets of Chex instant oatmeal when that's all I am having. I ate a full cup of Greek yogurt this morning, but I usually eat a half cup. I knew I was taking a four hour hike today and I tried to fill my tank before hand.
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