The struggle to lose weight may be more than lack of exercise, and it may involve our cookbooks as much as McDonald’s…
When it comes to our society’s growing problem with weight gain, there had always been the lingering question: Is it food or Is it lack of exercise? This question has actually been answered: If it’s got to be one, then it’s definitely food.
Key Details of Weight Gain
| Key Area | What the Article Shows |
| Main Cause of Weight Gain | Increased food intake over decades |
| Daily Calorie Increase | Adults: +500 calories, Children: +350 |
| Activity Levels | Adults slightly more active than before |
| Cookbook Portions | Recipes now average 567 more calories |
| Fat Gain Math | 500 extra calories/day = 1 lb fat/week |
| Solution Focus | Portion control and serving awareness |
Also Read:- What Happens When You Drink Clove Water for 10 Days, According to a Nutritionist
Researchers designed a comprehensive study involving 1,399 adults and 963 children, combined with analysis of food consumption from 1970′s to the early 2000′s. The results concluded that the average American adult consumes 500 more calories daily, and children consume 350 more calories daily, than in the 1970′s. In fact they found evidence that adults may actually be slightly more active than 30 years ago (maybe it was the aerobics craze of the 80′s…) Here’s the link: Increased Food Intake Alone Explains Obesity Epidemic.
Think about it: 500 extra calories a day is 3500 calories a week, and 1 lb. of fat equals 3500 calories!
We already know that much of this is due to the increase in our average portion sizes, but it’s not just in restaurants and fast food places. Even the serving sizes recommended in cookbooks has steadily risen to the point where recipes are on average, 567 calories more than the same recipes 70 years ago.
No wonder so many of us struggle to lose weight!
To exercise better portion control we can start by visualizing the recommended servings that calorie and nutritional information are typically based on:
Visualizing Typical Serving Sizes For Selected Foods:
| FOOD TYPE | SERVING SIZE (One Serving) |
| Meat (beef, poultry) | 3 oz. = 1 palm = deck of cards |
| Fish | 3 oz. = checkbook |
| Lunchmeat | 1 slice = 1 oz. = size of a cd |
| Cheese | 1 1/2 oz. = 3 dice (hard cheese) = 9 volt battery |
| Nuts | 1 oz. = 1 modest handful = the size of a golf ball = large egg |
| Vegetables and Fruit (cooked or raw) | 1/2 cup = the size of a scoop of ice cream… but it’s not ice cream |
| Dried Fruit | 1 oz. = modest handful = 1/4 cup = golf ball = large egg |
| Peanut Butter, Sugar, Soft Spread, Butter, Oils, Salad Dressing | 1 teaspoon = 1 thumb tip, 1 tablespoon = size of a poker chip, 2 Tablespoons = ping pong ball |
| Cereal, Cooked Pasta, or Cooked Rice | 1/2 cup cooked = 1 oz. uncooked/dry |
| Bread | 1 slice |
| Bagel | 1 small bagel (mini bagel) = about 3 inches in diameter |
Also Read:- High-Protein, Low-Carb Diet Charts: Smarter Meal Planning Without Extremes
Portion Size
Surprised? Recommended servings are much smaller than what many of us are used to. If you want to be really shocked, take the following quiz. It not only shows you how greatly portion sizes have changed, but also by how many calories and how much you would have to exercise to work them all off.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: How well do you know portions and How long do you have to exercise to burn all those extra calories off?
Also Read:- Inside Dr Rau’s Detox Diet: The Alkaline Plan Behind Rapid Weight Loss
Portion Control Tips to Help You Lose Weight:
- Try broth or a broth-based soup before a meal.
This will help fill you up with fewer calories.
- For salads, skip the cheese and croutons, but opt for oil and vinegar dressings. Dressing oils are vegetable-based and so are full of healthy monounsaturated fatty acids (good fats) which will help you feel fuller longer. The latest research also shows that vinegar can help burn body fat.
- When out to eat, ask for a “half-order” so you’re not tempted by huge portions.
- If you can’t resist prepackaged cookies or cupcakes, when you get home from the grocery store, immediately divide them into smaller servings and put them in zip-lock baggies. Put them all in the freezer. This way, you’ll have to give more thought to eating these snacks, by taking a serving out to thaw it first.
- Use your cell phone to take a photo of everything you eat during the day. Then, in the evening review what you’ve eaten so you can learn more about your eating habits. Studies have shown that this trick actually works. In fact, it also forces your brain to double check what you’re about to eat by taking that photo so you will automatically start exercising portion control.
