Portion Police

27 Jan Portion Police

Ever heard that quality over quantity matters?  That it’s ok to eat however much you want of something that is supposed to be good for you?  Well that, my friends, is a lie.  Now, as a disclaimer, there are a few exceptions to this.  Things like lettuce, celery, cucumbers…those are actually negative calories and you can feel at ease scarfing down those guys without a care!  But this post is a focus on the true diet-corrupters: those supposedly-innocent calorie additions that really trick you into splurging.  And oh, how deceitful they are!

Can we first please explain that mini-anything does not mean it is good for you?  I pity those who ration, “Oh, but it’s so cute and little!  There can’t be hardly ANY calories in a MINI Twix! I’ll just have like one or twelve.”  See ya, skinny jeans.   Or the little 100-calorie packs of stuff?   Ok remember that even though you’re “only” eating 100 calories of it, you’re still eating Oreos.  And do you know what it takes to burn 100 calories?  About a mile.  So when you reach to grab that snack pack, think first: “Am I willing to run a mile for this?”  It’ll make you reconsider eating four!

Second, the snacks that truly are healthy…when consumed with discretion.  Let’s take nuts.  Now, for those of you on our Phase Two program, entering into the world of almonds, pecans, and cashews is an oasis after a six-week diet-desert of romaine lettuce-am I right?  And it’s a happy day!  But before we dive in headfirst, let’s take a look at what a healthy serving of nuts really is:

As you can see, nuts are good for protein and have great nutrients.  But we have to be so careful, because one handful easily turns to two, and pretty soon your “safe” snack will turn into a 400-cal surplus.  And the calories aren’t the true culprits even– it’s the carbs that can do the most damage, especially after a carb-less lifestyle for six weeks.

The true test of our will to keep the servings small comes not at our own home, but out on the town.  Going out to dinner is a treat, but not an excuse to blow everything you’ve worked so hard to achieve.  Restaurants have the goal to make food that is tasty, not necessarily healthy, and since they care more about your wallet than your waistline, they often serve high-cal and high-carb foods in large quantities.   So what are we to do?  Here are a few tips:

• Eat half.  Half of a restaurant plate is probably the serving you’d consume if you were at your house.
• Order from the appetizer menu/ share with friends.  It’s cheaper and will help you avoid leaving with a belly full of guilt.
• Get a salad…and skip out the dressing.  Condiments are sneaky diet-killers, so be super careful with what kind/how much dressing you use.  Ask for it to be served on the side!

I have a friend who told me that “The size you eat is the size you wear.”  She has a point!  Remembering to keep portions small keeps waistlines smaller!

We hope this helped you out!  Questions?  For more information, check out our website at proleanwellness.com, call at (480) 477-6334, or come in for a visit!