Richard Ha writes:
I weighed 202.5 today. This is two pounds less than last week.
I accomplished this by cutting back on serving sizes, which I have learned how to estimate from this American Institute For Cancer Research Standard Serving Size Finder. Check out that link—it’s an excellent explanation of how to measure the “number of standard servings” actually in what you consider to be a “normal portion” of food.
Last week I reported that I had gained 6.1 pounds in the past four weeks. For nearly 10 months I have tried to control my weight by increasing the time I spend exercising. I came to the point that I was riding my mountain bike once a week for more than three hours and exercising more than 40 minutes on most other days. In spite of that, I was losing very little weight.
Then, when my exercising was interrupted for four weeks, I promptly gained six pounds. It was apparent to me that I was taking in 750 more calories per day than I was expending. (I gained 1.5 pounds per week. One pound is equal to 3,500 calories, so that’s 5250 calories per week. 5250 calories divided by 7 days equals 750 calories per day.)
But how was I going to know how much I was consuming?
While looking on the web for a strategy to monitor calorie intake, I ran across the above info on how to measure the servings on one’s plate.
In most categories, a serving equals half a cup. It is great to be able to look at a full plate and count the number of servings on it. For example, “one serving of rice” is about 1/2 cup. One look and you can tell how many servings of rice you’re about to eat. Same with protein—an amount that’s the size of a deck of cards equals one serving, etc.
To lose weight, you need to eat more servings of veggies. It doesn’t look like it needs to be too complex.
The American Institute for Cancer Research talks about the proportions of food on your plate as well as portion size, and how to make the transition to meals made up 2/3 (or more) of vegetables, fruits, whole grains or beans and 1/3 (or less) of animal protein.
AICR also reports that eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans, coupled with increased physical activity, can reduce a person’s cancer risk by 30 to 40 percent.
The following are good instructions on how to go about losing weight. They are clear and simple. It won’t be necessary to carry around a food diary. I can do this.
From the American Institute for Cancer Research:
Lose Weight the Healthy Way – Cut Back on Oversized Portions
The first two things to do when you want to lose weight are to move toward a mostly plant-based diet and to increase your physical activity. But if you have taken these steps and still have weight to lose, it is time to focus on portion size.
Large portions are a fact of life in the United States today. In restaurants, fast-food outlets, and even at home, many Americans consume far more calories than they really need. Enormous bagels, 32-ounce sodas, heaping dinner platters and “value meals” are contributing to our nation’s obesity problem.
There can be up to three or four standard servings, as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in the portions we regularly eat. Use the Serving Size Finder to determine just how many standard servings are in the portions on your plate.
Are there three standard servings of potatoes in the portion you eat? If you are worried about your weight, you might be satisfied with just two.
Slowly reduce the amount of food on your plate. Do it gradually to avoid hunger. You should find it easy to get used to smaller portions.