The amount of fat on the body is directly related to caloric intake. In general, if an individual eats as many calories as their body burns, fat levels should remain constant. If they eat fewer calories than their body burns, they should lose weight. Therefore, in any effective weight loss meal program, portion control is key. With reduced portions, calories are reduced as well.
Over three thousand calories is the equivalent of one pound. In order to lose one pound in a week, weekly caloric intake must be reduced by 3000 calories. Many people overeat foods in excess of recommended amounts and therefore gain weight. Luckily the government has conducted research and formulated a diet that can be followed that limits certain foods.
The USDA offers guidelines for a good healthy diet and gives recommended serving amounts for each main food group. Except for fats, oils and sweets, which it suggests to use only sparingly. The milk, yogurt and cheese group and the meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts and eggs group are both recommended in amounts of two to three servings a day. Three to five daily servings of vegetables and two to four daily servings of fruit should be consumed. The most servings of any category is the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group with a suggested six to eleven servings a day. However, in order for any of this information to make sense, it must be known what a serving size is.
A single serving in the milk, yogurt and cheese category is one cup of yogurt or milk and one and one half ounces of cheddar cheese. In the meat, poultry, fish, beans, nuts and eggs category, one chicken breast is a serving. A medium pork chop or one fourth a pound of hamburger is also a single serving. One cup of lettuce or half a cup of cooked vegetables is considered a serving of vegetables. One serving of fruit is half of a mango, half a cup of berries, or one medium apple. In the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group, one slice of whole-grain bread is a serving. So is half a cup of cooked rice or pasta, and one small pancake or waffle.
However, without actually taking out measuring spoons or a scale, even this information might be difficult to interpret. Portion sizes can also be determined by comparing the amount of food you are eating to other familiar objects.
A serving of cheese should be the size of a thumb. Meat, fish or poultry is the size of a palm, not including fingers. A vegetable or fruit serving should be the size of a balled fist. A pancake the size of a compact disc or pasta the size of an ice cream scoop is a one serving size.
The recommended amount of food is often much smaller than many people realize. Many people eat meals that have several servings worth of food unknowingly. Using USDA provided information and actual size measurements, this problem can be avoided.
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