Portion Sizes and Healthy Food Choices

There are a few things I'd like to share from The Abs Diet for Women.  There is a lot of good information in here, although I don't agree with everything.  I found a few things that might be helpful to you.

The first is that although I don't agree with counting calories, it's always good to have a general idea of what you're eating since portion size is a HUGE factor for weight loss.

Here is a list of 100 Calorie Portions:

Proteins

• 2 ounces or 2 slices low-fat American or Cheddar Cheese
• 2 Slices of Bacon 
• 2 ounces Chicken (no skin) 
• 2 small Eggs 
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free Milk 
• 1 cup 1-percent Milk 
• 1/2 ounce roasted peanuts 
• 2 ounces Pork 
• 2 ounces Salmon or Tuna 
• 4 ounces (about 15) Shrimp

Fats

• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 2 teaspoons Olive or Corn Oill 
• 1 tablespoon mayo (*which I don't recommend ever eating!)
• 1 tablespoon peanut butter 

Carbs

• 3/4 cup All-Bran Cereal 
• 1 large Apple
• 1 medium Banana
• 2 cups (about 50) green beans 
• 1/2 cup Corn 
• 3/4 cup plain oatmeal 
• 1 ounce Pasta 
• 1/2 medium Baked Potato 
• 20 medium Strawberries 
• 8 teaspoons Sugar
• 2 1/2 slices low-calorie Wheat Bread

Second, this list is a concise way of looking at what types of foods you should be eating.  The main word is ABS DIET POWER, and the type of food branches out from that.  I thought it was clever, so I thought I'd share! 

• Almonds and other nuts
• Beans and Legumes
• Spinach and other green vegetables
• Dairy (fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese) 
• Instant Oatmeal* (unsweetened, unflavored)
• Eggs
• Turkey 

• Peanut butter
• Olive oil 
• Whole-grain breads and cereals 
• Extra Protein (whey) powder 
• Raspberries and other berries

*The one thing I don't like is the instant oatmeal, like the packets you can buy in the store.  The real oatmeal is much better for you.  I don't ever eat anything instant.  It's usually processed and has more sugar in it and doesn't have the same effect as the real thing.

I want you to think for a minute.  If you were to write out what foods you ate on a consistent basis...what would it spell or say?!   Would it say,

• Sugar cereal 
• Granola/supposedly healthy fiber bars with tons of high fructose corn syrup 
• Salad at a restaurant with hidden calories (up to 2,000).  Oh yeah, trust me, don't be fooled by getting a salad at a restaurant. 
• Left over grilled cheese or Quesadilla your kids didn't eat

And the list goes on.  This isn't supposed to be a guilt trip on yourself, just think about what your list would say.  It's okay if it hasn't been perfect, because it probably hasn't.  Just try your best from now on to make it look more like the one above and try to incorporate those foods into your daily lifestyle.

*Disclaimer- I don't ever recommend going on a diet.  The most important thing is to choose a healthy lifestyle.  Although I like to read lots of 'diet' books, I pull out what useful information they have to offer, and discard the rest.  It's also a great way for me to stay motivated when I'm reading something new about health or fitness because it keeps my mind focused.  So when I'm reading a 'diet' book, it doesn't mean I start following that particular diet, and I'd recommend the same to you.  The way to lose weight is consistently eating whole foods, and staying away from harmful foods to your metabolism i.e. trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, etc.