Eating the right foods is one of the foundations of losing weight, but eating the right portions is also a huge part of the story. You can eat the cleanest foods all day long, but if your portions aren’t the right size or you eat the right portions too often, you won’t lose weight. Eating out or eating on the go can be the hardest to navigate – what does one serving really mean? When a plate comes your way, how may ounces are on it? We can have control at home but it can sometimes be just as hard – eating out of the bag can mean taking one or two handfuls more than you should, or when cooking for ourselves we can sometimes over do it a little. The worst part is, many of us make mistakes without even knowing it. Here are some tips for the different situations we find ourselves in.

Eating At A Restaurant

When we dine out we really have to be on our toes. It’s best to prepare ahead of time to get as much information as we can. You may not always know the serving size or the portion size of the meal in advance, but it’s always good to plan what you will order and you never know what other information you will find. Don’t be afraid to be thorough and ask questions when you order  – how many ounces something is, how many items come per meal, the approximate size of a dish. If you can’t get any of this information you can always eyeball it. 6 ounces is the size of your hand (from wrist to finger tips and from thumb to pinky) and 4 ounces is the size of your palm (not including fingers or wrist). Salad dressing is also a huge issue. When we are making a salad at home or we can portion it ourselves when ordering in or at a salad bar we are more in control, but when we are out to eat it can be harder. Don’t order dressing on the side – it doesn’t matter if it’s on the side you will end up using it anyway. Order your salad with no dressing and use fresh lemon and salt and pepper. If you need red vinegar and oil, use two tablespoons total. In general, 2 tbsp of liquid looks like a ping pong ball.

Once you see that most restaurants actually give you double or even triple of a normal portion, and some snacks and other food products are packaged with instructions that are too generous, you will understand why portions are an important thing to keep in mind. When eating out, don’t feel the need to clean your plate – bringing home leftovers is a great option and it gives you a healthy meal you can reach for when you can’t or don’t have time to cook.

Ordering In

Though ordering in and eating out seem identical when it comes to portion sizes, things are a little different. When you are at home you can measure things out with measuring cups, spoons or a scale. When you are at the office or on the go, you can use your hand or you can picture certain items as visual aids. For example, when it comes to quinoa, 1/3 cup would fill a small baking muffin cup. Or when it comes to popcorn chips or other healthy chips, 1 ounce would fill a tea cup. For meat or other protein such as fish or tofu, 2 decks of cards is about 6 ounces or the size of your hand as mentioned above. 4 ounces is your palm, or about the size of a hockey puck.

Plates at restaurants can be deceptive, and ordering in can be just as generous and over portioned. Don’t feel guilty or obligated about finishing your plate – it’s always good to have leftovers.

Eating or Cooking at Home

When we are preparing our own meals or someone in our house is cooking it is just as important to pay attention to the portion we are making. When we are in control we should be just as vigilant, but sometimes we are a little too generous with ourselves. We skip the measuring because we want to just use our eyes, and that is where we get in trouble. You can still measure using your hand for comparison, but you should also use measuring spoons, cups, packaging or even a scale when you can. It may seem silly to measure out each and everything thing you eat, drink and cook but once you see how different real portions are compared to everyday portions we make or order, you will realize how important it is to pay attention. Some more helpful measurements can be used for cooking, such as 1 cup of raw vegetables or chopped fruit is equivalent to your fist (including all your fingers, from the wrist up). Once vegetables are cooked, 1/4 cup is about equal to a light bulb. Even when it comes to fruits like apples, not all are equal to one portion. The best measurement to use for a piece of fruit is a baseball. For cheese, 1 ounce is about the size of two dice. For oil, 1 tbsp is about the size of your thumbprint.

One of the biggest mistakes coffee drinkers can make is creamer or milk. Packets of sugar are portioned, but what does a tablespoon of liquid really look like? Most of us have a different definition of what a “splash” of milk or creamer looks like, so it’s a good idea to measure it out at least once so you know for the future how much it is, what it looks like in your coffee or tea, and what it tastes like to give yourself a reference. When it comes to skim milk or fat free creamers, a little more than a tablespoon or two won’t make a huge difference, but that doesn’t mean it should go unchecked.

It’s important to note that we are all different and depending on size and age our hands are all different, and sometimes we can’t measure things perfectly without the help of kitchen tools, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Losing weight is hard work. If it wasn’t everyone would do it. But when it comes to portions, all it takes is that extra thought or effort to make a healthy choice.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

When it comes to eating healthy and losing weight, we all know that white refined sugar is one of the first things to go. This can be especially hard for those of us with a sweet tooth, so we may look to artificial sweeteners or other alternatives to still get our sugary fix. And while some are low in calories, they can be full of chemicals. And after all, isn’t a sugar alternative still sugar? The truth is yes, you are still consuming sugar, but there are different benefits and downfalls to each option and some are more nutritious than others. Here is a guide to the sweeteners out there, how they affect us and how they can be used.

Sugar (White Refined)

Though it is well known that white sugar is one of the last things you want in your diet when you are trying to live a healthy lifestyle, do we really know why? Besides cavities, what does it do to us? Many would say that it is addicting, and while it may affect your dopamine levels (your brain’s happy chemical) it is not officially proven that this is true. But that doesn’t meant that it isn’t a hard habit to break. Most of us grew up with white sugar and we associate the taste with happiness, pleasure and a reward. Breaking the mental ties with sugar is just as hard as keeping it out of our coffee, but it will help you in more ways than just weight loss. Recently a link was found between sugar and unhealthy levels of blood fat, which can worsen your cholesterol. And while sugar does not cause diabetes, there is still an association with sugar consumption and the disease. It can also increase inflammation and cause a spike in your blood sugar. Cutting sugar out of your life can be tricky, and some of us can’t go cold turkey, but some of these sugar alternatives may be able to help.

Honey

Honey is probably the most well know sweet alternative and many of us may use it already. There are a lot of pros and cons to honey. Even though it is high in many vitamins such as B2 and B6, and is also high in iron and manganese, it’s glycemic index is worth noting (higher than agave but still lower than refined white sugar). And even though it is known to have anti-fungal and antibacterial affects, and raw and dark honey are even known to have antioxidants, it is still 60 calories per tablespoon. It can be used as an alternative to refined white sugar and is slightly better than sugar and other alternatives, but it should still only be used sparingly, or avoided when it comes to weight loss.

Maple Sugar

When we think maple sugar we immediately think pancake breakfast, but pure maple sugar is a common natural sweetener that has always been popular. It is high in antioxidants and some minerals, but like honey is it high in calories (50 calories per tablespoon) and it has a specific and strong flavor. It can be used in baking and other recipes as a sugar alternative, but like honey it is not much different from refined sugar except that it is natural and unprocessed.

Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar is made from the sap of the coconut palm trees, it is not processed and it has a low glycemic index. Not to mention that it is also a source of vitamin B8, potassium, zinc, iron and calcium and it also contains antioxidants. But this does not mean that it is a rich source in any of these benefits – real food is always better – but it is more nutritious than other options. It is also said to taste the most like refined white sugar and it can be replaced 1:1 with regular white sugar. So what’s the catch? Coconut sugar is high in fructose (fruit sugar) – it has almost the same amount as regular sugar. And also the cost, it is more expensive than refined white sugar. And it can have a slightly different taste (some people say it is like caramel).

Agave

Many of us have probably seen the word but still aren’t familiar with it. Agave nectar or syrup comes from the agave plant, which is like a cactus, which means that it is vegan. This liquid is the consistency of honey and is similar in color. Some people who do not like honey prefer the taste of agave, and it is said that it also does not have a bitter aftertaste that you sometimes get with artificial sweeteners. It has a lower glycemic index than refined sugars so it is good for weight loss and it is also diabetic friendly. Though something to keep in mind is the fact that it has more calories than refined sugar, but it is also much sweeter so less can be used. It is a great sugar substitute in many recipes such as smoothies, but the translation can be tricky. For example, when replacing white sugar with agave, for every cup of white sugar use 2/3 cup of agave and then reduce the other liquids in the recipe by 1/3 of a cup. It can also cause baked items to brown more quickly, so reduce the heat slightly and bake for a little bit longer.

 Stevia

Stevia became very popular recently for being calorie free and natural, but that doesn’t mean it can be used without control. Just because it has 0 calories does not mean that it will aid your weight loss, especially because it doesn’t help you curb your cravings. It is also important to be aware that some brands may be chemically processed and mixed with sugar alcohols – not all Stevia is 100% natural. Always check the labels, some contain fiber and other components as well. When it comes to flavor it is very sweet, so less may be used when it comes to using it in recipes (but be aware that when substituting for sugar, the ratio is 1:8 which will affect other ingredients).

Artificial Sweeteners

What is the difference between Sweet’n Low, Equal and Splenda? It’s all about what they are made of with. Sweet’n Low is saccharin (an artificial sweetener) as well as dextrose and other ingredients, Equal is aspartame and Splenda is sucralose (a synthetic compound discovered in 1975). And though they are all calorie free, they are completely artificial, offer no nutrition benefits and are full of chemicals. While their lack of calories is good news for weight loss, their contents are far from healthy.

So now that you know the difference between sugar and sweeteners, what’s the best one to use for weight loss? None of the above  Of course I would rather you not incorporate any extra or added sweeteners to your food and go with the natural. However I know that’s not always realistic for many. So if and when you have to add sweetener to your menu then choose agave. It is chemical free and with its low glycemic index, it can have a positive response to your blood sugar levels.

~Love to Live Healthy with Josephine Fitzpatrick

Innovation Weight Loss and Fitness

8031 Jericho Tpke Woodbury, NY 11797

469 7th Ave Manhattan, NY 10018

When it comes to weight loss, protein is something that people seem to obsess over. Eating enough of it, finding the best sources of it, trying supplements, consuming enough for exercise, etc. It can be hard to find reliable and helpful information about your protein needs when you change your eating habits and start to lose weight, so here are some common questions and tips for understanding protein and its role in your diet.