Рецепт Balancing My Weight Gluten Free–Portion Control
New to the series? Catch up!
In the past year, I have lost 12 pounds of the initial 35 that I need to lose. On my 5 foot 4 frame, that weight was literally weighing me down – emotionally and physically. In previous Balancing My Weight posts, I went in to detail about how I packed on those pounds. Now let’s talk about the changes I made to lose them!
Starting with PORTION CONTROL!
Portions are tricky! Here are two examples:
Gluten Free Pasta: For over two years, I would eat a bowl of pasta about…once a week. It’s easy to cook, fast, and I love the Tinkyada brand. This would be a typical portion:
159 grams, give or take a few. Wanna guess how many calories are in that bowl…noodles alone?
Oh about 600! 600 calories, in the noodles alone! I don’t even want to think about how many calories the bowls of Grownup Mac & Cheese have, because again, it’s all about portions.
Want to see what one serving of Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta looks like?
Bam!
Now, I always measure out one serving of gluten free pasta. And then I pump it up with broccoli, squash, and whole cherry tomatoes. AND I only eat pasta…maybe…once a month. (Which helps on the cost of GF foods too!)
Next up…you might want to sit down for this one, I know my hubby did!
Dippers.
I love condiments! If I’m eating fries, carrots, okra, kale chips…whatever, I’m eating a dip with it!
On the left is the container that I was using for the past few years, and it surprisingly holds 4 tablespoons! I would never have eyeballed that ramekin and thought it would hold FOUR!
The ramekin on the left, my old favorite, filled with my favorite Wishbone Ranch would be…well, you wanna guess how many calories?
520!!!!!!! FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY CALORIES, only in the dressing.
What?! Oh my lord. Gaining 35 pounds doesn’t seem so surprising. Now I use the container on the the right. It holds ONE tablespoon. AND I use Greek Yogurt!
So how did I continue to control my portions?
1. Count it Out – Anytime I eat crackers or chips, I always count it out! It can be so tempting to just sit down with the bag of crackers for my afternoon snack, but mindless snacking was an issue for me. So I count out the serving and put it on a plate.
2. Measure – If I can’t count it, I measure it. Cereal, pasta, condiments…nearly everything. When I started measuring, I didn’t even have a daily goal of calories, but I still wanted to know what, exactly, I was eating. I am still always shocked at how wrong I am when I think I’m “eyeballing it”.
3. Make it Easy – I dedicated one drawer in our kitchen to my “healthy living tools”:
I am the type of person that it absolutely HAS to be easy. When I work long hours and get worn down, even the simplest task seems impossible. So having everything ready to go helps me stick to my plan.
And yes, I have an ice cream portion cup. It holds 1/4 cup
4. Drink Water – drink a glass, and then drink another one! I’m lucky that I actually never drank regular sodas, because those babies hide some calories. But we all know my struggle with Diet Coke. But even diet coke can make you gain weight, by messing with metabolism, causing dehydration, and giving you a craving for salty foods. PLUS ya’ll, it just ain’t good for you.
But water…it’s good for you. Your body likes it. Plus, dehydration can make you feel hungry when you actually aren’t. I always try to drink a full glass of water before a meal or snack.
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Tips from GHM facebook friends:
What about you? How do you control portions?
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