Portion Sizes for Dummies
Along the lines of keeping it simple, you don’t need to count calories or macros in order to eat healthy and in accordance with your goals.
By the way, if you just thought, “What’s a macro?” then you definitely don’t need to waste your time counting them :-)
Now, don’t get me wrong … logging your food intake so you have an estimate of how many calories you’re eating -- and how much protein, carbs and fats -- can be useful. But I believe this is best kept to short doses of 3-5 days at a time, just to get a snapshot of your typical food intake.
In the long run, most people are more successful with a system that’s based on more intuitive eating habits. Luckily, I’ve got one for you that works … and is super simple to implement.
Here are what I call the Portion Sizes For Dummies:
Protein: 1 palm-sized serving per meal for women, 2 for men.
Vegetables: 1 fist-sized serving per meal for women, 2 for men.
Carbohydrates: 1 cupped handful per meal for women, 2 for men.
Healthy Fats: 1 thumb-sized serving per meal for women, 2 for men.
This is an excellent starting point for most people. Once you try it for a couple of weeks, you can assess your results -- and also your levels of hunger and fullness. Then, adjust up or down from there.
Once you get into the habit of eating the right amount of the above food groups, you could then take it to the next level and start drilling down on quality. In other words, lean, antibiotic-free meats, pastured eggs and wild fish for protein. Or, “smart” carbs, meaning minimally processed and preservative-free.
You could take it to the next level by making sure your intake of fats is healthy and in the correct proportions (i.e. one third from mono-unsaturated fats like raw nuts and olive oil, one third from polyunsaturated sources like fish and seeds, and one third from saturated fats like well-sourced animal protein, grass-fed dairy products and tropical oils like coconut oil).
But honestly, most people would do best to take it one step at a time. Get accustomed to HOW MUCH you should be eating for your body type and goals first. Then, you can turn the dial and start focusing on more advanced techniques like food quality and nutrient timing.
It’s always best to master the basics first.
I’m curious, what’s your biggest challenge with eating healthy? Shoot me a reply, I’d love to see how I could help you solve it.
Coach Aaron
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Aaron Hines, Owner-Premier Performance Training M.S. Exercise Physiology ACSM-CPT, NASM-FNS, TRX, TPI-Level 1 & F2, CSAC, Pn1