It's all fun & games until jeans don't fit

We all have different ways to watch what we eat.  Sometimes it’s eating more of a certain food group.  Sometimes it’s reducing our indulgences.  Sometimes it’s eating smaller, more frequent meals.  But no matter what the plan of attack is for healthy eating, one thing that bites us in the butt, so to speak, is portion sizes. 

Let’s be clear.  It’s not all our own doing.  I’ll happily shift the blame to others on this topic when given the chance!   Changes in portion sizes and ingredients in our prepared foods and restaurants are part of the problem.  But what IS our doing is how we respond to it.  The first step to solving a problem is to admit that there is one… yeah, yeah, yeah. 

Seriously.  Check out this link.  There are several charts showing that one restaurant meal can include all of daily calories.  It also shows how daily calorie intake has increased 20% over the last 40 years.  And finally, a visual of some of our favorite foods have calorie contents that almost double the way it was prepared for us over a 20 year period.  Oh boy.  That’s not good.  I’m not saying don’t go out to eat.  But just be wise about what is eaten.  Sadly, a salad doesn’t always mean a low calorie count. 

Some logic on watching what you eat might be to eat less.  As in, not eat enough, all in an effort to lose weight.  Ummm, I vote no.  Because when I’ve skipped meals, not only do I get HANGRY, which serves the good for NO ONE, I also eat too much at my next meal.  According to University of Texas Cancer Center, here’s what happens to our body when we overeat.  As if having to unbutton the top button of our pants isn’t bad enough…

But this is not about feeling bad about what you eat.  That’s what I call “food shame,” and if you read this blog, you’ll see I’m not a fan.  I’m human, after all.  But this IS about eating smart.  Fueling our bodies to be their best.  And every meal we get the opportunity to start again.  Something that’s helpful in this venture is knowing what good portion sizes are.  My Fitness Pal, which is a food logging tool to revisit during “times of trouble,” shows us how we can use our hands to determine proper serving sizesFunny, I didn’t see a hand size for chocolate chip cookies.  Bummer. 

But guess what?  We’re all in this together.  And we’re so glad you’ve chosen FBD to be your partner on being your strongest self.  Keep us posted on how we can continue to support each other as we all keep trying to fight off those french fries.    

Real.  Positive.  Change.  - Judi