Have you ever eaten at the Cheesecake Factory? Good food and great desserts, but wow, their portion sizes are large!  When I do go (which is only on special occasions), I usually go home with a "doggie bag." These larger portion sizes are typical of the growing serving sizes served in American restaurants.

Portion sizes have increased since the 1950s, in restaurants and at home, but many people continue to eat everything put in front of them.

For example, a serving of French fries during the 1950s was about 2 oz. Today, a typically serving size is about 6 oz. A soft drink used to be about 7 fl oz. Today, it has grown to 12 fl oz or larger.

Unless your body burns calories like crazy, eating larger portions = weight gain.

What does a serving really look like?

• 1 slice of bread - size of a CD case
• 1 medium apple, orange, banana, or pear
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of vegetables, fruit, or cooked pasta, cereal, rice, beans, or tofu - the size of an ice cream scoop or one small hand cupped
• 1 Cup leafy vegetables - size of a baseball or 2 small hands cupped
• 1 Cup milk or yogurt - a woman's clenched fist
• 2-3 oz meat, poultry, or fish - a deck of cards
• 1 1/2 oz cheese - 2 dominoes side by side
• 2 Tablespoons peanut butter - 2 thumbs side by side
• 1/2 cup ice cream -1 ice cream scoop
• 1 serving of chips - 1 handful

If you’re trying to lose weight, take a look at your portion sizes. Make sure what you think is a serving really is just one serving. And then next time your dining out, ask for a to-go box at the end of the meal, especially if you happen to eat at the Cheesecake Factory! Doggie bags are always the fashion there!

photo credit: jamesjyu

Originally posted 2007-11-12 08:01:58. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Related Posts

• More Heart Health Food Tips Heart health food tips can go a long way in improving your overall coronary health. If you want to improve the health of your heart and your over all health and well being as well, the following heart health food tips are going to come in handy: Take the time......
• Healthier Pancakes I love pancakes! I used to have pancake eating contests with my brother as a kid. I'm not beating family members in pancake gorging fests these days (Thankfully!). In fact, I'm looking for an alternative to the usual white-floured, butter and maple flavored syrup-topped pancake. See, as you may know,......
• Carrie Underwood's Pressure to Stay Thin I like Carrie Underwood. I think she has clear and powerful voice. She also seems to conduct herself in a decent manner. Yet, this seemingly sweet, country girl from Oklahoma is not immune to the pressures that Hollywood, and society in general, place on the importance of looking thin and......
• 7 Heart Healthy Diet Tips If you want to improve the health of your heart and your over all health and well being as well, the following heart health dietary tips are going to come in handy. These are diet recommendations that have been recommended by the American Heart Association for being able to improve......
• Book Review - The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook I recently received a copy of The Healthy Carb Diabetes Cookbook to review for you. As the title states, this is a cookbook designed for diabetics. The just under 200 recipes meet nutritional guidelines of the American Diabetes Association. The cookbook emphasizes healthy carbohydrates - whole grains, fruits, and vegetables......

Related Websites

• Weight Loss Secrets pt 3 The right weight loss secrets can go really far in helping you achieve the healthful and natural weight loss that you are looking for. Here are some healthy and natural weight loss secrets. Weight Loss Secret #1 - Chunk up your salad using chopped up carrots, sweet potatoes, celery, zucchini......
• Even More Tips for Getting More Fruits and Vegetables Most people are not getting enough fruits and vegetables, despite the fact that there is such a large variety to choose from. Here are some great tips for how you can get pack more healthy fruits and vegetables into your life for a number of added health benefits that will......
• Selecting Fly Tackle Fly fishermen tend to use 5 or 6 weight fly rods that are between 8 and 9 feet in length. Lighter weight rods work well when it comes to smaller streams but they tend to lack the backbone necessary for dealing with afternoon winds on open rivers as well as......
• Is a Diet Detox Right For You? One of the most talked about concepts in the diet world right now is the process of detoxing your body from certain foods. There is a lot of hype surrounding this technique, so let's take a hard look at it to help you determine whether or not it's right......
• 3 Day Diet Review 3 day diets are one of the most popular crash diets still around today. A lot of people try this diet, and they do see results, but it is only a short term weight loss. Sadly the weight is gained back quite soon for many people. The three day diet......

Online Stores

• Samples & Trial Sizes Skin Care Store
• Beans Seedlings Vegetables & Fruits Plants, Seeds & Bulbs Gardening & Plants Yard, Garden & Outdoor Living Nursery
• Weight 12 Downrigger, Outrigger Gear Fishing
• Restaurants, Diners Gas, Food, Lodging Postcards Collectibles
• Discount Elliptical Weight Management

If you liked this article, vote for it on del.icio.us and stumbleupon.


Categories:

Weight Loss