Do You Know The Right Portion Sizes?

When it comes to losing weight, "calories in/calories out" is the name of the game. Burn more than you consume — it's that simple. But how do you know how many calories you consume in the first place?

Getting an accurate calorie count is easy on days when you can measure all your meals and snacks with the help of a measuring cup and scale. Once you've done all the scooping and weighing, you can get the number by adding up the calories based on your portion sizes. But how do you estimate calories when those tools aren't available?

If you're eating out, here are some useful tips for assessing portion sizes:

• The size of your fist is roughly equal to a 1-cup serving of cereal, wild rice, black beans, and most other grain foods. 
• The size of your thumb is roughly equal to a 1-ounce serving of cheese. 
• The center of your palm of your hand, without fingers, is roughly equal to a 3-ounce serving of fish, chicken, beef, or other meat. 

Easy, right? Give yourself a hand — no pun intended — and start measuring!

The Truth About Cardio Exercise

Oh, you love cardio. I know it. But my program, for the most part, makes straight cardio exercise obsolete. The kind of resistance training I recommend includes cardio intervals and compound movements, which effectively raise your heart rate while burning fat. But as I always say, cardio is weight-loss extra credit — it's a great way to get a workout on days when you're giving your muscles a break from strength training. That's why it's important to get a few cardio basics under your belt, so that you know when to do cardio in relation to your resistance training.

If you plan on doing cardio on the same day as your resistance training, it's better to do it after your weight routine. While it's true that a 5-minute cardio warm-up is necessary before any resistance training, doing intense cardio beforehand will deplete most of your available blood sugar, which you need for those quick bursts of energy that resistance training requires. Also, cardio will fatigue your muscles before you lift a single weight, which will prevent you from maxing out your muscles' potential. On the days when you are resting your muscles and doing cardio alone, the best time of day is absolutely any time. The most important thing is that you do it.

Knowing How Much to Lift

Q: What size dumbbells should I be using — 5-pound, 10-pound? What's a rule of thumb for how much to start with, when to move up, and so on?

A: For weight loss, research has found that lifting between 60 and 80 percent of your 1-rep max (that is, the heaviest amount of weight you can lift for one repetition of an exercise) is the best way to stimulate muscle growth, which is what helps you lose fat. The problem is that most of us don't think about how much weight we need, or go to the trouble of figuring out our 1-rep max for every exercise we do. In fact, I see many gym-goers lifting the same weights week after week — this is just one way to keep your body from changing.

So how do you figure out how much to lift if you don't know your 1-rep max? Here's what I suggest, especially if you're a beginner:

• Choose a weight you can only lift with good form for 12 to 16 reps (which constitutes 1 set). You don't need to go into complete muscle failure, but make sure you're challenging your body. 
• Begin with 1 set of each exercise, slowly working your way up to 2 to 3 sets (adding a set each week). 
• When you've added sets and have a solid foundation (after 6 to 8 weeks), add enough weight so that you can ONLY do 8 to 12 reps. 
• Continue to progress by adding a rep each week until you reach the max reps (no more than 16); then increase your weight again and drop your reps back down to 8 to 12. 

 The important thing to remember when it comes to strength training is that you must give your muscles more weight than they can handle — that's how muscles grow. The challenge of lifting heavier weights is just as much a mental game as a physical one. If you haven't pushed your body's limits in a while, the act of lifting weights alone may be all you can handle. If you're consistent with a basic program and build a solid foundation of strength, you'll be ready for the next step — increasing the amount of weight to push your muscles to their limits. You'll be amazed at the changes in your body!

Make the Portion and Calorie Cut

Americans have completely skewed ideas about portion size. No other country on earth offers portions as enormous as the ones here. Honestly, go anywhere else in the world and order a meal. You'll see the difference.

We're conditioned to believe that more equals better. Just look at the endless marketing of fast food; we're constantly encouraged to eat more in order to take advantage of a "bargain." But what kind of a bargain are you getting if you're eating 100 french fries in one sitting just to save a quarter you wouldn't have spent in the first place? And the reality is that Americans are paying for this illogical thinking with their health and their lives.

Here are a few techniques you can use to keep your portions under control.

• If you're at home, use smaller plates. This creates the illusion of eating a bigger serving. 
• If you're at a restaurant and you know the portions are going to be huge, ask the server to put half your meal in a doggie bag before it even hits the table. This saves you money as well as unnecessary calorie overload. 
• Share an entrée with your dining partner. 
• Make a new rule for yourself: Always leave something on your plate. This reminds you that you are in control of the food, not the other way around. A little bit of empowerment can go a long way!

Veggies: Canned, Frozen, or Fresh?

Quick, which is the most nutritious: canned, frozen, or fresh vegetables? You might think that the obvious answer is fresh, but not so fast. Depending on how long it takes to get the vegetables from the farm to your family's dinner table, the answer may vary.

Your best choice is organic, pesticide-free, just-picked fresh vegetables — they are delicious and nutritious just the way that nature intended them. However, depending on where you live, winter weather has most likely limited your ability to get locally-grown veggies. When it warms back up though, be sure to shop for in-season, locally grown veggies from nearby farmers markets and stands — or grow your own in a garden — to get the healthiest selection. Just buy what you need as close as possible to the time you plan to eat them. That's because the more time that has passed since the veggies were picked, the more they lose their nutritious content. While it's tempting and convenient to stock up, don't!

Frozen organic vegetables are great alternatives to fresh ones, especially in these cold-weather months. The veggies are generally flash frozen immediately after they have been harvested, which is when they are at the peak of their freshness and nutrition. In fact, frozen organic vegetables are a more nutritious choice than "fresh" ones that have traveled across the country to your local grocery store only to sit for days in a produce aisle or those vegetables that you bought and tossed in your refrigerator's bin a week ago.

Canned veggies, however, are the least nutritious of the bunch. While they are canned soon after they are harvested, many veggies lose up to 90 percent of their original nutrition power in the canning process. Also, canned veggies have higher sodium levels because they often have salt added to them. The worse thing about canned veggies is that the cans are lined with plastic that contains the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, which has been linked to insulin resistance, early puberty, prostate cancer, and diabetes. If you still choose to eat veggies out of cans, look for brands that are organic and have no salt added or low salt.

 F
inally, how you cook your vegetables also plays a part in their nutrient content. All veggies, regardless of whether they are canned, fresh, or frozen, will lose most of their nutrients — and flavor — if they are boiled in large amounts of water over a long period of time. Lightly steam or microwave them to preserve their vitamins instead.

How to Curb Mindless Eating

Okay, you've all heard the term "grazing" — you know, picking at food throughout the day instead of (or in addition to) eating regular meals. This constant, indiscriminate eating — especially when you're focused on another task, such as talking on the phone, working on the computer, or watching TV — is the downfall of many committed dieters, but it doesn't have to be.

If you're piling on pounds because you eat when you're distracted or bored rather than when you're actually hungry, try the following tactics to break the habit.

To curb daytime grazing:

• Don't eat while you're standing up, in the car, on the go, or when you don't have time for a full, proper meal. If you sit down at mealtimes and pay attention to every bite, you'll be more relaxed; you'll notice when you're satisfied, which m
• eans that you'll be less likely to overeat — and you'll actually enjoy your food! Don't skip meals. I mean it. You might think you're saving yourself calories, but it will only leave you famished and more likely to consume extra calories later on to feel full. 

To curb nighttime grazing:

• Why do most people graze at night? Because they're bored. If you've been thinking about taking up knitting, crossword puzzles, Ping-Pong, or some other hobby that will keep your brain busy in the evening, now is the time to do it. 
• Brush your teeth. Food never seems quite as appealing when you have that fresh, minty toothpaste taste in your mouth. 
• Try a cup of hot tea; the warm liquid in your stomach can help you feel satiated.

Dollar Store Food: 13 Frugal Recipes

Read About Dollar Store Food:13 Frugal Recipes HERE