Even if you’re eating an organic grilled range free humane certified piece of chicken breast, if it’s too large a portion it’s just going to get stored as fat. C’mon, we’re not running from Saber Toothed tigers anymore or walking a hundred miles every day, searching for food sources. We’re usually stuck in traffic, or lying on the couch, flipping through our 500 cable or satellite channels on our TV’s, and/or sitting in front of a computer screen with internet paralysis.

Folks, we act like we’re pigs at a trough when food is around; we have to remember that food is simply fuel for our bodies and minds. When you are getting ready to eat, you gotta ask yourself, "Why am I eating this meal?" Is it to provide energy for your work day ahead? Is it to recover after a tough workout? Is it so you have antioxidants to fight off free radicals? Is it for the fiber to help clear out the cholesterol in your body? Whatever the case, each meal and snack you eat should have meaning attached to it.

In regards to portions, a very simple and easy way to stay on track with your food portions is by using the “eyeball method” to compare proper portion sizes to something that you are familiar with, like a computer mouse or a set of dice. Familiarize yourself with these and for the rest of your life you’ll never have to guess again:

Meat
3 ounces of meat: deck of cards or palm of your hand without your fingers
Breads, cereals, rice and pasta
An average bagel: a hockey puck
A medium potato: a computer mouse
1 cup of rice or pasta: size of your fist
1 cup dried cereal: a large handful
Dairy
1-1/2 ounces natural cheese: 4 dice
Fats, Oils and Sweets
1/2 cup of ice cream: a tennis ball
1 teaspoon butter, salad dressing, peanut butter or mayonnaise: one die (dice)
FYI: one tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
Fruit
1 medium fruit: a tennis ball
1 cup of fruit: a baseball
1/2 cup chopped fruit: 15 marbles
Vegetables
1 cup lettuce: 4 leaves
1 cup vegetables (chopped): a fist
1.2 cup vegetables (chopped): light bulb

So be wise and watch your portion size!

This article made its debut on www.nohoartsdistrict.com

(Jack Witt is a Health and Fitness Coach providing In Home Personal Training, Personal Training at Private Fitness Centers in the North Hollywood, Burbank, Studio City, Sherman Oaks areas, as well as Worksite Health Programs, Corporate Wellness, Life Coaching Products, Keynote Speaking, and Group Exercise Classes.)