Portion Control Made Easy

We are a super-size nation. We super-size everything. If we can get it in large why not get it in extra, extra large? We like things in excess, including our food portions. Our idea of what a portion actually consists of has gotten completely skewed. It's gotten to the point that if we eat in a resturant that actually serves CORRECT portion sizes we feel like we have somehow been cheated.

If you are someone who really wants to reach their health and fitness goals then you must get a real grasp on what constitutes a serving. Just to give you an idea, your meat servings should not take up your entire plate. No, in fact, they should only be the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand. Here is a list of servings sizes and some common items that correlate to give you a visualization.

SERVING SIZES:

FATS, OILS, SWEETS:

1/2 cup ice cream/pudding = a tennis ball

2 Tablespoons butter, salad dressing, mayonnaise, peanut butter = a ping pong ball

1 teaspoon fat = 1 large die (from a pair of dice)

1 ounce (oz.) snack food like nuts, hard candy = LEVEL (small) handful

1 ounce (oz.) snack food like chips, pretzels = HEAPING (or large) handful

DAIRY:

1 ounce (oz.) cheese = 3 black dominos

MEAT:

3 oz. = deck of cards

1 oz. = a matchbox

VEGETABLES:

1 cup lettuce = 4 leaves

1 cup chopped vegetables = a fist

FRUIT:

1 "medium" fruit = a tennis ball

1 cup fruit =a baseball

1/2 cup chopped fruit = 15 marbles

1/4 cup raisins = 1 large egg

GRAINS (Cereal, Bread, Rice, Pasta):

a "medium" potato = a computer mouse

1/2 cup = a hockey puck

1 cup dried cereal = HEAPING (or large) handful

1 serving bread = 1 slice the size of an old school cassette tape

If comparing your serving to a baseball leaves something to be desired there are always portion pals. Portion pals are these really cool portion control tools that you place your food on top of to gauge your serving size. They are washable and even better, they are cute. Here is a link to the site. http://www.portionpal.com

When in doubt, always split your meal with the person you are dining with or get a to-go box when the food comes. Put half the food in the box and seal the lid. Out of sight, out of mind. Now you have a second meal for later in the week.

How do you control your portions? Go ahead and share your thoughts and ideas. I'm all ears.

KIVA -You CAN be a Part of Change

I recently read another bloggers site about a cutting-edge approach to lending money, one person at a time, in order to allow under-priveledged peoples the opportunity to make their entrepreneurial dreams come to life. These are people who would be very unlikely to get a regular bank loan. Kiva affords them the opportunity to take their drive to succeed and turn it into a reality with the money that they would need to get their business off the ground.

As an entrepreneur myself, I know how hard it can be to get a business off the ground and yet I realize that I am in a much more privileged position than the groups on the Kiva website. I have a soft spot in my heart for those who have the drive to succeed but are missing the resources. I'm proud to be a minor part of allowing these dreams to take flight.

Please don't just take my word for it. This is a legitimate process and I encourage you to give it a look.

Here are a few facts about Kiva:

What is Kiva?

Kiva's mission is to connect people, through lending, for the sake of alleviating poverty.

Kiva empowers individuals to lend to an entrepreneur across the globe. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.

Pendo Luisi, 27 years old, borrowed $175 to open a cafe in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Kiva was born of the following beliefs:

• People are by nature generous, and will help others if given the opportunity to do so in a transparent, accountable way.


• The poor are highly motivated and can be very successful when given an opportunity.


• By connecting people we can create relationships beyond financial transactions, and build a global community expressing support and encouragement of one another.

Kiva promotes:

• Dignity: Kiva encourages partnership relationships as opposed to benefactor relationships. Partnership relationships are characterized by mutual dignity and respect.


• Accountability: Loans encourage more accountability than donations where repayment is not expected.


• Transparency: The Kiva website is an open platform where communication can flow freely around the world.

As of November 2009, Kiva has facilitated over $100 million in loans.

You can also visit the website at:

www.kiva.org

Health: It's more than #'s on a scale

tobj-0106, originally uploaded by befiitter.

The scale is a liar.

You've probably been using it for years to gauge a variety of things from your health to your self-image. While the scale may be a good way to keep yourself in check from time to time and monitor when you need to cut back it really doesn't give the complete picture of health. In fact, many people who would register as being in an acceptable weight range for their size may in fact be "skinny-fat". Skinny-Fat is a term that I use to describe people who are naturally trim without even trying. They are the ones who eat cheeseburgers at every meal, never exercise, and yet never seem to gain an ounce of weight. So, although they may be thin they are anything but healthy. It is quite possible to be very thin but have a very high percentage of body fat. It is also possible to be classified as overweight on the BMI scale but have a very low percentage of body fat.

Now I'm not suggesting that you throw out your scale but I am suggesting that you gauge your progress in other ways. Are you able to walk for longer periods of time without getting breathless? Are your jeans fitting more loosely? Do you find that you can carry your children around with ease? Are you lifting heavier weights today than you were 12-weeks ago? Are you exercising for at least 30 minutes 5 times or more per week? Are your eating habits improving? Are you sleeping 8 hours each night? These are all pieces of a healthy lifestyle.

Alright so maybe your numbers on your scale could stand to be a little lower, but just for today, instead of obsessing about numbers and getting down on yourself, go ahead and congratulate yourself for the others ways that you have made healthy progress. Health it's so much more than numbers on a scale.

Saying Goodbye to My 20s

This is it. I'm embarking on the last week of my 20s. My 30th birthday is saturday so I thought it might be a good time to reflect on the last decade, who I was, who I am, and a few things I might have learned along the way.

You know, it's a funny thing, getting older. Yes I realize that I'm not OLD, per say but I am getting OLDER and this does funny things to you. For instance, when I was 20 I remember thinking about what it would be like to be 30 someday. At that time it seemed so far off in the future as to be incomprehensible. I've never been one to have a set planned future so I'm definitely not facing 30 feeling like a failure or as if I haven't accomplished what I thought I would accomplish. I do however remember thinking that by 30 I would have everything all figured out. Boy was I wrong! Life can really throw you some curve balls in that area.

This past year has been HARD. This is not an overstatement. The things that I've gone through are very personal so I won't share them in detail. I've learned a lot about myself and about my relationships. I use to have a ton of friends or acquaintances, now I'm happy to have a couple very close friends. Andrew and I finally have a mature relationship and a very deep love and respect for one another. He is my rock and the highlight of my day. Relationships grow up and mature as you grow up and mature. That has been a very nice side effect of growing older.

I've also come to a place of acceptance in my life. Acceptance has taken shape in a lot of places. I used to be very hard on myself and on my body. I was very judgmental of my body if it wasn't exactly the perfect size or the perfect shape. I was constantly disappointed with myself if I didn't run my set race time. I continually felt like a failure. Now, I've learned to accept myself. I can push myself hard when I run or workout but I can also do it simply for the shear enjoyment of it. I'm OK if there is a little bit of jiggle around my waist. My boobs will never be big and that's OK too. I'm learning to let go of perfection in favor of balance. If I want to have a brownie sundae and a glass of wine than damnit I'm going to enjoy it, guilt free.

I've also come to realize that sometimes people don't like me and that's OK. My profession, personal training, is well, very PERSONAL. There have been times in the past in which I didn't have a good fit with a client and for one reason or another they decided to let me go as their trainer. Initially I took this to heart as a personal assault on who I was. Today, I chalk it up to the fact that some personalities just don't jive. It's not a direct reflection of me as a person nor is it a direct reflection of my skill as a personal trainer.

Another word that comes to mind is appreciation. I appreciate things much more than I did when I was in my early 20s. I use to take my family and friends for granted. Now I realize how important they are. I really appreciate simple moments; a walk to the coffee shop with my husband on a crisp saturday morning, a trip to the local bakery with my father, lounging on the couch with my mom, taking a walk on the bike path with my in-laws,a night out with girlfriends. I greatly appreciate my husband who has been my constant cheerleader and support as I forged my way as a small business owner over the last 5 years. My business would have failed many times without him.

The great thing about turning 30 is that I know life is still so full of possibilities. I feel like i'm standing on the cusp of self-realization. I'm looking out on the life that is before me. I can't wait to see what twists and turns it holds. I can't wait to walk it with my husband by my side. I'm not afraid of growing older. In fact, I look forward to it. I would never take back my twenties, fun as they were. I can honestly say that I can't wait for my 40th birthday and what I'll write on that day.

Here's to the life events that have shaped me into who I am. Here's to the friends and family who have brought me through the pain and the laughter. Here's to turning 30 and not looking back!

Got the winter blues? 5 ways to increase exercise adherence

Have you ever noticed that all you feel like doing this time of year is eating carbohydrates and laying around the house? Sometimes just getting to the gym feels like it takes all the energy I can muster. I'm pretty sure I suffer from something called S.A.D. Anyone who lives in Chicago knows what that acronym means. Basically it's depression brought on by lack of sunlight. Last year at this time I remember hearing someone on the radio say that we had experienced only 2 hours of sunlight in the last 30 days. Wow, gee thanks, as if I didn't feel bad enough already, now they had to go and rub it in! But seriously, with the waning levels of energy that lack of sunlight bring about it can be very hard to motivate oneself to workout. Here are a couple of tips for boosting your motivation level and getting back on track.

1. Treat yourself to a new, bright, and colorful workout outfit

2. Buy a new workout DVD that requires you to do something you've never tried before. Look at it this way, you can put down that cupcake, roll of the couch and start working out.

3. Find a workout buddy and hit a new class at the local gym

4. Get out of your cooking rut and try a new healthy recipe. Lots of websites offer healthier versions of your favorite winter comfort foods.

5. Purchase an inexpensive piece of new workout equipment. A brightly colored new band or ball that comes with a workout DVD can be a great motivation. You won't have to leave your living room to use it.

Don't forget that exercise actually increases energy and improves mood.