Healthy Living: Portion Control Follow Up

So a couple months ago I made a post about proper portion sizes. I wanted to do a quick follow up to let you know how it has been going for me.

I'm sad to admit that portion sizes was the only thing I was really able to focus on. I had wanted to get myself to the gym more often, but that just didn't happen. I'm so lazy... haha But even though exercise was not something I was able to jump right into, I found that controlling my portions was!

When I was writing that post, even I thought to myself: portion control... looks a lot easier than it probably is. I found it to be a lot easier than I thought and I'm really glad I actually gave it a shot. The biggest change in my eating habits was what I ate at work. I work at a restaurant and  the food we serve there is FAR from healthy and FAR FAR from proper portion sizes. For example, we serve BBQ Chicken there which comes with TWO chicken breasts & TWO sides. That's just way too much food.

I also find that when I eat on my break at work, I don't want to only eat half of something like that and box it up. Frankly, I have no where to put it except my car. But I also had to pay for it, so I don't want to waste it! Hopefully you can understand my dilemma.

The first thing I tried was ordering off of the Kid's menu. Sounds a little extreme and my co-workers are constantly making fun of me, but I've learned that sadly enough, the portion sizes are perfect for adults! What I order most often is our Kid's Chicken & Rice. It's a 5oz. grilled chicken breast and the citrus rice we serve at my work that I love! At first, I got a little hungry before dinner time had arrived, but after only a few days my body was used to it and it fills me up. The hunger I felt at first wasn't even anything to complain about. I also found it much easier to get through the day since I wasn't so stuffed with (bad) food!

With just this one simple change, I've noticed myself making healthier choices at other restaurants and ordering smaller portion options. I can't say it's made a huge difference in my weight, since again I'm not really exercising, but I definitely noticed my belly flattening slightly & I felt bloated so much less often (which was becoming kind of a problem for me).

I apologize for being so wordy & rambly but I was excited to share with you how easy this turned out to be and encourage you all to watch your portions (if you don't already)! Let me know if you are currently trying to make some similar changes in your diets. I'd love to hear about it. : )

Original Post: Healthy Living: Portion Sizes

Healthy Living: Fun Exercise Idea #1

Dog Parks. 


This is my dog, Sadie. She absolutely LOVES the dog park!






If you don't have a dog or don't know anyone that has a dog, this obviously won't work for you. Sorry.

But if you do have a dog, you might not realize the benefits of taking your pooch to a dog park (for both the dog & yourself!) or that there just might be one down the street from you!



Hopefully, as a dog owner, you are aware that exercise is just as important for your dog as it is for you. Some people find playing fetch in the backyard or taking a walk around the neighborhood sufficient enough exercise for their pup. However, socialization is also a very important part of having a happy, well-behaved dog. This is where the dog park comes in.

If you are not familiar with a dog park, it's exactly what it sounds like. They are gated & fenced off parks where you can take your dog off it's leash & let it roam free. Allowing your dog to socialize with other dogs helps them learn to deal with different situations & different people even. Plus, they have so much fun! Dog parks are certainly not for every dog, so for more tips on socialization check out this site.

What do you do while your dog has fun playing with it's new friends? Walk! One of the dog parks near my home actually gives you the distance around the park if you were to walk it. Taking it around 4 times is a mile! You can watch your dog play & meet new people all while you're getting some good exercise. Most parks have a lot of trees & are very pretty so it can sometimes be a nice little escape. Find a dog park near you here.

I personally LOVE taking Sadie to the dog park. She runs around like crazy & plays with all the small dogs. The best part - once I get her home she's completely pooped & will just sleep the rest of the day. haha

I hope some of you who have never gone check them out & really enjoy them! Thanks for reading!

Healthy Living: Portion Sizes

As my best friend & I attempt to be healthier, the biggest thing we are trying to focus on is eating better. Now, doing this is not so hard if you have the motivation, but I've come to realize that there are a lot of factors working against us. The worst factor is what we've been trained to see as the right portion size.


What we are served at restaurants is no where near the right portion size. But that's what we are used to seeing & that's what we think is right. So along with eating healthier, I'm going to try my hardest to drastically adjust my portion sizes. According to this article , the following is what we should visualize to know what the right portion is:

Healthy Serving Size		Healthy Serving Size
3 ounces lean meat, chicken, or fish;	=	A deck of cards
1.5 ounces of cheese	=	4 playing dice
Baked potato	=	Your fist
1/2 cup of ice cream/frozen yogurt	=	1/2 tennis ball
1 pancake	=	A compact disc (CD)
1/2 of a 3-inch bagel	=	A can of tuna

A pancake the size of a CD??? I've never seen that at IHOP.

If you find yourself struggling to stay on a diet or control what you are eating (like me) try simply adjusting your portion sizes to start with. I'm a strong believer in the fact that you will be able to stick to a health/fitness plan if your ease yourself into it. Maybe some people can handle going full force into a strict diet & exercise routine, but my guess is not most people. The article also gives you a bonus to think about: "Opting for reasonable portions allows you to eat the foods you enjoy and still take off pounds." I could be wrong, but that seems like an easier start than heading right into a strict diet!

If this is something you're interested in, please check out the article here . It's very informative. Also, let me know your thoughts on this. I'm going to attempt to be good with my portions & I'll let you know how it goes!