Are you Serious????

Today I made a quick trip to walmart to pick up some stuff, and I always end up getting a cold drink out of the end displays...well I LOVE Sunkist, so I grabbed a regular one as Walmart very rarely has the Diet Sunkist in the little bottles up front, as that's what I was craving at the moment. Anyways I was looking at the bottle after I had drank some and OMG....what a shocking moment that was!

Calories in 1 cup (8oz) 130
Calories in 1 Bottle 320

Holy cow! Can you say that is about a meal? Good grief! That was definitely a learning experience! Check those labels! What I have done in my 'diet coke' addiction.....is buy the 2 liter bottles and then fill 20oz bottles to take to work with me, it ends up being cheaper than can's that way. I usually buy the Walmart brand "Sam's Cola Zero Calorie" unless Diet Coke is on sale (79 cents is a good buy for me), then I get the Coke Zero. Anyways this has got me thinking about 'serving' sizes as well, as I know oftentimes we are in a rush, routine or whatever you want to call it and end up eating/drinking more than we should.

Here is an informative article I found all about Portion sizes:

Portion control and knowing what a portion or serving size looks like is so essential for not only losing weight, but also maintaining your weight. Did you know that there are some basic ways that you can remember what a portion size looks like, or be able to assess how many portions you are about to eat? Too often we eat without measuring, therefore we might think we are eating sensibly, but in actuality we are taking in double or even triple the serving size. Below is a fun and easy guide to refer to for identifying one serving!

Use these comparisons to keep your portions in check. (Nestle.com)

• A baseball or size of your fist- would be one serving of vegetables or fruit
• Tennis ball- measures to about ½ cup of food (for example, ½ cup ice cream)
• Golf ball or large egg- is about a ¼ cup of dried fruit or nuts
• Six dice or one domino- would equal one serving of cheese
• Deck of cards or the palm of your hand- equivalent to a serving of meat, fish or poultry
• Tip of your thumb- about one-teaspoon of peanut butter
• Computer mouse- one serving of a baked potato
• CD (compact disc)- equals the serving size of a waffle of pancake
• Check book- equals a 3 oz. serving of fish
• A rounded handful- about one half cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or ½ cup of cooked rice or pasta

Other friendly tips:
1. Look at your plate of food. Roughly half of your plate should be full of vegetables, one-quarter should be your protein, and the last one-quarter should be your starch.

2. Read food labels. Every one of them displays the serving size. It’s usually not one entire package.

Here is another one that shows serving sizes using your hands as a guide:
http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/handy-portion-control/ccd688dc78803110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/weight.loss

I am going to print both these charts up, laminate them and put them on my fridge and in my lunch bag so I can have them at work!