Dang, real serving sizes are teensy!

[Govtgirl]

Ok, I got a little bit obsessive and curious this morning and decided to weigh some of the fruits and veggies I eat and compare it to what the portion sizes in the nutritional charts say. Like, "a medium apple is 72 calories, and weighs 138 grams". What does 138 grams look like?

Well, I'm here to tell you that a 138 gram apple is pretty darn small compared to the apples they stock at the store. The granny smith apples in my fridge came in at 190 grams. The ones that were anywhere near 138 were the small red delicous ones that came in a 3 lb bag.

15 grapes (77 grams) equals a serving, but they have to be little grapes! The big seedless green ones go off the charts.

So, I know nobody got fat eating too many fruits and veggies, but according to this I do way better than 5 servings a day, I'm probably around 10-12! Of course, I need to pay attention to the rest of the stuff I eat, but it was kind of a shock to see what the numbers came in at!

 

[workoutaholic]

Govtgirl, I am feeling your pain.

Since I started seriously trying to lose weight a few months ago, I've been weighing everything. And I was really surprised. I was easily eating a few hundred more calories than I thought when I was just eyeballing, and even sometimes measuring volume-wise. I've even discovered a few of my tablespoons are bigger than what they should be.

I probably won't weigh anymore once I am at my goal, but for now, I am just going to continue being my little obsessive food weighing self.

 

[SirenSongWoman]

Isn't it an eye opener? The good thing is that after you've been weighing and measuring everything and learning to live within a range of calories for a few weeks it really does get easier. Until you lose weight and have to cut back again. I noticed on my calendar that I weighed 184.5lbs. at the start of December so I think this is working because I was 177lbs. this morning (though my weight fluctuates wildly). Every morning I go "Okay... I weighed 177 this morning so multiply that by 10... I get 1,770 calories today." I have learned to love vegetables and I don't jones for chocolate as much as I used to. But I always have two Dove dark chocolate pieces in my brown bag at work so if I DO get desperate I don't blow it big-time at the vending machines. One day, I was craving chocolate so badly I put one on my tongue and sucked on it sloooooowly, moaning and "uuummmmm-ing" like Homer Simpson eating a ham sandwich. Luckily, just that small 44-calorie hit was enough. I don't trust myself to not weigh my food anymore, though. Every time I do I go completely off the deep end.

 

[LauraMax]

Oh man don't get me started on servings.......I haven't started weighing my meal portions yet, but I pay attention to desserts. How is a half cup of ice cream or one cookie a single serving????? That's just a tease as far as I'm concerned!

 

[spyrosmom]

Oh man don't get me started on servings.......I haven't started weighing my meal portions yet, but I pay attention to desserts. How is a half cup of ice cream or one cookie a single serving????? That's just a tease as far as I'm concerned!

You just need to get a bigger cup!!! DH tries to tell me he only eats one bowl of cereal every morning w/ his OJ and banana. His "bowl" holds at least 4 cups. I try to tell him there are more than 3 bowls of cereal in a box, but he doesn't seem to believe me. He NEVER GAINS A POUND, either. Jerk! We've been married 10 yrs and he has been 155 the whole time. And eats like crazy, and is a lover of all things cheese and bread.

Nan

 

[Jasmin416]

Speaking of labels...has anyone seen this? I love it everytime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBko_3wT44Q

 

[workoutaholic]

Speaking of labels...has anyone seen this? I love it everytime

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBko_3wT44Q

fig newton shavings coming out the side...hahahahaha

 

[L Sass]

Well shoot. So you mean one whole box of the girl scout cookies is NOT a single serving? Darn.

 

[kathryn]

And just think of restaurant portions. "one" serving of pasta in a restaurant is about 4-5 actual servings.

The strangest is a 'serving size" of Pam (that "calorie-free" spray). The only way they can claim it's got 0 calories from fat is that they can round down. And a serving is a 1/3 second spray (1/5 second on the organic ones). How many people only use a 1/3 second spray on their pans? Is that even humanly possible? (Maybe 1/3 second, but not 1/5 second!)