Are you sure that's right??

     "Are you sure that's right?"... that is what I said the first time I decided to measure out right sized portions of nuts after buying a humongous can at Costco. I was doing this not as part of weight loss, but actually trying to prep snacks to take to work after fussing out the price increase on my usual individual packs.I kept thinking it was surely a mistake, could it be that little??? if it was, then boy oh boy I am scared to imagine how many servings my usual handfuls from the can would have amounted to.
      I was so convinced there had to be a mistake that I went searching for the single packs I would generally buy, and to my dismay, it turned out that yes it was a single pack....one that contained 2.5 servings, So what did I do about it? I measured out the portion then added a few more for good measure and because the portion just seemed so darn small,,,,bless my heart. I guess I figured the extra ones would not count...newsflash they do!what is that saying? what you eat in private you can see in public? All those extras combined with my portion distortion are yet one more thing that I did to get me where I am. I think we can all relate to this funny:

     I love Pinterest. It is like a black hole that can suck me in for hours at the time. It allows me to think that I can fix, cook and make anything. While I avoid perusing the food boards too long, I have developed an enjoyment for their fitness boards. I do not always agree or believe everything I read but I am constantly finding food for thought or daily inspiration. While browsing today, I came across this pin:

    Portion distortion is real. It is something I have done for as long as I can remember. Since moving to the U.S., my ideas of portion as well as my weight, skyrocketed. That is not to say that living back home I had no issues. On the contrary, my issues with food have existed since I was young but being on my own and having huge portions easily available only compounded my existing issues. You know how I would rate a place as a good restaurant?? by their portion size. It is sad but true. More bang for my buck is what I used to say. If I am going to pay the prices I better be getting my money's worth. Based on that logic, all you can eat would be the ultimate bang for my buck.
     When I made the decision to start my journey to a healthier and happier me, I knew I was looking for a life change not a quick fix. This to me meant looking to make changes I could continue forever and not just picking a diet and trying to follow it. I am no specialist and definitely not one who can give advice but one thing that I am convinced of is that you need to do what is right for you and in order to do that you have to be honest with yourself and discover what the problems are. If you are anything like me, there are several problem areas but rather than get frustrated because I can't tackle them all at once, I am trying to take them one by one and focus on small victories.
     The first problem I needed to solve cold turkey was my binge trigger of fast food. As I mentioned in an earlier post, in times of stress or anxiety I would stop by a fast food place inhale a crazy amount of food in a short period of time and then come home to eat dinner like I had not just consumed 2-3 days worth of calories at once. I have been successful so far, in avoiding this trigger. I have not binged, I have only been to a fast food place once in 58 days. That time , it was my only choice and I was proudly able to consume 350 calories of mostly protein.No, no fries with that Thanks! ;) Although I am sure I have only won a battle and the war is far from over, I am happy with how I have been able to not cave to my triggers even though my stress and anxiety are at the moment, probably the worst in the last 4-5 years.
     The second problem I decided to work on is portion control. This was a huge one for me. I am used to full plates and eye balling not only of portions but also of ingredients/condiments when cooking. When I started tracking my food, I decided to start measuring out my portions. I bought a little manual food scale for less than 5 bucks and some measuring cups from the dollar tree. This has been a huge eye opener, being aware of a true portion size vs what i considered a portion is mind blowing for me. Does it take extra time? a little bit. Is it worth it? YES YES YES!
     Measuring and weighing out portions have now become a part of my routine as much as logging everything I eat. I do not think of it as a chore anymore even though it did feel that way at the beginning. I jokingly call these babies my weapons of choice:

         

     I have upgraded to a digital scale, only because it is faster and allows me to measure out smaller quantities. My cheapie one kept falling apart after so many uses. Do your research, amazon has many choices to fit many budgets and needs. The most important thing, is learning and making a choice to not over eat. That is choice I have to work on every single day.
     My journey is about me and what works for me. I encourage everyone to find what works for them whether there is a book or study to back it up or not. I am open to learn not only from science but from other people's experiences. Thats the beauty of the internet and the blog world, it gives us a window into other experiences, an insight into different journeys and teaches us what works for some and not others.As I go along, I know there will be a lot to learn and lots of tweaks will be needed in order to achieve success.

Stay Strong, Until next time!!