Healthy Portion Sizes Part 2: The Sneaky Extras

If you haven’t read my earlier post, Healthy Portion Sizes: A Failproof Guide, then be sure to check it out. I’ve given you the full rundown on how much you need to eat at each meal when it comes to protein, fats and carbohydrates. But as I was wrapping up the article I realized something crucial –

That’s not enough. Is it?

After all – it’s more often the sneaky in-between meal snacks that cause your belly to slowly creep out well beyond its designated boundaries. In my experience someone can eat right at all their meals and still lose the battle of the bulge if they don’t pay close attention to the rest of the day.

I’ve found these sneaky extras fit into 3 main categories. And if you’re serious about eating the right amount for your body and your weight then you need to make sure you have this stuff under control.

1. Juices, soft drinks or cordials. We all know soft drinks and sugary cordials are bad for us, but did you know the same rule applies for diet soft-drinks, diet cordials, and ALL juices? Juices are one of the biggest baddies when it comes to over-eating. You tell me – is it natural to eat 9 oranges at once? ‘Cause that’s how many it takes to squeeze a tall glass of OJ. Talk about a sugar overload! As for diet beverages, it’s now old news that artificial sweeteners are so effective they actually trick your body into releasing insulin and storing fat, just the same as if you drank the sugary stuff. If you’re trying to lose weight even one glass of these types of drinks per day is too much.

2. Chocolates and sweets. Simple rule – they’re not good for you. They’re nothing but a high-sugar, low-nutrition highway to blubber. And to add insult to injury, indulging in these sort of snacks actually triggers more cravings later in the day, usually leading to a rollercoaster of bad eating. The only exception – organic, 70% plus dark chocolate. Yum! Check out these few other guilt-free sweet treats that are actually good for you.

3. Sneakily stolen snacks. These are the sneakiest of all foods that make you fat. They’re the little stolen moments of pleasure that you conveniently forget to count. That somehow don’t make it into your food diary even if you tell yourself you’re being completely honest. It’s the 5 mints throughout the afternoon, the few bites of your kids’ dinner. The sugar or two in your coffee. The shared bite of a colleagues’ brownie. The ‘mini’ chocolate bar from the office supply. The candy you bought for charity (yes, even good deed candy purchases can make you fat). The extra spoon of creamy mashed potatoes. The cheat meal that extends into a cheat evening day weekend. I mean, c’mon –

Take just a moment and think about how you’d feel if you were forced to face a table-load of the past years’ sneakily stolen snacks. Would the table still be standing?!

I know you hear me.

The good news is that you have the power to turn things around anytime you choose. Today, in fact right now, can be the moment you decide that it’s time to get real. To truly give yourself a shot and see just how far you can take this weight loss or health gig if you do things properly. It’s not about never indulging, don’t get me wrong. But I will say this – if it’s a barely conscious indulgence, then what’s the point? You eat it so fast you barely register it with most of these things.

Why not set yourself a goal of reaching the end of today with pride in the way you’ve treated your body? And then do it again tomorrow. And the next day. Trust me, it does get easier. And there’s no rule that says real nutrition doesn’t taste great. Plus – even if you’re being super strict you should still let your hair down for a cheat meal (yes, meal) once a week.

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