There are loads of commercial diet programs out there, which makes it super hard to figure out which one is beneficial and which one isn’t worth your time. The Hand Diet is one that you can feel pretty great about trying because it’s designed to be easy to follow and helps you control your portion sizes, which helps cut calories for weight loss. To use this diet, you use various parts of your hand to determine the proper amount of a given food. If you’re someone who wants help cutting portion sizes so that you can lose weight while eating your favorite foods, the Hand Diet might be for you. Here’s what you need to know.
Most people way overdo it when it comes to pasta. In fact, a serving is much smaller than you’d expect. Clench your fist and that’s the amount of space the pasta should cover in your bowl or on your plate. If you worry that you’ll still be hungry, try making the switch to whole wheat pasta, which is higher in fiber and much more satisfying than refined white pasta.
In general, your palm is perfect for portioning out the recommended 3-ounce serving of meat. You don’t have to give up meat to be healthy, but you do need to keep your portion sizes in check. The palm rule goes for beef, chicken, pork and fish and makes it super easy to get the right amount on your plate.
Cheese is a healthy addition to your diet because it’s a great source of protein and calcium. The right serving size is one ounce, or roughly the surface area that wraps around two of your fingers. Keep your portions of cheese to this size and you can reap the health benefits without going overboard on calories and fat.
No one wants to give up ice cream, even if they are trying to shed some weight. You don’t have to as long as you balance the calories in the ice cream and stick to one serving size and not the whole pint. Look at your clenched fist and serve yourself half that amount of ice cream. What’s your favorite flavor?
I love butter on toast and baked potatoes, but it’s so easy to glob on way more than is healthy. Scoop a portion that is about the size of the tip of your pointer finger and stop there. You’ll get the taste you love without all the fat and calories that you take in by piling on more than that.
More of a peanut butter on your toast kind of girl? Two thumbs worth is one serving and is ideal for your morning meal. The same amount is all you should use on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or anytime you eat peanut butter.
You know that you should be eating lots of fruits and vegetables because they are loaded with nutrients and are low in fat and calories. Yet, most Americans are still skimping. One serving is a cup, which is roughly equal to your closed fist. Try for as many servings as possible and you’ll have less room for unhealthy foods.
Would this method of portion control help you? Have you ever tried it? Did it work out for you?