Overeating is a vice that can be easily conquered once you know the difference between a proper portion and the mountain of food that most restaurants serve you.  Nobody expects you to walk around with a measuring cup in your handbag every time you go out to dinner which is why you want to educate yourself on what you need to eat to burn fat and get those  bikini model flat abs, toned arms and that round butt that you know you are worthy of! By learning how to “eye-ball” what a proper portion looks like, your meals out will not result in guilty negative self-talk or the “walk of shame” to your bathroom scale the next morning. Just because you want to look like a Bikini Model and lead a healthy & fit lifestyle should not alienate you from leading a “normal” life.

Here are some tips to keep you on track to your weight loss success!

1) Cut it in Half

The documentary “Super-Size Me” serves as a clear reminder (no pun intended) that American restaurants serve more than twice the food than most places in the world. Keeping this in mind, next time you are out a restaurant, ask the waiter for a take-out container as soon as you receive your food so that you can cut it in half and box the rest for lunch the next day! Try to eat slowly and enjoy your company and the conversation. Remember, it takes about 20 minutes to start to feel full, so eating at a slower pace will prevent you from overeating.

2)   Buffet is a Six-Letter Word

There is no other way of putting it- Buffets should be outlawed. Avoid buffets like the plague. Portion Control is thrown out the window the second you get yourself into an "all-you-can-eat" situation.  It’s a “lose-lose” situation. Everyone I know (myself included) wants to get the “most for their money” and it never fails- you end up leaving there buffet feeling sick, bloated and guilty. If you are on a quest for flat abs, buffets are a HUGE derailment that will set you back a couple of days.  

3)   Be On Portion Patrol

In order to keep your “guesstimated” portions in check (I doubt there will be a food scale handy when you sit down to eat) you can use every day household items as a mental reference guide.

For instance, three ounces of chicken or steak equals the size of a deck of cards or an audio tape; one ounce of chicken or steak is the size of a matchbook; and one cup of potatoes, rice or pasta is about the size of a tennis ball. Here are some more standard serving sizes.

A standard serving of...

·       cereal (1 c.) = a baseball

·       salad dressing (2 Tbsp.) = a shot glass

·       nuts (1 oz.) = a cupped palm

·       cheese (1 oz.) = a ping-pong ball

·       hamburger (3 oz.) = a mayo jar lid

·       peanut butter (1 tsp.) = one die

·       beef (3 oz.) = a bar of soap

·       rice (1/2 c.) = an ice cream scoop

·       potato = a computer mouse

·       dinner roll = a yo-yo

·       butter (1 tsp.) = a Scrabble tile

·       fruit (1 c.) = a tennis ball

·       cooked pasta (1/2 c.) = a golf ball

·       fish (3 oz.) = a checkbook

·       poultry (3 oz.) = a deck of playing cards

You will soon learn that portion control is what will make you or break you on your fitness journey. Remember, you can work out for an hour every single day at maximum intensity and have all the drive and dedication I the gym, but it’s what you are doing the other 23 hours of the day that will make you or break you. Don’t sabotage yourself by spending all your energy on the exercise part of the “Fit Equation” and little to no energy on the food planning and portion control.

To learn more Bikini Model tips and techniques, go to www.bikinimodelprogram.com . For more information or to read about my weight loss journey and fitness competition preparation, go to www.AngeliqueMillis.com.