It seems that when America went to supersizing meals, it was the same time the obesity epidemic began. Did you know that the U.S. Department of Agriculture counts two to three ounces of cooked lean meat as one serving for the average adult? What does this say about the popular quarter-pound and half-pound burgers that contain four to eight ounces of meat? The extra ounces only mean one thing: extra calories. And extra calories lead to weight gain.
Bariatric Surgery Requires Less Food and Fewer Calories
If you are considering gastric bypass, gastric sleeve or other weight loss surgery, it's important to understand what really makes you lose weight. With gastric bypass surgery, your stomach is made smaller by closing part of it with staples. This procedure changes the way your body manages the food you eat. You will eat less food and the body will alter the absorption of the calories from this food. Along with eating less food, you will also use a much smaller utensil, so you eat more slowly. Lastly, you will cut your food in pea-shaped bites and chew your food to help with digestion and avoid any obstructions.
Bariatric Eating Means Shrinking Portion Sizes
What is a bariatric serving size? After bariatric surgery when you start on solid food, you may be given measuring cups to use. The total food eaten per meal should consist of no more than 4 ounces, unless your physician says otherwise. Do not overfill the measuring cup. Use the following helpful hints to serve the right portions after bariatric surgery:
- One ounce of cheese is about the same size as your thumb from base to tip
- Three ounces of cooked chicken or meat is the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm
- A medium piece of fruit is the size of a baseball
- One to two ounces of nuts should fit in your cupped hand
Some other helpful tips include packing away large dinner plates and serving your meal on sandwich or salad plates. Larger plates encourage larger portion sizes. Also, store snack foods in the smaller snack-size sandwich bags so you are sure you're eating no more than one portion. A focus on more reasonable portion sizes can mean a new sized you.
Sources
US Library of Medicine: Your Diet After Gastric Bypass Surgery.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Manage Your Weight.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Do Increased Portion Sizes Affect How Much We Eat?