The diet group
Our diet group were assigned a diet whereby they used their hands to measure portion sizes – they were also asked stop snacking and recognise what caused them to eat outside of hunger.
People use many strategies to lose weight, but most diets ask you to reduce the amount that you eat. A simple way to do this is to use your hand to estimate your portion size of different foods. This works well because we all have hands that match our overall size – an adult man will have a much bigger hand than a toddler, for example. If you follow the guidelines below, you should expect to lose 1-2 lb (0.5-1 kg) each week.
Each day you should aim to eat the following:-
3 fist-sized serving of starchy carbohydrate foods
- Pasta, rice, potatoes, breakfast cereals, bread, wholegrains e.g. bulgur wheat, quinoa
2 palm-sized servings of protein foods
- Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, nuts, soya products e.g. tofu, quorn, legumes and pulses e.g. lentils, kidney beans
2 cupped handfuls of vegetables or salad
- All kinds of green and root vegetables (not potatoes) and salad vegetables
2 fist-sized servings of fruit
- Any fresh, frozen or fruit canned in natural juice or water
2 servings of fat or oil covering the tip of your thumb
- Any vegetable oil, butter or fat spreads.
In addition to those foods mentioned above, you should also aim to include some dairy products in your daily diet.
Choose from: ½ pint of semi-skimmed or skimmed milk (enough for tea and coffee and breakfast cereal) or 2 small pots of plain or diet yogurt. If you like cheese, remember it is a protein food and should be substituted for meat, fish, eggs or any of the vegetarian options.
A serving of cheese is about the size of a matchbox.
A typical day’s diet
Breakfast
Choose one from the following:-
- 1 fist-sized serving of breakfast cereal (choose a high fibre cereal for extra health benefits) with semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. Tea or coffee.
- 1 bowl of porridge made with a fist-sized portion of oats and semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. Tea or coffee.
- 1 fist-sized serving of sugar-free muesli with 1 small pot of plain or diet yogurt. Tea or coffee.
- 2 medium slices of bread (preferable wholegrain) or a fist-sized bread roll or bagel with 1 portion of butter, margarine or peanut butter. Tea or coffee.
- Piece of fist-sized fresh fruit with 1 small pot plain or diet yogurt. Tea or coffee.
Lunch and dinner
Choose one from the following:-
- 1 palm-sized serving of meat, fish, poultry or eggs or 1 small matchbox-sized piece of cheese served with 1 fist-sized serving of pasta, rice or potatoes and 1 serving of vegetables.
- 1 fist-sized piece of fresh fruit. Sandwich made with 2 medium slices of bread or 1 fist-sized bread roll, bagel or wrap filled with 1 palm-sized serving of meat, fish, poultry or eggs or 1 ends of thumb-sized piece of cheese and salad. 1 fist-sized piece of fresh fruit.
- 1 large bowl of lentil and vegetable soup served with 1 fist-sized piece of bread, a bread roll or bagel. 1 small pot of plain or diet yogurt or 1 fist-sized piece of fresh fruit.
- 1 large salad dressed with oil and vinegar dressing made with 1 teaspoon oil and served with 1 fist-sized baked potato and 1 palm-sized serving of meat, fish, poultry or eggs or 1 matchbox-sized piece of cheese. 1 fist-sized piece of fresh fruit.
