Many of us are careless or spontaneous and don’t want to count calories to control our weight. For such creative natures, the method developed in Canada by Precision Nutrition is suitable: over the eight years of its existence, it has helped more than 30 thousand people lose weight.
Everything is very simple and clear. “Forget about counting calories!” its creators say on their website.
Portions will have to be measured in the palms and fists. There are four food groups – proteins (meat and fish), vegetables, carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes) and fats. Their volume in each serving is measured with a cursory glance at the open palm, handful, fist and even thumb.
It’s easier and faster to control the amount of food eaten, because everyone’s hands are different, which means that owners of large hands can afford larger portions.
The scheme with such a palm is somewhat reminiscent of a red warning sign “Stop overeating.” On the other hand, if one day you make such a picture from your palms and stick it somewhere in the kitchen, you will have a visual diagram of how much oatmeal for whom, and for children – direct proof why they do not need to eat the whole plate to the end.
Proteins
The main source of protein is meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, beans and other legumes.
Protein Serving Size: Your palm, from the base of your fingers to your wrist.
Please note: a piece of meat or fish should not only be no larger than it, but also no thicker!
This is much less than the steaks and chops that are served in a restaurant. An egg, if you imagine it in the form of a fried egg, also corresponds to one palm in this scheme, and this product should be consumed no more than one per day.
A portion of protein products for a woman is a palm, for a man – two palms at each meal.
Even the healthiest and most wholesome foods also have quantity limits.
It is better not to consume more protein. Nutritionists do not recommend doing this for a good reason: so as not to overload the kidneys.
The next way to measure is a fist. This is the amount of cottage cheese you can eat during the day. This rule applies to both men and women. And although cottage cheese is a very healthy product, its amount also needs to be strictly controlled for the same reason – so that it does not adversely affect the functioning of the kidneys.
Intuitive Eating: Where to start
This is the undoubted benefit of the method – not all of us remember that even the most healthy and wholesome food also has quantity limits, after which it will turn into less useful.
But in fact, each product has these limitations. Even near spring water, if you drink it in an amount of not three, but, say, six liters a day.
Vegetables
A portion of vegetables is also measured in cams: its volume is one fist for women, two fists for a man at each meal.
On the day, women can afford vegetables “for four fists”, and men – for six. An exception can be made for airy leafy salads.
Carbohydrates
Here we will talk about grain products (cereals, muesli), as well as fruits and berries. The equivalent of a portion for them is a handful, that is, a palm folded in a boat.
A portion of cereals for a woman is one handful, for a man – two handfuls per day. Carbohydrates are absorbed by the body slowly, you should not consume them in large quantities.
With sweets, nutritionists suggest doing this: if you want to eat a cake or ice cream, which is approximately one handful in volume, this will be considered one serving of carbohydrates. It will replace, respectively, a portion of porridge, muesli and so on.
The amount of bread eaten is easier to measure with the palm of your hand. Under this system, men can eat one slice the size of a palm, and women can eat half a palm a day (while whole grain bread is not prohibited).
What about dried fruits, which are recommended for snacking during the day? A serving of dried fruit per day is the upper part of your palm where the hills are located at the base of the fingers.
It would seem that such healthy food as dried apples and dried apricots is not capable of doing any harm at all. It won’t hurt you, but if you get too carried away with it, it can add weight to you.
Fats
The source of fat is vegetable and butter, as well as any nuts and seeds.
Serving equivalent: thumb. For example, the top joint of the thumb is the amount of butter, nuts, or dark chocolate that both men and women can consume in a day.
According to this system, you can eat only one piece of chocolate per day. This seems unbelievable and even disrespectful to chocolate. But on the other hand, perhaps if all previous attempts to lose weight did not work, that was the point.
In addition, the authors of this method of weight control suggest asking yourself the following questions:
If you feel like you clearly need more (less) food because you…
- very large (or miniature) complexion;
- do not eat up (or, conversely, are unable to eat the entire portion);
- build muscle (lose weight) and have not yet received a result;
- lead a very active lifestyle (passive and engaged in sedentary work),
Make the following changes to your diet: Add (reduce) one thumb-sized serving of fat or one serving of carbohydrates to multiple meals (for men) and half that serving of fats and carbohydrates (for women).
Men eating this method 3-4 times a day will get about 2300-3000 calories. Women – 1200-1500 calories.