What counts as a serving?

Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta

1 slice of bread
1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta
1/2 cup of cooked cereal
1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal

Vegetables

1/2 cup of chopped raw or cooked vegetable
1 cup of leafy raw vegetable

Fruits

1 piece of fruit or melon wedge
3/4 cup of juice
1/2 cup of canned fruit
1/4 cup of dried fruit

Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese

1 cup of milk or yogurt
1 1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese

Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts

2 1/2 to 3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, and fish
Count 1/2 cup of cooked beans, or 1 egg, or 2 tablespoon of peanut butter as 1 ounce of
lean meat (about 1/3 serving)

Fats, Oils, and Sweets

Limit Calories from these for weight loss

As you can see, the food guide pyramid is just a variation of the exchange system. Choose the method of portion control and meal planning that appeals to you. Ideally, calories should be spread evenly throughout the day. You may choose to eat 3, 4, 5, or 6 times per day. There is no one best way. Think about your lifestyle, work schedule, family schedule, and decide what works best for you.

The one pattern you should not follow is one many Navy service members choose which is eating NO breakfast, maybe lunch (or maybe not), and the bulk of daily calories consumed from 4 p.m. and on into the evening. Research shows that approximately 90% of people with a weight problem skip at least one or two meals daily, with breakfast being the most frequently missed. In doing this, 2 things occur:

1) Metabolism will lower due to the body's survival mechanism sometimes called "antistarvation"
mechanism. Latest research shows a temporary increase in metabolism of
up to 50 percent after eating breakfast.
2) People will generally make up for the calories they missed by overeating in the evening.

To illustrate this point, we can take an excerpt from Covert Bailey's Fit or Fat:

"When the body is deprived of food, the body is stressed and tries to lay down extra fat for reserve. In other words, fasting encourages the body to become fatter. A study of rats illustrates this phenomenon. Fifty rats were separated into two groups. Both groups were given exactly the same daily quantity of food. Group A rats ("Nibblers") could eat the food all day long, but Group B rats were allowed only a half-hour to consume all the food
("One Big Mealers"). It took the One Big Mealers a little while to get used to it, but once they realized that no more chow was coming for twenty-three and half hours, they gobbled up all of their allotment in the half hour. The amount of food was small, and both groups lost about the same amount of weight.
At the end of six weeks, the rats were allowed to return to a normal amount of food, and the One Big Mealers were allowed to be Nibblers again. Both groups gained weight, but the One Big Mealers gained more weight. The researchers analyzed the enzymes in rats that are responsible for the depositing of fat. The Nibblers had no increase in fat-depositing enzymes. In contrast, these enzymes in the One Big Mealers had increased nearly ten-fold during the low-calorie diet period. Even though the rats were losing weight because their total caloric intake was low, their bodies seemed to be saying, 'the minute more food comes along, I'm ready to lay down extra fat just in case this stress happens to me again!'"

Bottom line

Don't skip meals, especially breakfast. A common excuse for skipping breakfast is, NO TIME. If you are one of those people who are rushed in the morning, PLAN AHEAD! Breakfast does not have to be a big production, but it does require some advance thinking, usually the night before. Many people eat something they can pack and carry with them to eat at work after morning PT. IF YOU HAVE TIME TO DRINK A CUP OF COFFEE, YOU HAVE TIME TO EAT BREAKFAST. Good examples are:

fruit
yogurt
bagel
sandwich
cereal and milk
low-fat or fat free breakfast bars
Low-fat or fat free muffins

So which is more important, calories or fat? The answer is BOTH. Calories count--no matter what form they come in:

7 Big Macs = 3500 stalks of celery

but to optimize body fat loss, make sure your calories are low fat.

Calculate how much calories you burn when run:

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