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Portion Distortion Interactive Quiz
I still believe that many guys are obese because they truly don’t realize how many calories they are consuming on a daily basis.
And with today’s focus on obesity being a result of our modern, sedentary lifestyles, I think that we overlook one of the most fundamental things that have changed in the last 20 years: portion sizes have increased dramatically!
Well, I came across this little interactive quiz for you to test your knowledge of how many calories are in today’s serving sizes of popular snacks and drinks. Take the quiz and come back to let me know how you scored …
BTW, Noah’s Bagels was one of the first bagel shops I went to when I moved to southern California over 10 years ago. At that time, I was obese and all I could do is salivate at their super-sized bagels.
Oh, and I won’t even mention the handful of donut shops out here that sell super-sized donuts. This one place sells a bear claw that’s about the size of my own hand – seriously!
Fellas, you have to be conscious of the amount of calories you’re eating, and I think this quiz will help drive that point home.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Muata:
Good to see you’re back, so to speak. I didn’t take the quiz, but I think your basic point is spot-on (and it’s one I’ve been trying to keep in mind). The ultimate guide to weight loss isn’t whether you’re doing 50 burpees a day, or doing 30 pullups a day, orrunning 3 miles a day (although none of those are bad things). Nor is the ultimate guide to weight loss whether you’re eating only salad, drinking only diet drinks, or abstaining from anything with fat in it (although none of those are bad things). You can still lose weight if you do none of the “good” things mentioned, and gain weight if you do all of the “bad” things mentioned. The issue is simply whether your caloric intake is such that you have a calorie deficit rather than a surplus. Now, I think there are important second-order* (and maybe third-order?) effects to doing the “good” and “bad’ things mentioned, but the bottom-line is simply, “Eat less food than you’ll burn off.” That one sentence could encapsulate a lot of advice and counseling.
* E.g., you’re less likely to eat more and more less likely to eat healthily when you exercise more, because you hate to see your hard work go to waste.
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Muata Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Thanks JW, but I’m still trying to get used to my new routine as a father; it’s been a blast so far! Nevertheless, you’re absolutely right. I personally believe that ANY obese guy can lose weight and get to a size HE is comfortable with and stay that way for as long as they want. But, to get to this point, you’ll have to understand the golden rule and be consistent. All of the physical challenges and trying to get buff come after you’ve laid the ground work of having at least no more than 15% body fat. Reaching and maintaining this level of body fat, which all men should strive for IMO, shows that you understand how to consistently follow a process that takes time. The sky is the limit once you apply the same patience and determination to any other process in your life. Thanks for your comment JW …
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October 26th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
This is absolutely, 100% true. It’s not just that we don’t know how many calories we’re eating, we don’t even know how many we SHOULD be eating. This increase of the portion sizes over the years has given people a distorted perception of how much they should be eating at any given meal…most restaurants give you enough food for at least two meals and even eating at a fast food restaurant, with what seems like enough food for one person, you’re consuming a gigantic amount of calories.
The process of educating yourself about how many calories your body NEEDS and how much of a deficit your body will respond to with consistent weight loss, is all super important. Way too often people just think “I’ll just eat less” which is good, but they still don’t have any concept of how many calories is in what they’re eating and how much they need. I was shocked to go to Calorieking.com and input some of my old meals, to see just how much I was consuming on a daily basis.
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Muata Reply:
October 27th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Kevin,
You’re not alone my friend. I’ve periodically done this while on my journey, just to see why I may have hit a plateau. Each and every time, it’s been that I was not in a calorie deficit. Thanks for leaving a comment …
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October 27th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
1) Thank *you* Mr. LBF, for running this blog.
2) Congratulations!
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Muata Reply:
October 28th, 2009 at 4:15 am
Thanks JW, and I’m glad that you enjoy my blog ….
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October 30th, 2009 at 6:01 am
I have heard people talk about the high cost of food and I am begining to realize the cost of food is not high, the amount we stuff in our pie hole runs the tab up.
Along with the price we spend comes the price we pay (in calories).When I started this trip, I never imagined I ate 3400-4000 calories in the average day, but I did.
Great post, real life exercise!
A Cowboy from Texas
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November 1st, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Muata,
Portioning seems to be the biggest problem with some of my friends who are obese. They are doing a lot of exercise, but they are still at the same weight. Also, when they eat “reduced-fat” products, they tend to double the portion (ex. ice cream).
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Muata Reply:
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:34 am
Kai,
You’re friends are not alone because I think the majority of obese folks in this country are following the same misguided pattern. I fully admit that I’m not health nut, and the first place the obese should start is simply eating less of what they are eating now. This, along with a simple walking routine, is all that most guys needs at the beginning of their journey, but, alas, how can something so simple be effective when you are bombarded with “new and improve” approaches every other day on TV? Thanks for leaving a comment …
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