If you’re trying to lose weight, counting calories is a generally recommended way to get started. No matter what “diet” you may chose, weight lose inevitably will come down to calories in vs calories out.
However, counting calories sometimes isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Calories counts, especially on the expenditure end, are not exact. And even with the ease of programs like MyFitnessPal that make counting and tracking your calories as easy as it’s ever been, sometimes it’s still just another barrier between you and your food. As always in life, the easier something is, the higher likelihood that we’ll stick with it. So here’s a handy alternative to counting calories, literally, because we’re going to use your hand!
For protein (meat, fish, eggs, dairy), a serving will be the size (length, width and thickness) of your palm
Veggies (non-starchy and colorful), a serving is your fist
Carbs (grains, starches, fruits), a cupped hand
Fats (oils, nuts, seeds), your thumb
Here’s a guide that would approximate 2,300-3000 calories per day for men and 1,500-2,100 calories per day for women. These are good calorie goals for those who are moderately active, middle-aged, and are at a healthy weight that they’d like to maintain.
| MEN | WOMEN | |
| DAILY TOTALS | 6-8 each:
Palm of protein Fist of veggies Cupped hand of carbs Thumb of fats |
4-6 each:
Palm of protein Fist of veggies Cupped hand of carbs Thumb of fats |
| PER MEAL | 2 of each (assuming 4 meals per day) | 1 of each (assuming 4 meals per day) |
If you’re still hungry, feel free to add more veggies! If you’re trying to lose weight, cut out a cupped hand or two of carbs and a thumb or two of fats.
Again, this is a very approximate system, but if you’re trying to eat in a more balanced, healthy way, this is a great way to start. If you’ve reached your goal weight and are looking for a simple way to maintain, this should have you covered. If you have questions specific to your needs, ask me sometime before or after class, and I’d be happy to help you figure it out!
And yes, our hands are all different sizes. However, bigger people do tend to have larger hands, and smaller people have smaller hands, so it’s a decently personalized, portable, HANDY measuring device for your food intake.