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- The Handy Guide to Portion Control
Hey Barbellah,
Today, in 4 Minutes or Less
How to get gains using only your hands to track macros, calories or portions
Cool (and free) macro calculator
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Hello Barbellah Community!
In today's edition, I’m excited to share one approach to nutrition management, which is using your hands! I learned this from when I got certified from the Precision Nutrition L1 program. Prior to this, I had heard about how to use hand for measuring portions, but I never really took it seriously. Over time, I have found it to be one of the most reliable ways to track portions (and even macros) without being complicated.
Why Hand Measurements?
In the world of home gyms and wellness, aligning your nutrition with your fitness goals go together like peanut butter and jelly. Traditional methods like calorie or macro counting can be cumbersome and kinda wear me out. Unless you are opting very specific outcome such as a body building compeition, hand portions can help you get into and maintain a healthy body composition.
Hand Measurements vs. Food Labels
Did you know that food labels allow for a 20% margin? This margin of error can significantly impact your dietary tracking, regardless if you are trying to maintain, lose, or gain weight. In the past, I would use a sophisticated macro planner and tracker, and managed to only gain weight on it. On the other hand (pun intended), hand measurements provide a more consistent and reliable method for portion control. Plus, they're incredibly portable – your hands go wherever you go, whether it's a vacation, work, or even to the in-laws!
How Does It Work?
Protein - Your Palm: Use the size and thickness of your palm to measure protein portions.
Vegetables - Your Fist: Your closed fist is ideal for gauging vegetable servings.
Carbohydrates - Your Cupped Hand: Carbs are crucial for energy, and a cupped hand is perfect for portioning them.
Fats - Your Thumb: Use your thumb to measure healthy fats.
Precision Nutrition
The Beauty of Body-Aligned Portions
Precision Nutrition’s method aligns portions with your body size. It's a personalized approach that caters to individual needs based on hand size.
Benefits of Hand Measurements
Simplicity and Consistency: Forget the scales and measuring cups. This method is straightforward and more consistent than relying on food labels.
Always with You: Your hands are always available, making this method incredibly convenient. Whether you're dining out, at work, or on holiday, you can easily manage your portions.
Promotes Mindful Eating: This intuitive approach encourages awareness of your food intake.
Try using hand measurements for one meal daily and observe how it integrates into your routine. The key is consistency, both in diet and exercise.
Merging fitness with nutrition in our home gym routines has become a lot more manageable with this hand-measurement method. Inspired by Precision Nutrition's research, sometimes keeping it simple can be powerful in our journey towards wellness.
Stay strong, eat smart, and remember – your best portion control tool is always at hand! ✋
If you want to learn more or give it a try, start with these two free resources from Precision Nutrition:
Consistency is the key to mastery, not perfection. Striving for perfection can be an endless, often unattainable pursuit. Instead, aim for consistent effort. Showing up every day, even at 80% effort, is far more effective than aiming for 100% only some of the time. It's the steady, regular progress that transforms dreams into reality. Remember, it's the persistence in the journey, not the flawlessness of each step, that leads to true achievement and growth.
Work Out Of The Day
Warm Up:
Jog in Place: 2 minutes to get your heart rate up.
Dynamic Stretching: Includes arm circles, leg swings, and torso twists.
Bodyweight Squats: 15 reps to warm up your lower body.
Push-Ups: 10 reps to prepare your upper body.
With Equipment:
Five sets of:
Unsupported Seated Strict Press x 5-6 reps @ 60-75% 1RM
(sit on a bench without back support and press the barbell from shoulder to overhead)
Rest 2-3 minutes
Then…
Against a 2-minute running clock, complete 4 sets:
250 Meter Row
Ring Dips x Max Reps (use a band for assistance if needed)
Rest 2 minutes between sets
Without Equipment:
Five sets of:
10-12 No Weight Shoulder Press
Rest 2-3 minutes
Then…
Against a 2-minute running clock, complete 4 sets:
200 Meter Run
Chair Dips x Max Reps
Rest 2 minutes between sets
Cool Down:
Light Jogging in Place or Walking: Slow down your pace to gradually lower your heart rate.
Stretching: Focus on a full-body stretch, holding each stretch for at least 20 seconds. Include triceps, shoulders, hamstrings, and quads.
Deep Breathing: Finish with a minute of deep, controlled breathing to help relaxation.
