How much is too much?

Earlier this week, I posted about tracking your calories, how to do it easily, and why it’s important. And yes, writing down everything you eat (and drink) can be tedious, time consuming – a big pain in the rear.

But, it’s a real eye opener. And – it keeps you honest and accountable. So I’m a big fan of doing it.

As busy women, though, we don’t always have time to measure everything out, look at the back of boxes, or think so much about food.

Here are some quick ways to keep your calories in check:

1. Serving sizes can be smaller than you think.

1 cup is the size of your fist.

1 ounce of cheese is about the size of your thumb. However an ounce of nuts or candy is about 1 small handful. And an ounce of chips or pretzels is about 2 small handfuls.

1 teaspoon is the size of a stamp.

2 Tablespoons of salad dressing is about the size of a ping pong ball.

2. It can take 10 to 15 minutes for your brain to get the signal from your stomach that you’ve had enough to eat. That’s a TON of time between when you’re actually full, and when you actually know you’re full. Slow down when you eat. Be mindful.

3. Before going out to eat, check out the menu on the restaurant’s web site. Many times they post nutrition information. Plus, it will save you from the pressure of making a snap decision about what to eat.

4. Watch what you’re drinking. Ever checked out how many calories are in soda? Yikes – a ton. And they’re empty calories. The diet drinks aren’t much better. They’re loaded with a bunch of other yuck to make them taste good.

If you must have your soda, try cutting out 1 a day. That’s not such a huge change that you’ll go into withdraw, but it’s enough to cut out some unnecessary calories.

5. When you want to have a snack, instead of grabbing the whole bag, take a serving or two out of the bag, put it in a bowl or a smaller bag. That way, you know for sure how much you’ve eaten.

Do you have any tips to share?