One of the most effective ways to manage your weight is through portion control. This discussion is the classic good, better, best scenario. Best case, we are getting in exercise, closely monitoring WHAT we eat, and controlling HOW MUCH we eat.

For many of us, that is just not realistic. We may not have the time, the motivation, or the will power to do that consistently for any long period of time.

That being said, a good scenario is to use portion control to manage our caloric intake. Since all our bodies are unique, there is no magic number of meals or calories, but there are some guidlines to use for a start.

First, try having 4 or 5 meals during the day. This means having something every few hours. This is where the portion control comes in. You have to consider your total calorie goal. For example, if your calorie goal is 2,000 per day, your meals should not exceed 400 calories each on average. This keeps your body burning what you are consuming, instead of storing it. How do you monitor this? Get the free app from Under Armour called MyFitnessPal. It is simple to use, and your best friend when managing your diet.

Once you have mastered the portion control, you can start working on the quality of your food. Then ultimately adding in the workouts. If you are motivated and can do this all at once – awesome! For so many of us, we need to take one step at a time. Portion Control is an easy way to make a big impact on your health.

I know for a fact, once you start monitoring your calories, you will make better food decisions. This is the first step that will get you where you want to be with fitness and health.