Review: Beachbody’s New Portion Fix – A Portion Control Eating Plan
No wonder Americans struggle to lose weight – we are eating more calories than ever before. A 2007 study reported that adults eat 300 calories a day more than they did 20 years ago. No biggie, right?
WRONG. An extra 300 calories per day works out to 31 pounds of excess flab per year.
Why do we eat so much more than we need? Because our portions have grown over the years right along with our waistlines. Most people don’t have a clue what a proper serving size is.
How do you learn how large (or small) a serving should be? By practicing the skill of portion control.
What is portion control?
Portion control is simply knowing what a healthy serving of food looks like. Do you eat a slab of steak that covers your entire dinner plate, or just a few bites? Or somewhere in between? Portion control is a learned skill. Most of us don’t have a clue how much we should be eating, and that’s why it’s possible to stay overweight even when we’re eating healthy foods. We are simply eating too much.
Beachbody’s new Portion Fix is a fool-proof way to learn proper portion sizes.
The Portion Fix is an easy-to-follow portion control system that takes the guesswork out of knowing WHAT and HOW MUCH to eat. Portion Fix teaches you what foods comprise a healthy diet, and how to eat the right amount without tedious calorie counting.
How does it work? Easy. You work with cute little color-coded containers. Proteins go in a red container, veggies in green, and so on. Just follow the Portion Fix Eating Plan to determine how many of each container you should eat per day to reach your goals (weight loss, maintenance, or weight gain).
Each of the containers is precisely measured to deliver just the right amounts of the various food groups: proteins, fruits, veggies, grains/starches, healthy fats and “condiments” like seeds and dressings. If your food fits in the container (with room for the lid) then dive in!
The Portion Fix works with ANY Beachbody program.
The Portion Fix finally levels the playing field. Up until now, every Beachbody workout program came with its own unique nutrition plan. The meal plans were all similar –calculate how many calories you need to lose or maintain your weight, then eat from a list of “acceptable foods.”
The Portion Fix was designed to work with any Beachbody program, so you don’t have to learn a new complicated system if you switch programs. Cool, huh?
And yes, if you’re a graduate of the 21 Day Fix, you’ll recognize the system. It’s the same.
What’s included in the Portion Fix?
7 color-coded portion-control containers:
1 GREEN container for vegetables
1 RED container for protein
1 PURPLE container for fruit
1 BLUE container for healthy fats
1 YELLOW container for carbs
2 ORANGE containers for seeds & dressings
A large blue container to transport your smaller containers (think of it as a lunchbox of sorts)
A Shakeology shaker cup for beverages and Shakeology
The Portion Fix Eating Plan with a list of recommended foods and recipe ideas
The Portion Fix teaches you an important life skill.
Learning what foods and how much of those foods to eat is an important life skill. Why does losing weight have to be tedious, complicated and time-consuming, like counting calories? Rather, can’t we just learn what a healthy plate looks like?
You will learn exactly how to create a well-balanced diet by including foods from each of your containers every day. And you’ll learn the how much of those foods to eat to achieve your goals.
Life is about enjoying food as well. You'll learn how to include treats in your diet so there is no deprivation.
Do I have to use the Portion Fix containers forever?
Not at all! What’s great about this system is that once you start filling your containers you will be able to recognize how large (or small) a serving of vegetables should be. You'll learn if you should devour the massive 12 ounce baked potato, or cut it into thirds? Pretty soon you will be able to eyeball your servings and you won’t need the colorful containers with every meal.
I like to think of the Portion Fix as a learning tool in your arsenal of diet tips and tricks. Start with the Portion Fix containers, get used to what proper serving sizes look like, and then double-check yourself from time to time.
Isn’t it weird to eat all of my foods separately out of little containers?
Yep! But you don’t have to. Measure your foods in their proper container and then put them on a nice plate for your meals. This actually helps you learn to recognize the proper portion size. You’ll see your carrots spread out on a plate, or how much oatmeal should fill your bowl. However, the containers are great for packing lunches, and the large blue container will house the smaller ones for portability.
The Portion Fix was designed to easily fit in your lifestyle - you can take them to work, school, vacation - anywhere you go. All the guesswork about what and how much to eat is eliminated.
What if I don’t need to lose weight, or if I want to gain weight?
Then I’m incredibly envious. Only kidding. But what’s cool is that you can use the Portion Fix program to meet any goal. The Portion Fix Eating Plan will help you choose the number of containers for each particular food group to eat each day. It has specific instructions for maintaining your weight or even (gasp) gaining weight.
Lowdown on the Portion Fix containers.
Each container is made from BPA-free, DEHP-free plastic. All are top-rack dishwasher safe and microwave safe. They nest inside each other so they won’t take up a lot of cupboard space – not that you’ll need to store them since you’ll be using them daily! Oh, and they’re just cute.
How does this work when I eat at a restaurant?
Relax, you don’t have to tote your containers with you. Relieved?? You will be learning the proper portion sizes when you measure your food and plop it on a plate. Just use your best judgment. Gauging your portions without containers is good practice. You don’t want to rely on containers forever. Dining out is a great way to see how you’re doing.
And hey, if you eat a little too much at a restaurant or aren’t sure how to calculate a food (like pizza) then just relax! Have a small serving guilt-free and enjoy. Just go back to your Portion Fix containers when you’re eating at home.
How much does it cost and how do I purchase the Portion Fix system if I think it’s a good fit for me?
The Portion Fix retails for $39.90. Just click the link and you can check out all the details: The Portion Fix