Health Insights

At Portions Master, we believe knowledge is the first step toward change. Understanding how portion sizes have evolved, and how they continue to affect our choices, is key to reclaiming control of our health.

Then vs. Now: A Shocking Size Shift

Let’s start with some eye-opening examples. According to data from the National Institutes of Health and USDA:

• A typical bagel in 1980 was around 3 inches wide and 140 calories. Today’s average bagel is roughly 6 inches wide and over 350 calories.
• A cheeseburger 50 years ago had about 330 calories. Now, fast food burgers easily top 600 to 1,000 calories.
• A soda in the 1970s was 6.5 ounces. Today’s standard fountain drink is 20 to 32 ounces.

Portion sizes for restaurant meals have more than doubled in many cases.

This dramatic shift in serving sizes, often called “portion distortion,” has changed what we consider to be normal. We’ve been trained to eat more without even realizing it.

Why Your Brain Can’t Keep Up

Our stomachs haven’t changed, but our perception has.

When large portions become the norm, our internal hunger and fullness cues get confused. Studies show that people consistently eat more when they’re served more, regardless of hunger. This contributes to:

• Overeating
• Weight gain
• Increased risk of metabolic disease
• A broken relationship with food and fullness

Since restaurant portions often exceed daily caloric needs in a single sitting, it’s no surprise that obesity rates have tripled since the 1970s.

Why Portion Control Still Works

The good news is you don’t have to count every calorie or starve yourself to get back on track. Re-learning portion awareness is one of the most effective and sustainable strategies for:

• Weight loss
• Fat loss
• Hormonal balance
• Long-term energy
• Better digestion
• Improved mental clarity

That’s why we built the Portions Master App. It’s designed to help you take back control of your food choices by guiding you through proper portion sizes in a practical, personalized, and easy-to-use way.

The App That Brings Awareness Back to Eating

Unlike restrictive diets or confusing tracking systems, the Portions Master App makes portion control simple and achievable. Whether you're looking to lose weight, build muscle, or maintain a balanced lifestyle, the app empowers you with:

• Personalized portion recommendations based on your goals
• Easy tracking tools that don’t require constant calorie counting
• Visual guides to help you build meals that match your needs
• Daily coaching prompts to keep you consistent and mindful
• Progress tracking to show your results over time

Portion control works best when it becomes second nature. The app is designed to retrain how you think about food and portions—no measuring cups or spreadsheets required.

What You Can Do Today

If you’ve grown up in a world of oversized everything, it’s not your fault. But it is your opportunity to take ownership of your health, starting with how much you eat.

Here are a few simple ways to start improving your portion awareness:

• Use your hand as a portion guide when eating out
• Avoid eating straight from large packages
• Take time between bites to check in with your fullness cues
• Log your meals in the Portions Master App for consistent awareness and accountability

These small shifts lead to long-term results, especially when paired with the tools and structure inside the app.

Final Thoughts

Over the last 50 years, food has gotten bigger, but that doesn’t mean our portions should. If you’re looking to lose weight, improve your energy, or simply eat more mindfully, understanding how much you eat is just as important as what you eat.

Portion control isn’t about restriction. It’s about awareness, balance, and freedom from the rollercoaster of diets that don’t work long term.

With the Portions Master App, you can ditch the guesswork and build sustainable habits that support your goals for life.

Ready to take back control of your health?
Download the Portions Master App today and start seeing your food—and your results—in a whole new way.