Did You Eat the Whole Thing?

It’s holiday time and food is everywhere. I believe in moderation in all things, so I don’t encourage people to eliminate the foods they really love. It’s a matter of portion control. When I joined Weight Watchers in 1994, one of my primary goals was to learn how much to eat. I grew up with three brothers who ate whatever they wanted, it seemed, and restaurant sizes were already starting to expand.

Does watching portion sizes mean you have to weight and measure everything? Well, when you can do so at home, it helps. But don’t become obsessed with it. WebMD and Weight Watchers have some great tips for estimating how much food you actually have on your plate. This is a great thing, because researchers have found that people tend to underestimate how much they eat, a sure recipe for weight gain! Use these comparisons to help you get started:

• 3 oz. meat = deck of cards, the palm of your hand or a cassette tape
• 2 oz. nuts or peanut butter = golf ball
• 1 teaspoon = a poker chip or the tip of your pinkie finger
• 1 tablespoon = your thumb from the end to the first knuckle
• 1 oz. chips = six large tortilla chips or 20 potato chips
• 2 servings of rice = light bulb
• 1 c. vegetables = a baseball or your fist
• 2 c. leafy vegetables = two tennis balls
• Baked potato = computer mouse
• ½ c. pasta = ½ of a baseball
• 1 serving waffle or pancake = CD
• 1 small muffin = a tennis ball
• ½ bagel = a hockey puck
• 1 oz. cheese = one die

For a great wallet-sized guide to portions, visit WebMD at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/wallet-portion-control-size-guide

If you’re not sure how many portions you should be eating a day, give me a call to schedule your personal consultation.