Mastering Portion Sizes

Chelle_Davis
Chelle_Davis Posts: 241
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
This is something I'm really having a hard time with. How did you adjust?

Replies

  • ChristiH4000
    ChristiH4000 Posts: 531 Member
    I still struggle with this outside of my pre-packaged/pre-portioned lean cuisines. Recently started using a measuring cup. It helps.
  • momof2osaurus
    momof2osaurus Posts: 477 Member
    I measure or weigh everything.
  • saraann4
    saraann4 Posts: 1,296 Member
    I measure everything. I just recently got a food scale so I could weigh meat and stuff. It has already helped a ton that way I'm not guessing
  • tiggerzshorty
    tiggerzshorty Posts: 35
    http://www.amazon.com/EatSmart-Precision-Digital-Kitchen-Silver/dp/B001N07KUE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335741516&sr=8-1

    I have this food scale it really helps!
  • Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel
    Way_2_a_Healthy_Mel Posts: 175 Member
    Measuring cups, kitchen scale, measuring spoons.
  • mibrewer413
    mibrewer413 Posts: 78 Member
    Yep I measure everything too. A food scale is a must. You get used to the portion size quickly.
  • Skeebee
    Skeebee Posts: 740 Member
    Bought a scale and weight EVERYTHING

    EDIT: er...weighed...sorry. :smile:
  • Natihilator
    Natihilator Posts: 1,778 Member
    I also measured and weighed everything from the start, using a digital food scale. I've found that I'm a lot better at guesstimating now than I was before, but I still measure to confirm.
  • DrewMaxwell
    DrewMaxwell Posts: 269 Member
    Take a look at Page 6 of this file. It graphically illustrates portion sizes

    http://www.fortwaynessmallestwinner.com/images/PDF-Files/smallest-winner-5-packet_copycenter.pdf
  • ironman41
    ironman41 Posts: 4
    I have always had a problem with portion control! Lately I have been pre-packaging my lunches for the upcoming week, so it
    is harder to cheat at work. Also, for dinner, I have gone from the large dinner plate to the smaller salad plate for my entrees. Less
    room for out of control portions. It also helps me a great deal to drink about 20 ounces of water before I sit down to eat. Good Luck and let me know if you come up with any new ground breaking ideas.
  • scottstephens79
    scottstephens79 Posts: 77 Member
    I only have some measuring cups, I think what has best helped me with portion control (though I'm only 3 months into this) is drinking a liter of water with my 300-500 calorie snacks. It has been helping me to control my weekend splurges knowing that I don't need to clean my plate in order to get full. The last few weekends when I've gone out I've eaten only half of what was served to me and I was full all night long.
  • 130annie
    130annie Posts: 339 Member
    I use a 9 inch plate....One half veggies or salads and, one 1/4 meat or fish or any protein you like...1/4 starches, potatoes or rice...
  • sdavis448
    sdavis448 Posts: 193 Member
    I use my son's toddler plates, lol
  • ChristiH4000
    ChristiH4000 Posts: 531 Member
    And if the harsh reality of portion sizes gets me down, I add veggies. Generous portions of veggies keep my plate looking full.
  • eriemer
    eriemer Posts: 197
    Invest in an electronic food scale! I love mine. Much more accurate then the measuring cups especially with dry goods like cereal, crackers and chips.

    Go on the hungry girl website. She has lots of recipes and tips to get more bang for your buck.
    Add salad to your diet. Also drink more water, a glass 20 min before each meal or snack, you'll feel fuller plus be hydrated.

    Put your fork down between bites! Make an effort to chew and enjoy your food. Use smaller plates and bowls, make food look nice, set and eat at the table away from TV or other distractions. Only eat if your truely hungry and stop before you feel full.

    You get used to portion control fast and find less gets you full faster if those foods are better for you, with a good amount of fruits, veges, and lean meats. If you avoid the high fat, high calorie, low nutrition food portion control is easy because you will find you can have at least twice the amount of food for the same amount of calories if you eat right.
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    I used measuring cups religiously at first. It took me a month to 6 weeks to really get a feel for what a true serving size was, but once I got it? It really stuck and now I can usually eyeball things pretty well. I even, occasionally, under estimate a portion size (I did that last night with a pasta side dish I made.. serving size was 1 cup. I put what I wanted into a cup and it was only about 1/2 a cup total! Bonus! LOL).
  • rileamoyer
    rileamoyer Posts: 2,412 Member
    Weigh and measure, everything at first. Then eyeball for a while, then go back to weighing and measuring again (over and over) I found the eyes get bigger the longer I go without a measuring cup or scale LOL
  • Jesstruhan
    Jesstruhan Posts: 331 Member
    I measure and weigh most things, but for a rule of thumb, I use my phone as a gauge for meat and heavy starch portions, and a flat hand for veggies. If the meat or starch is roughly the same size and relative depth of my smartphone, I'm about right. Bigger and I cut it in half. Really, if the veggies are plain or steamed I eat as many as I can, then I am full for other things. Cheese I eat a lipstick tube sized piece or one slice (equiv. to about 1 oz) and fruits, well fruits are fair game if they aren't dried.
    So if you are out and about and can't have your scale with you (I read most of these in Shape mag):
    Meat - Size of Smartphone
    Pasta/potato/parsnip - portion size of smartphone or just smaller than your open hand
    Cheese - Lipstick tube-sized or 1 slice
    Veggies (unbuttered) - handfulls - Go to town! they are full of vitamins and low in calories.
    Veggies (buttered) - one hand-full only. Butter adds up fast.
    Fruit - one piece at a time
    Nuts/dried fruits - cup your hand. the portion should fit only in the cup below the knuckles on the fleshy part of the hand. More and you're eating way too much for a snack.

    Bread - don't. Just don't. I can't eat much bread unless it's gluten free, so this is choice easy for me. If you eat bread, stick to ONE bread roll or the equiv. of one slice of bread. Just remember, two slices of regular sandwich bread is averaging 150 calories from all the different ones I have looked at...some are 150 calories PER SLICE. It is nuts! Bread is FULL of calories you don't need so if you don't need it in your day, it's just empty calories. It's also laden with salt, oddly enough. Try a piece of Iceburg as a lettuce-wrap. VERY crunchy and holds shape with few calories.
  • 75Juniper
    75Juniper Posts: 376
    I measure or weigh everything.

    This is also what I do.
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