Okay, so this weekly is from October 3-9.
The theme here is portion sizes! Understand portion sizes is key to weight loss and weight maintenance. Using everyday objects can totally help you identify the right portion size. Being able to judge portion sizes, even when you aren't home, will help you eat with assurance anywhere. A leader, Janet, says "You can have your favorite foods, in moderation, and never feel deprived when you learn the skill of portion control."
Get the Picture
Gauging portion sizes can be tricky when you're eating away from home. Use everyday objects for reference.
- Serving of rice is about the size of a tennis ball
- Medium potato is roughly equal to a light bulb
- An open palm stands in for a 3-ounce serving of chicken, salmon, or steak
- A fist is about one cup of pasta
- A cupped hand is about a serving of green beans
Put a Lid on Portions- Dish up your measured serving (pudding, ice cream, whatever) at the counter and then put the container away. Don't bring the container to the table!
- Avoid buying warehouse-sized tubs of food, especially trigger foods. If you have to buy them, keep them out of sight.
- Use smaller plates so your portions appear bigger and satisfying.
Look and Learn!
More portion size guesstimation based on everyday objects:
Tea cup = 1 cup of cooked pasta or rice
Half an orange = 1/2 cup coleslaw
Small bar of soap = 1-ounce serving of cheese
CD/DVD = large bagel or 1 pancake
USB thumb drive = 1-ounce serving of cheese
Pocket digital camera = 3-ounce serving of meat
Hockey puck = 1/2 cup serving of mashed potatoes, beans, or ice cream
Golf ball = 1/4 cup of nuts
Baseball = 1 medium piece of fruit
Roll of scotch tape = 1 small piece of fruit
Standard pink eraser = 1-ounce serving of cheese
Post it note = 1 brownie
Lip balm/lipstick = 1-ounce serving of cheese
Folding wallet = 1-ounce slice of French bread
Sunglasses = 6-ounce fish fillet
Make it Everyday: Spice-Roasted Butternut Squash and Onions
2 points per serving, serves 6
Cooking spray
2 1/4 lbs fresh butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
3 Tbsp fresh, chopped cilantro
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a large nonstick baking sheet with cooking spray.
Sprinkle with garam masala, salt, and pepper; toss to coat.
Roast, tossing about 1/2 way through cooking, until squash and onions are tender and slightly browned, about 25 mins.
Transfer vegetables to a serving platter/bowl and sprinkle with cilantro; toss to coat.
Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
That's all!
Seriously, portion control is THE key to maintenance, for me anyways. I really try to watch how much I eat and still measure my food a lot of times. When I start guessing, I under estimate how much food I really have. When I pay attention to how much food I eat, it makes a big difference.
I don't have an issue with measuring it's just that I tend to eat more than one serving in a sitting
However, with a normal meal at our house being meat, starch/carb, and veggies I will have a serving of each item and that's it. I'm full after that and I get up and do the dishes and save any leftovers; if I stick to doing it this way, I'm not tempted to get seconds. 
For the days when I'm just starving no matter how much I eat, I usually have a box of the Green Giant veggies (they come w/ some butter sauce) in the freezer...they're 1 pt and very good. Other ideas for starving days....yogurt and a piece of fruit, low-point granola bars, 100-calorie packs of snacks, sandwich with something like 45 calorie bread. Also, the more water I drink, the less hungry I am. I don't skip any meals, and I have a snack in the early-mid afternoon, usually just a granola bar.
Linear Mode
