How do I judge portion sizes in order to avoid overeating?

While most people don't want to weigh and measure their food for life, I strongly recommend it to my weight loss clients.  A few weeks of measuring and then eyeballing a serving of food (3/4 cup of breakfast cereal for example) can help with the portion distortion that can sabotage a weight achievement program.  Pick up an inexpensive food scale at a housewares store.  Purchase a complete set of measuring cups and spoons.  Then, measure your commonly eaten foods for at least a week.  You will probably be surprised at the difference between a labeled serving and the amount that you have grown used to.

Here are some helpful tips to shrink-wrap your servings:

- A cup of fruit should be no larger than your fist
- One ounce of meat or cheese is about the same as the size of your thumb from base to tip to base
- Three ounces of meat, fish or poultry (a normal serving) is about the size as your palm
- One to two ounces of nuts equals your cupped hand

Use smaller plates, bowls and cups and make half your plate fruits and vegetables.  This will automatically force you to eat smaller portions.

Portion your food about the same size as some common body parts. Total amount of a serving of meat daily should be about the size of your palm. A fat serving such as olive oil, butter or salad dressing should be about the size of your thumb. Starchy foods such as potatoes, fruit and grains can be estimated to be about the size of your fist. Eat vegetables low in calories and high in fiber and nutrients, without added fat, sugar and salt in unlimited amounts.

The Muppets’ Miss Piggy once said, “Never eat more than you can lift.” Portion size has a way of creeping up. We’re influenced by a fast-food culture where more food equals better value. Time to get “unsupersized.”

As a registered dietitian in Virginia, Peggy Jensen advises, “People spend a lot of time worrying about what they eat but not enough time thinking about how much they eat.” If you eat half of your normal amounts, you can cut your calories by half without radically changing your favorite foods.

Here are some other time-tested tips. Eat just half a sandwich or half a bowl of ice cream. Chew slowly to let your stomach register it is full. Use smaller plates (salad-size) to downsize dinner portions. Buy snacks in smaller bags so you’ll stop sooner. Keep second helpings out of sight. Remember the recommended serving sizes. For example, three ounces of meat is the size of a deck of cards, and a cup of potatoes looks like a tennis ball.