I believe size does matter…well, when it comes to portions that is!
It’s so easy to eat the “right” foods…in the wrong amounts! Most of us just don’t have any idea of what a serving looks like anymore — our plates are huge, restaurants give us mountains of pasta, bagels have blown up. I’m not a huge fan of Weight Watchers (I think it could stand to emphasize more whole foods and lay off the Haterade when it comes to nuts), but one amazing thing about it is it teaches portion control.
Getting a set of measuring cups is a good idea. Honestly, I measure pretty much everything I eat. Couscous, chickpeas, cereal, yogurt, soup, peanut butter, olive oil…I could so easily go overboard! There are some things I’ve gotten good at eyeballing, but usually, a quick scoop with a measuring cup or spoon is worth it to me. But one thing I wasn’t great about measuring was protein. I’d just use visual cues (“a serving of meat is the size and thickness of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand” — yeah, yeah).
Since last month’s meeting with the dietitian, I’ve become more conscious of how much protein I am eating, so I decided to start measuring this too. We had an old, no-frills food scale, so I unearthed it and started using it. Still, I didn’t trust it. I decided it was time to get a new one…with batteries!
After a little research on Amazon.com, I just headed to Bed, Bath, and Beyond to investigate the options. And there I found it: the Biggest Loser Food Scale. Who knew!? It was only $20 and I had a 20 percent off coupon…and a girl-crush on Jillian Michaels. Sold!
The scale is pretty simple. You just turn it on, and it sets to “zero.” You set something on it and it shows your food’s weight in ounces. (You can change the units, but I haven’t needed to so far.) So easy! I didn’t even bother to read the directions, but I’m sure it’s got more cool features. It’s also small and light, which I like. I store it in a cabinet and just pull it out when I need it.
I started using it right away, every time I cooked meat. And it’s been great! When I am counting my “exchanges,” I need to know how many ounces of meat I am eating a day; a 2 ounce difference can mean 200 calories, so it’s kind of important. I also used it for pasta. Dry pasta is a huge pain the ass to measure in ounces, and I needed to know for a recipe I was making. It’s worked like a dream!
Amazon actually does carry it (Taylor Biggest Loser 6-1/2 Pound Kitchen Scale with Glass Platform
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a kitchen scale, too. I only use it when I’m trying to lean out. One of my personal trainers used to tell me, ” you can’t diet for ever”…so when I’m not diet, I rarely use my food scale.
BUT, it’s a good tool. I discovered I was very, very generous with my portions. Very.
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You are just full of good ideas, Ms. Thang’!!!!
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