Secrets of Success

Serving Size Portions

Whenever I buy a 'snackable' food (carrots, crisps, pretzels, cookies, ect) I immediately repackage it into serving size baggies with the calories written directly on the package. That way everytime I reach for a snack I'm reminded of exactly what I'm eating!

Measure it!

We buy our portion bags at a dollar store. We then measure portions of cereal, snacks etc as it comes into the house. The Kids now only eat one serving and so do the adults.

Delicious Dishes

Encourage serving sizes, particularly with treats, by using cute, elegant, or personalized serving sized dessert dishes.

I found fun, polka dotted, ice cream dishes cheap last fall, and I noticed that everyone in my family was eating closer to correct servings. (Sons pile it high - had to nip that in the bud.)

My older daughter moved in, bringing very pretty "crystal" dessert cups with stems. I feel like I am having something very special... but even better, only a serving.

One Serving At A Time!

When I am cooking if I cook more servings than I need to eat it is just too tempting for me and I end up eating more than I should, even if I try to separate it out for the week and put it in the refridgerator, so instead I just cook one serving (Unless of course I am cooking for others as well.) This removes the temptation of eating extra food.

Portion Control in Restaurants

I always take a container to restaurants. The portion sizes they serve are huge. I immediately take half of the meal and put it into my plastic container as a doggy bag....out of sight, out of mind. If you wait until the end to ask for a doggy bag, you've probably eaten too much already. It's a great way to have lunch or another dinner for the next day.

Zipper baggies are your friend!

When I bring something home from the store that has more than one serving to a box (snacks/cereals/etc.), I get out my zipper bags & measuring cups and pre-measure individual servings into bags. I keep the bags in the original box, so they're easy to grab, use AND stick to your portion control!

A Cup of Inspiration

I hate water, but I love my family. I've got a 32 oz. Breast Cancer Awareness mug that I use everyday. I have an aunt who is in remission, and every day I tell myself to drink 64 oz. of water to stay healthy. 32 oz I drink for me, and 32oz is for her. That's my eight cups of water a day, cheers!

2nd Portions

After 1 serving of a meal, I drink a glass of water and wait the 20 minutes before allowing myself to get more, even if I still feel hungry. Usually once the time is up I realize that I actually don't want the food.

Fruits & Veggies - getting enough servings

Sometimes it's hard for me to make sure I'm getting enough fruit & vegetable servings each day. I found that beverages such as low-sodium V8 juice or V-8 Fusion are a good way to increase my intake. Watch the calories, though, and use this as a supplement rather than your sole "produce" option!