18th February 2011

Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer. Denis Waitley
Filling in my tracker this morning, I realised that I’m still eating what I like eating I’ve just adjusted the quantity I’m eating, which is all about the portion size which we discussed this week. I’m sure you’ll agree from the examples we looked at how easy it is to be a couple of ProPoints out here and there and they soon add up over teh week, which is why ‘weighing’ your food really is essential for a good weight loss, the Weight Watcher kitchen scales really are a worthwhile addition to your kitchen.

Other ways of keeping your portion sizes under control include buying smaller plates, using a ladle for cooked pasta, if you work out the ProPoints for on ladle then it’ll be the same everytime. Always use the same breakfast bowl for your cereal so you know how far to fill it. A 5pp portion of cheese is about the size of a matchbox, the small one not the cook one! You could buy individual portions such as cereal boxes, porridge in sachets, small bottles of wine!!! Or bag up and seal your favourite munchies into small food bags. You’re less likely to eat ten individual servings but it’s easy to get through a large bag. Take a look at pages 43 – 46 in the pocket guide for the more portion size suggestions.

I still enjoy large meals, so I tend to bulk out my plate with Filling & Healthy foods, such as zero ProPoints value vegetables. I fill up on fruit too these days. Another trick I’ve learnt is when I cook, I either make just what I need or if I make a recipe for 4, I immediately put two portions on plates and the other to in food containers to make sure I’m only having a quarter of the dish, and I put the lids on the other two to stop me eating those too, I either pop them in the fridge or freezer for another day.

We all know I like the odd glass of red wine, but remember that alcohol can lower any steadfast weight loss resolves, so being careful of how much you drink could really help you to stay in control of your food choices and portions.

We all agreed this week, it can be all too easy to eat more than you need, or misjudge your portions, especially when you’re dining out or surrounded by unfamiliar foods. So make sure you know your portions, whether you want to continue losing weight, maintain your current weight, or are on holiday and want to start afresh with your weight loss once you're back home - being aware of your portions can help you stay in control. So, start by making sure you’re portion savvy:

- Spend some time measuring out your portions, so you get used to what a sensible serving looks like.

- Using familiar objects to estimate your portions against to begin to develop an eye for the sensible serving amount and getting familiar with their ProPoints values. For more on this see the Portions Planner on Weight Watchers esource.

And we all know what you are served when you’re eating out is not always going to be a sensible portion. Over the last 20 years food and drinks in both shops and restaurants have increased in size – one study found that burgers have doubled in size and alarmingly pasta servings are five times larger1. To keep your portions in check and make healthy choices, try to eat regularly when you’re out and about to keep hunger at bay. Use the satisfaction scale to judge when you’re hungry or full. Choose sensibly at the buffet restaurants and base your meals on Filling & Healthy foods.

And if you look for healthier options on the menu such as those that are boiled or grilled rather than fried you will find them and these can make the difference between the 20pp lunch I had last Friday or the 56pp lunch I had Sunday!

So today when you go to eat something ask yourself – “is that the proper portion?”