Visualize Your Portions

Portion control is necessary to lose as well as maintain weight. Most individuals don't have the time to weigh out their portions but using some visual cues can help. The Mayo Clinic gives provides the following suggestions for images to help you estimate your portions:

• A medium apple or orange is the size of a tennis ball
• A medium potato is the size of a computer mouse
• The average bagel is the size of a hockey puck
• A cup of fruit is the size of a baseball
• Three ounces of meat is the side of a deck of cards
• Three ounces of grilled fish is the size of your checkbook
• An ounce of cheese is the size of four dice
• One teaspoon of peanut butter is the size of the tip of your thumb

You can come up with your own images to help you determine portion size. Gradually work on re-sizing your portions over a couple of months and you may be pleasantly surprised by the number on the scale.