While enjoying a wonderful home cooked Italian meal with my friend Chris the other evening, I realized that Chris’s portion of whole wheat pasta and sauce was 3-4 times larger than mine was – HUGE! He confessed to me that he was struggling lately with his weight and couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t lose a pound after doing “all the right things.” 

His plate held the answer. Yes, focus on whole grains, healthy fats, plenty of fruits and veggies but remember – you can have too much of a good thing! Portion control is key when it comes to losing weight and maintaining weight loss. Use some common comparisons to remember portion sizes and always stick to foods that provide you with benefit to both your inside and outside!

Fruits and Veggies – a handful

Meat, fish and poultry – a deck of cards

Pasta – an ice cream scoop

Cheese – the size of your thumb

Bagel – a hockey puck

Pancakes – a compact disc

Potato – the size of a computer mouse

Whole grain bread – one slice

Apple – tennis ball or baseball

Cereal – the size of your fist

Ice cream – ½ of a baseball

Peanut butter – ping pong ball

Oil – the size of your thumb tip