[Lilly83]

hey everyone !

I have been on this site for awhile mostly posting in the Alli threads about 6 months ago. However I have only gained the few that i have even lost in the first place.

My weight has been yo yo since I was a teen. Now that I am 25 I look in the mirror and am not happy with what i see !!!

I excercise at least 2-3 times a week, go to the gym, go swimming, water aerobics, some dance and cheerleading.

Even with all that I still have this spare tire that just doesn't want to go away and I try to eat healthy but i think my portion control is way off.

Just looking at finding someone with maybe the same issues to talk to and help me work towards being fit & toned and 20lbs lighter.

Cheers
Lilly

[nelie]

Have you tried calorie counting? That should help with some of the portion control or at least help you know what you are eating. I use a scale to measure my food because I don't trust myself with regulating my own portions.

[bargoo]

Exercise is good but you need to cut calories to lose weight. Do both and you will lose faster. Have you thought about counting calories ?

[PhotoChick]

Hi Lilly!

Portion control is a BIG problem for a lot of people. Especially here in America we have a very skewed idea of what a proper portion of food is. Think about it - all the fast food places encourage you to "super size" or "biggie size" your food cause it's "only $0.49 more" or whatever. Look at the advertising campaigns from places like Hardees with their "thick burgers". Look at restaurants like the Cheesecake Factory where a single entree is enough food to feed 3 or 4 people.

And we've gotten *used* to this concept. In America, more is always better, right?

When I first started really measuring and weighing my food I was SHOCKED at what a real portion size was.

2T of peanut butter - real T, not a big spoon from the silverware drawer - is much less than I was eating.

1 slice of bread is a serving, not 2.

4 oz of lean meat is about the size of a deck of cards. That means that your average chicken breast is 2 or even 3 servings of meat.

I think that learning proper portion control is key to losing weight and keeping it off.

.

[Shannon in ATL]

Hi there! Photo Chick just said exactly what I was going to say...

Portion sizing really took me by surprise, too. I work in fast food, so I've trained people for years to automatically repeat back "That's the large size?" instead of asking for a size choice because people tend to agree with the cashier and go for the 'middling effect' when there are more sizes available. I hear people trying to sell me on large sizes places now and I always fight back! I also bought a pack of boneless chicken breasts this week and when I was separating them out to freeze I found that each breast weighed 9 ounces... that is over two servings...

Measuring and weighing out portions has been the most critical component of my weight loss process. That and keeping track of my calories. Might help you too?

[huggamouse]

Same problem here! I love drinking from bottles, because it feels like I have more, and guess what! I do! The average single serve bottle of juice is 2 servings, when in truth all I need is what's in those little juice boxes they have at elementary school. But it's really hard to stop drinking at half way. Right now I'm trying to train myself to only drink half at a time. Not only is it proper portions, it's cheaper than buying a new bottle every meal.

Condiments too, those little things always sneak up on me! I've taken to just keeping the little packets and resolving only to use one per meal. Instead of 2 chick fil-a honey mustards (I snatch them for my veggie sandwhich and celery. lol) i only use one.

If you have the option, try getting a food scale. It will really put things into perspective for you when you're cooking at home. Remember: The average portion served in the US is twice the recommended portion. Try to eat half at a time, or get the kiddy meal

I'm trying to loose the spare tire too, i hope I'm making progress, I've got no scale