Lose Weight without Spending

The next step to losing weight without spending money is to control portions. In the previous step, you learned about serving size (the recommended single portion of a particular food or beverage). From now on, take a moment to look at the serving size on the nutrition label and measure out (or count out if the serving is a number, such as "three pieces") controlled portions of foods and beverages.

Try this experiment: Tomorrow morning at breakfast, pour your usual bowl of cereal without any measuring (Don't add milk yet!). Then, check the nutrition label for serving size and measure out that amount with a measuring cup. Pour that portion into another bowl. Compare the two portions side by side. You may be surprised at how much more than a recommended serving you are accustomed to eating.

For a few foods, such as meat, you can't really use a measuring cup, but you don't have to buy a scale to control your portions of those foods. Picturing the size of everyday items can help you to estimate serving size. (For example, a serving of meat is about the size of a deck of cards.)

It may seem daunting at first to measure your food, but doing so really is the only way to get a true concept of what normal servings look like. In time, when you have adjusted to seeing what standard servings really are, you will be able to "eyeball" a serving without measuring your food.

And here's a bonus for budget-watchers -- when you use smaller portions, everything you buy will last longer. That box of cereal in the example will be around days longer than it would have been if you'd continued eating oversized servings. So, controlling portions can save you major cash!

More:
"Eyeball" Portions with Everyday Items
Serving Sizes Quiz
Ways to Control Portions

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