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| Measure and Store for Portion Control |
Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases mentioned in this post.
A key component of the Weight Watchers Program is portion control. For me, I think this is the most important thing that has kept me on target with my weight loss. My previous mindless eating, over the kitchen sink, sitting at the computer, or in front of the TV, had a large part in causing my waistline to balloon.
Day One on the Weight Watchers Program, I started figuring out how to eat a "Portion" and stay within my daily and weekly points allowance. And to my amazement, it wasn't really all that hard!
Measuring
I use my measuring cups and spoons all the time now. I realized in the beginning that I wasn't very good at eyeballing how much 1/2 cup of rice or 2 Tablespoons of grated cheese was. When preparing my meals now I always measure or weigh ingredients. I use my scale every time to determine how much of a cut of meat to portion off. When snacking, I count out the estimated number of pretzels or chips, etc. that the package reports as one serving.
I like soups and I bought a set of ladles that serve up a specific measured portion of soup, so I always use one of those ladles now. (example here). When adding mashed potatoes or rice to my plate, I scoop with my one-cup measure. When adding olive oil to the pan before cooking, I pour the oil into my measuring spoon first. If you do this, you'll quickly learn that often you underestimate how much you use, but also, that sometimes you are OVER estimating! Be as accurate as possible in the beginning until you have a good feel for portions.
Storage
When I make a dish that provides multiple meals (which is often since I am single), I divide up the dish as evenly as possible, serve myself one portion, and then store the remainder in one-serving portions. My set of Rubbermaid meal prep containers have turned out to be perfect for this task. I love the way the lids snap on! And they make my next meal a no-brainer for calculating my points! Here’s a link to the ones I now use.
I guess all this is common-sense, but I was not this logical or disciplined about my food until I started Weight Watchers. You might find a method for measuring and storing that is different from mine, but the point is to find a method that you will use consistently.
Weight Watcher friends: Measure it, Store the leftovers, and Smile on your weigh-in day!
Day One on the Weight Watchers Program, I started figuring out how to eat a "Portion" and stay within my daily and weekly points allowance. And to my amazement, it wasn't really all that hard!
Measuring
I use my measuring cups and spoons all the time now. I realized in the beginning that I wasn't very good at eyeballing how much 1/2 cup of rice or 2 Tablespoons of grated cheese was. When preparing my meals now I always measure or weigh ingredients. I use my scale every time to determine how much of a cut of meat to portion off. When snacking, I count out the estimated number of pretzels or chips, etc. that the package reports as one serving.
I like soups and I bought a set of ladles that serve up a specific measured portion of soup, so I always use one of those ladles now. (example here). When adding mashed potatoes or rice to my plate, I scoop with my one-cup measure. When adding olive oil to the pan before cooking, I pour the oil into my measuring spoon first. If you do this, you'll quickly learn that often you underestimate how much you use, but also, that sometimes you are OVER estimating! Be as accurate as possible in the beginning until you have a good feel for portions.
Storage
When I make a dish that provides multiple meals (which is often since I am single), I divide up the dish as evenly as possible, serve myself one portion, and then store the remainder in one-serving portions. My set of Rubbermaid meal prep containers have turned out to be perfect for this task. I love the way the lids snap on! And they make my next meal a no-brainer for calculating my points! Here’s a link to the ones I now use.
I guess all this is common-sense, but I was not this logical or disciplined about my food until I started Weight Watchers. You might find a method for measuring and storing that is different from mine, but the point is to find a method that you will use consistently.
Weight Watcher friends: Measure it, Store the leftovers, and Smile on your weigh-in day!
Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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