4 Ways Measuring Cups And Spoons Helped Me Get To A Healthy Weight

By Tina Haupert
When I gained more than 20 pounds after college, I knew I wasn’t taking the best care of myself. I was eating fattening foods (hello, nachos and beer!) and skipping my workouts at the gym, but I didn’t know where to start with losing weight.
For most of my life, my weight was never an issue. Counting calories was a foreign concept to me. But I knew if I wanted to lose those unwanted pounds, I needed to do something. Around that same time, a friend of mine told me about Fitday.com, a free online weight-loss journal that tracks calories, exercise, goals and progress. It made keeping track of what I was eating easy -- for the most part.

Foods that clearly stated the serving size (1 slice of bread, 15 crackers) or came in a single-serving package (a 6-ounce container of yogurt, a single granola bar) were easy to track. I just looked at the calorie count and entered it into my online journal. Other foods were a bit more difficult to track, however, such as cereal, pasta and nut butters. Even though the serving size on these containers was clearly marked, I didn’t know if I was eating what was considered a serving. I halfheartedly kept track of these calories, but I knew hundreds of them went unaccounted for each day.

Eventually, I realized I wasn’t being completely honest with my weight-loss efforts, and I started to pay more attention to serving sizes with the help of measuring cups and spoons. Here’s how these slimming kitchen gadgets helped me lose weight.

Comments

[MyHealthHabits]

03:02 PM on 10/18/2011

Keeping track of your calorie intake is extremely important when trying to lose weight. Measuring tools and a food diary as this article pointed out are very beneficial. But there are times when measuring with tools is not particularly feasible such as when dining out. There are plenty of tips and tricks, however, to show you how to picture a serving size. For instance, a serving size of meat should be about the size of your palm. http://MyHealthyLivingHabits.com

[bushi17]

11:10 AM on 10/18/2011

All the tips here are good, i have tried a few of them and though i prefer the hcg diet plan because it helped me lose weight almost instantly without any physical exercise or any side effects. Before I bought the hcg diet plan i checked out this site http://bestdiet-lossweight.info/hcg-diet-plan-review/ for info about hcg and how it works.

[Adam Pashley]

09:44 AM on 10/18/2011

There are some good tips here but i feel most people who are not going out to a weight loss meeting every week want something like step 1 -2 -3 sort of guides.

I did an online diet a while ago but i wont suggest it as people should make up their own mind after properly looking into it.

I found this site offering some information after just 5 seconds googling !!

http://quickie-weightloss.com

[peachfuzz]

12:28 AM on 10/18/2011

I needed to read this -- I have fallen off the portion wagon.

[anilimili]

11:49 PM on 10/17/2011

Awareness is half-way to better health. If you are more aware of what you eat, why you eat, and how it makes your body feel, you are much more likely to eat healthy, and to eat less (if you've been eating too much). Interestingly, so many who are overweight are actually nutrient deficient! They don't get enough nutrients and their body keeps seeking them in the form of feeling hungry for more food; when in fact it is not hunger for quantity but for quality. If measuring helps assess better portion size, it is a great tool for healthier eating. And like the author said, after a while, one can eyeball the portion size by visualizing what might be sufficient.
Most important, however, is to be aware of what your own body's needs are. People are all different. Some need to eat more frequently, others need more carbs or more protein or different kinds of protein. Awareness is a good place to be in generally...and it definitely works for food, too. Awareness, though--not obsession. They are not the same.

[jenn21]

09:28 PM on 10/17/2011

Great advice. You really need to be aware of poritions. I had the same problem after college and I have had a hard time losing the weight. I tried an all natural diet pill and it helped me to lose 11lbs. Here is the site it also has great tips www.dietpillreviewcenter.com

[lndr769]

06:12 PM on 10/17/2011

IT IS CALLED WILL POWER

[monty24llr]

05:50 PM on 10/17/2011

Wow -- 20 whole pounds!

[Realrelief01]

05:35 PM on 10/17/2011

I lost 50 lbs just by cutting out meat. No beef Chicken Or pork. I eat sea food and everything else as before. 50lbs. in 3 weeks.

[anilimili]

11:53 PM on 10/17/2011

50 as if FIFTY in three weeks? That is uncanny (and possibly very unhealthy). I've only heard of this kind of rate in people who were VERY morbidly obese (in the 400s) and who shed much water weight as soon as the reduce the salt content of their intake by removing junk food and processed foods. Otherwise, I don't know how anyone can lose 50 lbs in three weeks. Or maintain that loss. Most of it would be water weight.
That said, if you are doing this under a doctor's supervision, you probably know all this. And if not, maybe consider getting a doctor's advice about how to lose weight in a healthier way.

[sparkyofsocal]

05:24 PM on 10/17/2011

Another simple household item would be to get ahold of the lawnmower and push it around the yard.Just saying it is an option.

[srajoski]

05:53 PM on 10/17/2011

Not everyone has a yard. Just saying it's not an option for most.

[peachfuzz]

12:35 AM on 10/18/2011

That doesn't burn enough calories. And who cuts the grass 3-5 times per week? Put a mini-tramp in front of the TV and work out an hour 5 x's week and cut back portions. You don't have to work out an hour straight; divide the time up if you need. This way you can work out no matter what the weather and still watch TV.

[caprawalie]

05:23 PM on 10/17/2011

Use your brain, it is better than your cups and spoons...jeez!

[cricketnc52]

04:14 PM on 10/17/2011

I also found a free web site that is helping me keep on track. It's www.LoseIt.com. I enter everyihing I eat or drink during the day (I don't bother with water or tea because those are "free") and it calculates the calories. It also has a place to enter any exercise you've done, calculates how many calories you burned doing it, and adjusts the calories you have left to eat that day accordingly.

It also asks you in the beginning what your current weight is and what your goal weight is. And it keeps you posted daily when you should expect to meet that goal according to how you are doing. I've been using it now for 5 days and it's really easy and has helped me to keep on track.

[lindamom]

08:42 PM on 10/17/2011

Ugh - too much trouble for me every single day. My dad always said if you stay hungry, you lose weight. Works for me, not so much fun though...

[peachfuzz]

12:26 AM on 10/18/2011

Thanks for the site!

[cricketnc52]

08:24 AM on 10/18/2011

Have you checked it out? It's not as much trouble as Lindamom made it sound like. I would bet she never even checked it out. I'm loving the site.

[cricketnc52]

04:09 PM on 10/17/2011

Another thing I do is, if I'm still hungry after finishing my plate, instead of going back for another piece of chicken or more potatoes, I go back for more veggies. They fill me up without filling me out.

[OMGWTH]

06:37 AM on 10/17/2011

It worked for me, too. I also bought a really good digital food scale. Yes, it was a tad depressing to see just how small a 4-oz. piece of meat is, but I got back to my ideal weight. Now . . . the work is in keeping it.

[Gudrun]

02:11 PM on 10/17/2011

I need to measure my morning cereal, or I could easily eat 2 portions without even noticing. Measuring is usually quick and easy, just have to make it a habit. Congrats on your weight loss!

[OMGWTH]

04:46 PM on 10/17/2011

Yes, measuring is a huge help. To be honest, though, not only did I start to weigh and measure, but I went back to school this fall. There is a LOT of walking (though I exercise at home, too) and I think the extra hiking uphill and climbing stairs all over campus really kicked the weight loss into high gear. I am happy. But as I said, now I have to work at keeping it off. Drudgery! :)

[LisaViger]

04:31 AM on 10/17/2011

Excellent advice (that I need to follow!).