Welcome to the final week of the Challenge to Use the PointsPlus™ Program! This week we remind you that portion control is key.

The introduction of a brand new plan in a brand new year is a perfect opportunity to focus on your weight loss and hone the skills you need to build. To help you get there, we’re going to take you through some of the great features of the PointsPlus program, which heralds a new, smarter way of eating — one that marks a return to weighing and measuring everything! Challenge yourself to take a closer look at your portion sizes. Remember that a heaping cup is not a cup and watch the pounds melt away!

Week 4: Portion distortion no more!

The PointsPlus program, with its 0 PointsPlus value fruits and (most) veggies, makes it really important to not only listen to your hunger signals when eating these items (stop before you're stuffed!), but with even less room for error in the way PointsPlus values are calculated, weighing and measuring your portions of all foods is paramount. Successful members seem to understand that portions easily become distorted over time and that measuring tools can lead to greater success.

The PointsPlus food system is, simply put, a way to control our intake of food to within a range that provides weight loss. Each of us is allotted a certain number of PointsPlus values within a day; our daily PointsPlus Allowance. It is important to understand that it is impossible to properly calculate PointsPlus values without knowing the correct portion of the food being eaten.

For example, if you're simply dumping cereal in a bowl without measuring it, you will never know if the PointsPlus value you assign to it is correct. Perhaps you call it 5 PointsPlus values, but don’t realize that it is well above that number. Making this mistake several times throughout the day can lead to countless added PointsPlus values and stalled weight loss. Alternatively, you may be underestimating portion sizes and cheating yourself out of extra food.

Weighing and measuring food is the only true way to know if the amount you are eating is what you think it is. We understand that it certainly is not possible to weigh and measure food at all times, but the challenge this week is to do it whenever possible!

Spend some time this week re-familiarizing yourself with your portions. You may be surprised to discover just how portions "creep" over the course of just a week! Pull out and dust off measuring spoons and scales. Do you hear the collective groan? Yes, OK, we know it’s hard, but we promise you will most definitely make an important and lasting realization by joining us for the challenge this week! Share your struggles and insights and common goals with the Community.