Be a Party Boss!

Getting serving sizes right is often more than meets the eye—yet keeping tabs on what and how much you're eating can be a powerful weight-loss tool. When you're at home, measuring cups and food scales make it easy to dole out perfect portions of just about any food, drink, or ingredient. But toting those tools around when you’re at a party or a picnic or a backyard barbecue or a food festival or any other challenging-but-delicious event of summer? That isn't going to cut it.

Test your P.Q. (Portion Quotient) with the quiz in your Weekly. Then brush up on portion equivalents so you can easily (and often stealthily) use visual match-ups anywhere, anytime. Remember, your fingers and hands are always with you as impromptu portion tools!

And when you're home this week, make a point of weighing and measuring your food and beverages; the more you practice, the easier it'll be to gauge accurate portions when you're not home.

Train your brain to recognize the right size

Whenever you measure and serve yourself, take a mental snapshot: "Here's what one cup of couscous looks like. This is a teaspoon of butter." Then no matter where you're dining—a backyard BBQ, a food court at the mall, or your favourite Chinese buffet — you'll feel more confident in your ability to eyeball the right size. Even if you don't get it exact, you're still monitoring what you eat and drink, and that's a key skill for weight-loss success. Remember to track, too—and again, perfection isn't the goal; being consistent is.

Need some easy comparisons for estimating portions? The list below is a good place to start.

On the go

Lip balm = 1 ounce of cheese

Folding wallet = 1-ounce slice of French bread

Sunglasses = 6-ounce fish fillet

At a sporting event

Hockey puck = ½ cup of mashed potatoes, beans, or ice cream

Golf ball = ¼ cup of nuts

Baseball = 1 cup of popcorn

Tennis ball = 1 cup serving of rice

In the office

Roll of transparent tape = ½ cup cereal or pasta

Standard pink eraser = 1 ounce of cheese

2" x 2" self-stick note = 1 brownie

At a restaurant or hotel

Tea cup = 1 cup of cooked pasta

Half an orange = ½ cup of coleslaw

Mini bar of soap = 1 ounce of chocolate

On a business trip or vacation

CD/DVD = Large bagel or 1 pancake

USB thumb drive = 1 ounce of cheese

Pocket digital camera = 3-ounce serving of meat