"Patti inspires me to push myself, workouts never get dull - she clearly knows her stuff, she is funny, tough, and humane."
Ginny Gilder


 For answers to fitness and  nutritional questions click  here to email Patti




    I am trying to watch what I eat and I am finding it hard to figure out what exactly a portion size looks like. Do you have any suggestions besides measuring my food all the time?

    I think it is a great idea to become aware of what you are eating and just how much you are eating in a day. I tell my clients that once they have reached their weight loss goals the best way to live a healthy life and to eat all the foods they love is to just watch their portion sizes. We have become so obsessed with “big servings” and “super sizing” food that if we were to just get back to paying attention to portion sizes we could eat all the foods we love. Moderation is the key. Below is a chart that you can easily use when preparing your food or even when you are dining out.
FOOD ITEM WHAT A SERVING SHOULD LOOK LIKE…

BREAD, CEREAL, RICE, AND PASTA GROUP
Dry Spaghetti – 211 calories The diameter of a quarter
1 Cup of cooked potatoes, rice, pasta and cereal Baseball
Pancake Compact Disc
Bagel – 190 calories Six ounce can of tuna
Muffin Tennis Ball

VEGETABLE GROUP
1 Cup of salad greens Baseball
¾ Cup of juice Small Styrofoam Cup
½ Cup of cooked vegetables Half a Baseball
1 Cup of juice Small container of Yogurt

FRUIT GROUP
1 medium piece of fruit Tennis Ball
½ Cup of chopped fruit Half a baseball
¼ Cup of dried fruit Large egg

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, EGGS, NUTS
2 Tablespoons of peanut butter Ping-pong ball
3 Ounces of meat, fish or poultry Deck of cards
1 Ounce of nuts One and a half golf balls

MILK, YOGURT, CHEESE
1 Ounce of cheese Pair of dice
½ Cup of Ice Cream Half a baseball

FATS, OILS AND SNACKS
1 Teaspoon of butter Size of a postage stamp, thick as your finger
1 Ounce of potato chips Half of a grapefruit



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