The American diet isn't even realistic anymore. I've portioned out food based on calories before. I know I could eat a whole lot more than that. If there were ever a food rationing, we'd be in trouble.

yea, I just looked at it and thought, I bet I'd be my correct weight if I actually ate only the proper portion. Maybe it's right, but dang, it feels wrong!

;)

when I was on Weight Watchers, I portion sized everything. You would be surprised to find out that what a company calls a portion, and what we call a portion are so different. I lost 35 pounds sticking to the plan.

Then abruptly put it all back on when I stopped portion control. LOL

We've been so conditioned to eating massive portions, that the correct portions seem really skimpy. A quiche is not supposed to be a meal in itself--it should be served with a light, healthy side like fruit or a salad.

I have made a real effort to eat more reasonable portions. One of those muffin quiches would be all I'd want at a meal, with a generous salad. When we go out to eat, I always bring something home. For example--when we go to the local diner, they give you a bowl of soup for free. I ask for that to go, and it's tomorrow's lunch. I divide my lunch (sandwich or hot platter) in half and take half home for tomorrow's dinner. They also give you a 'free' dessert--so I get a cheese danish--there's tomorrow's breakfast. So I get FOUR meals out of what they serve as one lunch. I make it a practice to ALWAYS eat only half of my sandwich or meal, and even then, the portion size is often larger than what's really recommended.

Years ago I contracted with a publisher to provide about 30 tofu recipes for their new cookbook. At the time there were five of us at home. I said each recipe served 4-6. When the editor received them, she called to ask if I had a huge family. By the cookbook standards, my recipes served 8 or more.

I should add that my husband and children were all slim and fit, and ate a lot. I'm the only one who didn't do well on our vegetarian diet . . . too many carbs for me.

A 'portion' doesn't always assume the food is the sole course.

I'm usually amazed by how many sweets are considered 'a portion' in the Nutrition Facts on the packaging. I'm looking at a bag of individually wrapped, assorted Lindt chocolates. It says 'a serving' is 230 calories, but... their idea of 'a serving' is FOUR pieces. My idea of a serving is ONE piece.

You'll eat more directly from a bag of chips or a carton of crackers. Put 'a portion' into a dish; close up and put away the package; eat from the dish. Experiments have shown that people will eat much more of anything they like as long as they can see the food in front of them. One experiment rigged soup bowls from the bottom so that there was a constant supply of soup in the bowl. People who previously had felt satisfied after eating one bowl of soup consumed three times as much of the 'bottomless' soup before putting down their spoons.

You'll consume less if you pay attention to the food when you eat it. You'll consume more if you are eating 'mindlessly' -- while watching TV, for instance. I think you'll eat less alone than 'in company', too.

No portions here, eat til you're done. Just make more in case some one says its so delicious they want seconds.