Sports, Gaming, Technology and a Can of Tuna

Sports, Gaming, Technology and a can of Tuna

Day 62

Sports, Gaming, Technology and a Can of Tuna…a can of tuna?  What does that have in common with sports, gaming and technology?  Well they are the “eyeball” test for controlling portion sizes.  In an attempt to cover all walks of life and make the “eyeball” test relatable to many, someone (now lost to all of us in the annuls of time) came up with these tools to represent measurements.  This now common weight loss strategy represents portion sizes as follows:

Sports:

• Golf ball = 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons
• Hockey puck = 3 ounces (muffin or biscuit)
• Baseball = 1 cup

Gaming:

• 3 dice = 1 1/2 ounce of cheese
• Poker chip = 1 tablespoon
• Deck of cards = 3 ounces of chicken or meat
• Checkbook = 3 ounces fish
• 2 – $1 bills = a slice of pizza

Technology

• Computer mouse = 1 baked or sweet potato
• Compact disc = 1 ounce luncheon meat
• Cassette tape = 1 slice of bread
• Light bulb = 1/2 cup (okay, okay, okay; not “technology” but still science!)

Miscellaneous:

• Dental floss = 2 inch square of brownie or 1 ounce of chocolate
• Pencil = banana or corn-on-the-cob (the length; not with width!)
• And, last but not least, the enigmatic can of tuna!  It equals a bagel.  A bagel will now, forever, be etched in my mind linked to a can of tuna; yummy! (yummy = sarcasm).

This is a link to WedMD, which provides a downloadable wallet size and frig size portion size guide:  Healthtool – Portion Size Plate.  Use them if you dare!

This starts the 3rd month of my diet.  As of yesterday, I’ve lost a total of 14 pounds!  I’m doing a happy dance!  Want to catch up on my series of posts about my weight loss journey?  Here they are:

• Cankles and Zits
• Confessions of the Incredible Shrinking Woman
• Minding Your P’s and Q’s (Portions and Quality)

I’ve had multiple challenges this month staying on the straight and narrow.  I’ve only lost 1 pound since last month!  Yes, you read that right – 1 pound!  How did that happen?  This is how:

• We had a Blog-o-versary Party
• A visitor, Vanessa, from Australia
• A wedding reception of a close friend
• I’ve been out to eat with friends several times!
• And, in addition to all the above, my husband, Charlie, as been undergoing tests and biopsies for prostate cancer for the last month.  When he received the “all clear” last Thursday (he does not have prostate cancer!), I was so relieved that I ate a cup of my favorite ice cream and 10 cookies!
• And, last night, I spent the early evening into the wee hours of the morning with my mother in ER.  She fell, broke her wrist and cut open both her head and knee, all requiring stitches.  I was so stressed out that I ate mac & cheese in the hospital cafeteria (who doesn’t want comfort food when their Mommy is in the hospital?  Even if you are a 50+ year-old woman and your mom is 80+?).

All diet challenges!  So, my weight went up-and-down all month long and I never broke past that one pound marker!  I’d gain 3 pounds, lose 2 pounds, gain 1 pound, loss a half pound; up-and-down, up-and-down.  The good news is that it still resulted in a net loss!  The other good news is that Charlie is good.

So, what did I learn from all of this?  That it’s okay to “cheat” as long as you get right back to minding your p’s (portions) and q’s (quality).  Plus, your golf balls, computer mouse, gaming dice, deck of cards and can of tuna!

This month, I created several new lower (pick your poison – fat, calorie, salt, sugar!) recipes – all yummy and satisfying and all good (or at least as good as their classic recipe counterpart).  Here are some links to those new recipes:

• Charlie’s Lite Layered Mexican Casserole
• Chicken and Arugula Open-faced Sandwiches
• Lite Cheesy Jalapeno Popper Dip
• Mexican Corn Salad
• Weetabix with Yogurt and Berries

More links to other “lite” or lighter recipes are at the bottom of this post.  Here’s a picture of the inside of my pretty box!

Pretty peacock box

Tip of the Month:

Control portion sizes using visual tools such as sports balls and gaming gizmos.  Also, divide your plate into quarters.  Two quarters should be loaded with fresh fruit and vegetables, one-quarter whole grains and the last quarter protein.  Strive for this balance throughout the day.

Visual aids in my peacock box

The picture above is my box full of these visual cues.  If I’m ever in any doubt that I might be overloading on something, I just pull out my box and look at the measurement tool.  I don’t keep my mouse in there, though; I need my mouse!

What works to keep you on the straight and narrow?  Do you have your own box of sports, gaming technology and a can of tuna devices or are they just swirling around in your head?  Remember:  the mind can play tricks on you, so visual cues are better!

Tootles,

Related Posts:

(other “lite” or lighter recipes)

• Caprese Salad Roll-ups
• Coffee Banana Protein Smoothie
• Easy Peasy Caprese Salad
• Poached Chicken Breast Tenders
• Steel Cut Oats with Peanut Butter and Bananas
• Strawberry Protein Smoothie
• Summer Berry Chicken Salad
• Tri-colored Roasted Potato Salad
• Turkey and Avocado Salad with Craisins

(other posts about our party and our visitor, Vanessa, from Australia)

• 42 Things to Do at the San Diego Zoo
• Barefoot with Friends and Vanessa’s Pavlova
• Toot Sweet 4 Two Turns One:  Blog-o-versary Party Recap
• Vanessa’s Rainbow, Tim Tam and Vegemite