Hi All:

Can anyone tell me some tricks they have learned to measure food without using a scale? I've heard that 1 oz. of fish or poultry is usually about the size of the palm of your hand? When you go out to eat how do you measure because I haven't figured it out yet...Thanks!

Hi NYGirl82: I'm seventeen months post-op and down 80+ pounds. I've done it slow and it has helped to teach me portion control. I never use a regular plate, I use a salad plate. I cut off a small portion of protein and maybe two tablespoons of a vegetable. I always eat the protein first and then the vegetable. Whenever I eat out I try to find an appetizer that's protein and always have leftovers to take home. I hope this helps, I'm still losing and have 38 pounds to go.

I posted my hint and everyone thought it was gross. My surgeon had a specimen cup sitting out at our first interview. A specimen cup is just about 4oz in volume.

Mixing the ideas of a specimen cup and eating might be gross--but you can see in your head the volume of a specimen cup now, can't you.

I thought it was a very good visual.

Hi All:

Can anyone tell me some tricks they have learned to measure food without using a scale? I've heard that 1 oz. of fish or poultry is usually about the size of the palm of your hand? When you go out to eat how do you measure because I haven't figured it out yet...Thanks!

I think a 4-oz serving of meat or fish is the size of a deck of cards/palm of your hand. 1 oz. is the tiniest cup that they give you to sip liquid out of after surgery; 2 oz. of Water fit in to a 1/4 cup measure.

When I first started my lap band journey, I had to go see a dietician before my insurance would even consider my request. She had alot of ideas and one of them was using a 3 oz. bathroom cup to measure things in. So when I first had my surgery I would pour my Protein shakes in them and drink 3 oz. every 30 minutes. I ended up getting 60 grams of protein in 7 hours so it worked out good for that.

Now I use them to measure foods in. Its very handy, I leave a stack sitting on my kitchen counter at all times. I also use them to put my medicine in and it works out well. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the responses! The specimen cup idea cracked me up lol