Putting It Together

I've been feeling quite cranky about my lack of dramatic weight loss. I think Mama Mouse is right in that my age and metabolism are wreaking some havoc but to be honest, I thought I'd better go back and look at other factors.

As many times as I've read this information, it never falls to shock me:

Portion Sizes

By understanding the average portion size of different foods, you can avoid overeating. The following are general estimates for a variety of foods.


Protein: one serving is no larger than the size of your palm, or 3 oz.
Starchy side dishes: the size of a tennis ball
Medium piece of fruit: tennis-ball size
One ounce of cheese: 4 dice
Cabbage family: 1 cup raw, ½ cup cooked
Dark leafy greens: 1 cup raw
Water: 6 to 8 8-oz. glasses per day
Beans and legumes: one-half cup cooked
Whole grains: 1 slice whole-wheat bread, ½ cup cooked grains, cereal or pasta, 1 oz. ready-to-eat cereal

I've got the water down easy. But the other portion sizes ...?? I don't think so. That's part of the problem, I think ... these portion sizes leave me hungry.

Well...let's see how many of these things I can have a day.

I went to My Pyramid Tracker and plugged in what I ate for breakfast. So far, so good. What I can eat the rest of the day, according to the USDA guidelines:

7 oz. protein
1 more cup of milk
4 cups of vegetables
2.5 cups of fruit
8 more oz of grains

I am going to have to go back and forth between how big a serving size is supposed to be and how much I have left to eat. Maybe all the measuring and figuring will keep me too busy to feel hungry?

These are useful tools for me except for the part where I'm trying to get recommendations for a plan to get to a healthy weight. I just keep getting this message:

The weight and height you entered in your Personal Profile page indicates that you need to consult a healthcare provider about weight loss strategies prior to starting a weight-reduction program. Overweight adults, who need to lose weight, should aim for a slow, steady weight loss by decreasing calorie intake while maintaining an adequate nutrient intake and increasing physical activity, thus improving their Body Mass Index (BMI). The BMI is a measure of body fat using the body weight relative to the height among adults age 19 and older. People at a healthy weight should strive to maintain their weight, and underweight individuals may need to increase their weight. Click here to see your BMI.

Um...thank you, I know, I've seen a doctor and discussed the strategies so let me get my recommendations already! I don't see a place to click...

The result summary of my 30 minute walk on the dreadmill:

Result Summary

Click directly on the numbers or word in the table for more detailed physical activity information.
Credited Minutes 0
Total Calories Expended from Physical Activity 137
Physical Activity Score (Out of 100) 0
Physical Activity Assessment Poor

Oh, thanks. That's a real drag. At this website, you don't get credited minutes for what they consider "light" exercise. Walking 2 mph is considered "light". I haven't gotten up the stamina yet to go faster. I think maybe I won't use this tool so much ... at least not until I can walk faster and be more encouraged with my assessment.