Be A Party Boss

Socialize Smart with Weight Watcher's tips for estimating portions away from home!

During the second week of July we discussed attending parties and the like in the meeting room. Because let's face it, it's that time of year. We're all heading to BBQ s more often than ever! For me mid July is the biggest. My boys have birthdays one month apart so we do one big family barbecue for them and they each get a cake. So lots of tasty food followed by my favorite cake!  In prior years I just ate until I could explode and chalked it up to a once a year experience. This year I was more mindful when it came to my eating. My original plan was to go easy on the food and save cake for the next day - as the party was Saturday afternoon and my weigh in day is Sunday morning. Instead I went for plan b. I ate in moderation and had some cake. The scale wasn't in my favor, but I'm also sure that it could have been much worse. On Sunday I ate my heart out and finished that cake (like it was my job). Little did I know that eating all that cake would throw me into a nice gallbladder attack that night, that followed with my surgery! (But that was found to happen again anyway).

In the meeting room we discussed portion sizes and being able to eyeball them when you're out an about because unless you're in that small percentage of WW folks that are carrying their measuring tools with them, you've got to make your best guess for portion size. If you're like me, you're horrible at this. I know my portion sizes are horribly off!  So what WW Weekly and my leader suggest are practice measuring at home using visual tools. One that you never leave home without is your own hand! But other objects can work well as a visual too, such as a deck of cards or computer mouse. These are great stand-ins for measuring tools. Upside is if you do it often enough you'll develop a good portion eye!

The Weight Watchers Weekly on this topic offered a quiz that tests your PQ (portion quotient)-

1. Carrots and ranch dip are your picnic go to. How can you keep track of your dipping?
A. 1 Fingertip = 1 tsp
B. 1 Finger = 1 tsp
C. It couldn't have been more than a tablespoon right?

Answer- A. A teaspoon is roughly the size of your index fingertip to first knuckle. Keep track by spooning your portion to a plate and dipping from there.

2.  Dry rub chicken breasts. How big is a 3oz serving?
A. Two fingers
B. Your palm
C. Half an 8inch paper plate

Answer B

3. The party cocktail has vodka and tequila plus grapefruit juice. For a 12oz plastic cup that's 2/3 full you estimate-
A. 1 fl oz of alcohol, 8 fl oz juice
B. 2 fl oz of alcohol, 10 fl oz of juice
C. 3 fl oz of alcohol, 5 fl oz of juice

Answer C - Alcohol is usually measured by shot -1.5 fl oz - so assume two shots! A strong drink, you could alternate with club soda!

4.  Ice cream night!! How big is a half cup scoop?
A. About half the size of your fist
B. Golf ball size
C. A "small" cup at the ice cream shop

Answer A - "Small" can be wildly different sizes!

The ice cream one gets me every time. I use Fun-house glasses that make things way smaller when it comes to that!!

One of the last take-sways from the Weight Watchers Weekly was tips to "Beat the Buffet". This really applies well to those summer BBQ s that we're all heading to, those all day parties with food everywhere. These are some strategies from WW to help you avoid the mindless graze!

  • Create a game plan to use a set amount of Smartpoints values or calories per hour or so, after you've had your main meal.
  • Stay busy! Play Frisbee, offer to make an ice cream run or help the host by cleaning up abandoned cups and plates.
  • Be realistic. Those chips have been sitting out for hours-How good are they really going to taste? Ditto on that whipped cream topped pie, no longer hot - hot wings and the mayo based salads.

Hope these tips help you. I know I'm going to work on my portion size measurements while I'm on the go for proper tracking. No matter if I'm using the Weight Watchers app or another to track my calories it will help me get a more accurate picture of what I'm tracking and eating if I do this.

If you have suggestions on what you do to say on track or accountable while your out and about I would love to hear them! Share them here or on my social media!

Source: Weight Watchers Weekly July 9-15,2017

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