It took me a year and a half to lost 25 pounds and my clothing size dropped from a 12 to an eight. Keeping a healthy weight was harder than losing weight. Most of the time I make good food choices, but I can get off track at restaurants, wedding receptions, and other social events.

After doing some research on weight loss I realized it comes down to what's on my plate. Amy Norton, in her Reuters article, "Cutting Calories, Portion Sizes May Really Work," says portion size can play a vital role in the number of calories we eat. "If there's more food on the plate, more goes in the stomach," she explains.

So I developed a system for making healthy food choices. Before I eat anything I ask myself, "Do I want a portion or a serving?" A portion is the amount of food I choose to eat, such as a large Chicken-Caesar salad. A serving is a measured amount of food - a cup, four ounces, one piece - based on nutritional information.

The answer to my portion or serving question depends on the answers to other questions.

WHICH MEAL IS IT? Breakfast is my start-up fuel for the day and I try to eat healthy. According to "Harvard Men's Health Watch," research findings suggest that breakfast eaters are leaner than those who skip breakfast. We have to make wise decisions, Harvard says, and eat high-fiber cereals, low sugar or non-sugar cereals, nonfat milk, whole grain breads, soft margarine, and an occasional egg. I always eat two fruits for breakfast.

AM I REALLY HUNGRY? Humans eat for many reasons: hunger, family pressure (Aunt Edith's famous dougnuts), social pressure (everyone else is eating), anxiety, boredom, and distraction. "Weight-Loss Help: How to Stop Emotional Eating," an article on MayoClinic.com, notes that many of us turn to food for comfort. Emotional eating can sabotage weight loss, Mayo continues, so "you need to learn to recognize true hunger." I have learned to do this.

WHAT ELSE HAVE I HAD? If I've already had three balanced meals and healthy snacks I don't need popcorn and soda pop at the movies. Though I don't keep a food diary, I keep a list of what I've eaten in my head. I don't snack before bedtime because I don't need the calories and would have a poor night's sleep.

IS IT A FAVORITE FOOD? I'm a noodle nut and love pasta in all forms. So I have to be careful when I eat Italian food. Most restaurants serve huge portions of pasta. I estimate the serving size and usually eat a third or less. Ice cream is another one of my favorite foods and eat a particular brand that is fatfree and sugar-free.

WHERE IS THE FOOD ON THE PYRAMID? I follow the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid and plan meals around it. The meals I fix for my husband and I follow the pyramid guidelines pretty well. But I'm not always able to get quality produce in the winter. (I live in Minnesota.) Often I have to go to several stores to get vegetables and fruits, but our health is worth it.

IS THIS A CALORIE DENSE FOOD? The idea that eating too much fat makes you fat is false, according to the American Diabetes Association. Weight gain comes from eating too much food and too many calories. The association says "fat has more than twice as many calories as carbohydrates or protein." I eat calorie-dense foods, but small servings of them, and have cut my protein intake by two thirds.

After working hard to lose weight I'm not going to blow it by gaining the weight back. The National Institutes of Health, in a publication titled "Embrace Your Health," recommends smaller amounts of food, ONE serving of high-calorie foods, eating lower fat foods and lower calorie foods. I try to follow these recommendations.

Deciding between a portion and a serving took practice, but I've learned to do it in seconds. I'm very aware of how I "spend" my calories. Though I sometimes eat large portions, most of the time I eat normal servings. I walk 10,000 steps a day and have maintained a healthy weight. Asking the question, "Do I want a portion or a serving?" may help you to keep a healthy weight, too.

Copyright 2006 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 27 years. Her recent work focuses on health and wellness and she is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com A five-star review of the book is also posted on Amazon.