Ask The Expert-PORTION VS SERVING SIZE-The biggest Trick to Lose Weight

Selecting the right foods also means choosing portions that are proper serving sizes. The terms "portion" and "serving" are often used interchangeably, but they don't mean the same thing.

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A "portion" is the amount of food you choose to eat for meals or snacks (like a plateful of pasta or a handful of raisins).Portion control is about knowing the correct measures or serving sizes as per calorie counts and fat content for different  foods and beverages. A must for losing weight in a healthy way, portion control is something which stands right in the middle of excess calorie intake and not eating enough. Portions of food can be measured keeping in mind a point of reference. For instance, the right portion serving for one pasta meal is what you can hold in your fist (uncooked of course!)
In comparison a "serving" is the amount of food that experts recommend you eat (like 1 cup of milk or 1 ounce of bread). Servings are listed on a food's nutrition facts label too.
Grains: Aim for 6-11 servings each day. Choose whole grains whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Bread	1 ounce (1 small slice, 1/2 bagel, 1/2 bun)	Index card
Cooked Grains	1/2 cup cooked oats, rice, pasta	Billiard ball
Dry cereal	1/2 cup flakes, puffed rice, shredded wheat	Billiard ball

Fruits and Vegetables: Aim 5-9 total servings each day. Choose fresh fruits and veggies whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Raw fruit	1/2 cup raw, canned, frozen fruit	Billiard ball
Dried fruit	1/4 cup raisins, prunes, apricots	An egg
Juice	6 oz 100% fruit or vegetable juice	Hockey puck
Raw vegetables	1 cup leafy greens, baby carrots	Baseball
Cooked vegetables	1/2 cup cooked broccoli, potatoes	Billiard ball

Meat and Beans: Aim for 2-3 servings each day. Choose lean meats and plant proteins whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Meat & Tofu	2-3 oz cooked beef, poultry, fish, tofu	Deck of cards
Beans	1/2 cup cooked beans, split peas, legumes	Billiard ball
Nuts & Seeds	2 Tbsp nuts, seeds, or nut butters	Ping pong ball

Dairy: Aim for 2-3 servings of calcium-rich foods each day. Choose low- or non-fat products whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Cheese	1 ounce or 1 thin slice of cheese	A pair of dice
Milk	1 cup milk, yogurt, soy milk	Baseball

Fats & Oils: Eat fats and oils sparingly and in small portions. Choose heart-healthy fats whenever possible.

Examples	One serving equals	That's about the size of
Fat & Oil	1 tsp butter, margarine, oil	One die

Sounds pretty meagre when you compare it to how much you eat routinely, doesn't it? Well portion sizes are meant to serve as handy measures of how much of what you're putting into your body. Therefore, drawing from the above list, if you eat half a cup of cooked pasta, with one chicken breast, half cup mashed potatoes and half cup cooked vegetables, then you are eating a healthy meal made up of smart portions.2. Don’t fill your plate completely: Try and eat in small portion sizes. If you still feel hungry, go for seconds, or need be third helpings. But overfilling your plate and then eating everything which is kept in front of you is not a good idea when you are planning to lose weight.
Go for smaller dishes: The smaller your dishes, the faster you can fight that weighing scale. Use small cuttlery as this will help you take smaller bites and chew your food properly and relish your meal to the core.
 When eating... just eat! It is not a healthy habit to multitask – watch TV, help your kid with homework, reply to pending mails while you eat. Sit and relax for at least one meal in the day with your family. 
Why drinking water is important: Often we confuse thirst with hunger and thus end up eating more food when we probably just needed some water, so with proper water intake, we can manage hunger better. An extra tip - drink a glass or two of water before you start your meals. This will make you feel fuller and help you eat lesser at the table, thus contributing to fat loss indirectly.

 USDA recommended serving sizes) smart serving sizes for some foods are as follows: 

• 1 slice of whole-grain bread
• 1/2 cup of cooked rice or pasta
• 1/2 cup of mashed potatoes
• 3-4 to four small crackers
• 1 small pancake or waffle
• 1 medium-sized cookies
• 1/2 cup cooked vegetables
• 1 cup (four leaves) lettuce
• 1 small baked potato
• 3/4 cup vegetable juice
• 1 medium apple
• 1/2 grapefruit or mango
• 1/2 cup berries
• 1 cup yogurt or milk
• 1 1/2 ounces of cheddar cheese
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 medium pork chop
• 1/4 pound hamburger patty