Food Journal & Portion Sizes

It is a good idea to keep track of what you are eating, drinking, and how much exercise you are getting. There is a huge variety of apps that you can download for free. These apps will help you keep track of all calories consumed, give you ideas for what to eat, help with meal planning, track your exercise, and keep track of how much water and fluids you are consuming.

Most of them are free, but you can upgrade to an app with more options for a small fee. The simple free ones usually work just fine. They have nutrition information on over 5 million different types of foods. They are specifically geared towards bariatric patients and helping you live a healthier lifestyle.
 
You can even track and see where you may need to make some changes and put in any allergies or intolerances you may have. Simply go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to search and download. If you prefer to actually write down your daily nutritional and exercise data, you can download a free food journal as well as 1000’s of bariatric recipes on Pinterest.
Apps can help you do the following:
  • Keep track of meals and snacks
  • Keep track of portion sizes
  • Keep track of overall calories
  • Keep track of water intake
  • Help you set weight loss goals
  • Keep track of times when you snack because you are bored
  • Keep track of hunger levels before and after meals
  • Keep track of emotional situations and what food choices you made during those times
  • See a pattern when you experience a stall

Basic Guidelines for Portion Sizes

You can purchase bariatric plates on Amazon or Bariatric Pal to help with portion sizes. Each meal should typically be ½ vegetables, ¼ starch, and ¼ protein.

Equivalent portions sizes:

• 1 cup = baseball
• ½ cup = lightbulb
• 1 tbsp = poker chip
• 1 slice of bread = cassette tape
• 1 oz or 2 tbsp = golf ball
• 3 oz chicken or meat = deck of cards
• 1 oz lunch meat = compact disc
• 1½ oz cheese = 3 dice
• 1 pancake = compact disc
• ½ cup of cooked rice = lightbulb
• ½ cup cooked pasta = lightbulb
• 1 bagel = 6 oz can of tuna
• 3 cups popcorn = 3 baseballs
• 1½ oz cheese = 3 stacked dice
• 1 cup yogurt = baseball
• ½ cup frozen yogurt = lightbulb
• ½ cup ice cream = lightbulb
• 1 tbsp butter or spread = poker chip
• 1 tbsp salad dressing = poker chip
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise = poker chip
• 1 tbsp oil = poker chip
• 1 medium fruit = baseball
• ½ cup grapes = about 16 grapes
• 1 cup strawberries = about 12 strawberries
• 1 cup of salad greens = baseball
• 1 cup carrots = about 12 baby carrots
• 1 cup cooked vegetables = baseball
• 1 baked potato = computer mouse
• 3 oz lean meat or poultry = deck of cards
• 3 oz tofu = deck of cards
• 2 tbsp peanut butter = golf ball
• 2 tbsp hummus = golf ball
• ¼ cup almonds = 23 almonds
• ¼ cup pistachios = 24 pistachio

Health Disclaimer: This website provides information about health and related subjects. The information provided on this site, or in any linked materials, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitue for receiving direct professional medical expertise and / or treatment. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or emergency services immediately. 

Recipe & Food Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any outcome of any recipe you try from the website. Take care when using cookware including knives and other sharp or hot objects. Review all ingredients prior to ingesting to ensure you are not allergic to anything in the recipes. We do not provide any assurances or accept liability in regards to quality, nutritional value or safety when using the recipes provided on this site. 

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