The Portion Teller: Smartsize Your Way to Permanent Weight Loss (Hardcover)

by Lisa R. Young (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Nutrition consultant Young says it's not so much what we eat but how much we eat that has caused the collective ballooning of Americans. While conducting research on portion sizes, the NYU faculty member (who appeared in the film Super Size Me) discovered that many of the packaged foods we buy today may be as much as five times larger than they were when originally introduced into the marketplace. She presents a simple plan to help readers "smartsize"; it involves portion size awareness and knowledge of the difference between portions and serving sizes. (A bagel, for instance, may be one portion, but delivers five grain servings and the caloric equivalent of five slices of bread.) With an innovative chart that links foods and portions visually (e.g., three ounces of meat—a sensible portion—is represented by a deck of cards or the palm of a hand), Young helps readers estimate reasonable portion sizes; she also provides tips for scaling down the jumbo sizes often offered in restaurants. Young offers a practical, long-term solution for losing weight while eating healthfully, likely to appeal to readers fed up with diet crazes. (June)
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Review
“The Portion Teller gives you a fresh approach to managing weight—one that makes perfect sense. Lisa Young’s The Portion Teller is an invaluable resource.
—Marion Nestle, PhD, MPH
Paulette Goddard Professor, New York University --This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Broadway; 1 edition (May 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0767920686
• ISBN-13: 978-0767920681
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #376,980 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent job Explaining Portion Sizes, March 7, 2006

By	Dr Adam Weiss "author, The AbSmart Fitness Pl... (Buffalo Grove,IL.) - See all my reviews

The book does an excellent job of explaining portion sizes and what is a normal size meal. Will help anyone trying to drop a few pounds, or maintain her or his body weight they are at now. Good rules to follow for feeding childern-teach them at an early age what is normal proportions and they will have less problems later in life and prevent them from " super sizing" everything in site. Highly recommended.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You can have your cake and eat it too!, July 11, 2005

By	Gina Galang (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a terrific book. Dr. Young offers a realistic lifelong plan for permanent weight loss, as opposed to some passing fad. In her book, she presents user-friendly visuals to help estimate serving sizes, and activities to get readers engaged. Her success stories about real-life clients she has counseled are touching and very motivational to me as a dieter constantly searching for the perfect and easy diet. This book is practical and does not restrict any foods at all. In fact, I am encouraged to eat my favorite foods!

And, what I liked the most about The Portion Teller is that Young provides readers with the tools to personalize the plan to fit individual needs. "One size does not fit all," and in order for a diet plan to be successful, it needs to be realistic and individualized. Young's program does just that!! She has lots of experience to present her case, and the timelines and portion shockers displaying how portions have grown are mind blowing. This book is a must read for anyone concerned about food and weight.

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical guide to portion control, September 12, 2005

By	Aussie Kelly "skeptical cook" (Texas) - See all my reviews

Although I ate good meals, portions were always a struggle for me. I found myself eating a portion as big as my husband and he is a foot taler than I am and nearly a third bigger!. No wonder I was putting on weight. The book inidcates how portions have been growing and that most of us just eat what is in front of us.

It gives practical solutions to managing portion control, by understanding what a serving is compared to a portion. What a serving actually equates to and how to choose realistic portions. Thus not being deprived of anything we like, but still being able to lose weight. It's not a diet, but a way to retrain yourself to eat.