Date: December 2002. Place: East Maryland Animal Hospital. Event: Lindsay and Wilson’s veterinary checkup.

Taking my cats to the vet is usually a pleasure. Like a proud parent, I bask in the praise of how beautiful and healthy they are. But this time was different. After giving them otherwise clean bills of health, the vet commented, “They’re a little heavier this year.” What? How could that be? “These are two VERY active indoor cats,” I explained, as Wilson jumped from the exam table into the sink. “They’re too young to face the declining metabolism of middle age,” I continued. “And, just as in years past, each of them eats only one scoop of food, twice a day.” But the scales didn’t lie. Both had gained about a pound in 2002.

In this case, the culprit was easy to find. Watching my husband feed them dinner that night, I observed that his idea of a scoop had evolved to a “heaping” scoop, while my scoops had remained “level.” This amounted to a difference of about 1/3 of an entire serving of dry food. No wonder they had grown to like him better! So, much to the cats’ disappointment, we agreed that 2003 would be the year of “level scoops.” Although the official weigh-in is a week away (at this writing), I can proudly report that Lindsay has more spring in her step and Wilson has lost his love handles.

This experience really brought home the concept of portion control. In the age of super-size, it is essential to be mindful of how much we’re eating. Heaping scoops will sneak up on you, disguised as “normal” portions. But by watching your intake, you can still enjoy your favorite foods and maintain a healthy weight.

If weight loss is your goal, consider these strategies as well:

Keep a food journal: Start the first week of your weight-reduction program by eating as you ordinarily do. But here’s the catch: write down each and every food or beverage that you consume. Also include the time of consumption, as well as any physical activity. Be as accurate as possible with portions, such as: 8:00 a.m.: 2 cups of Wheaties, 8 oz. lowfat milk, 1 medium banana, 1 16-oz. mug of coffee with 1 sugar packet. Congratulate yourself for exercising discipline on the good days, and for exercising honesty on the bad days. Your body is already going to hold you accountable if your intake exceeds its needs. By keeping a genuine record of your eating habits, your mind will hold you accountable too.

Be aware: Your journal is not just a confessional. It’s a resource. After the first week, take a look at your patterns, habits, and overall intake. Do you tend to eat more at night or in the morning? Do you nibble frequently on office candy? Does stress cause you to eat more or less? If you exercise, are you timing your meals and snacks so that you have the energy you need to complete your workout?

Do the math: A pound of body fat equals 3500 calories. So, you can decrease your intake by 500 calories daily, and after 7 days, you can lose a pound. Or, you can decrease your intake by a few hundred calories daily, and increase your level of physical activity and reap similar rewards. To lose weight safely and keep it off, it is not recommended that you lose more than 1 to 11â?„2 pounds per week.

Plan your strategy: Now that you have examined your habits, find a way to decrease your intake and increase your physical activity in a way that creates a caloric deficit without feeling like you are depriving yourself. How about nonfat milk instead of lowfat? 11â?„2 cups of cereal instead of 2 cups? Eating only five of the fries that accompanied your sandwich or burger? Two cookies after dinner instead of four? Just like Lindsay and Wilson’s level-scoop success story, you can make meaningful progress toward your weight management goals by modestly adjusting your intake. And, because you’re still enjoying a wide variety of foods, you’re more likely to stick to your plan.

Adding exercise seals the deal, by burning extra calories and speeding up your metabolism. If you’re currently not exercising at all, try a 30-minute walk four or five days per week. And if you already exercise but still want to lose weight, increase the frequency, intensity, or duration of your current program – walk for 45 minutes instead of 30, walk for 15 minutes and run for 15 minutes, or walk every day instead of just weekdays. You might also consider varying your program to involve different motions and muscle groups to alleviate boredom, work the entire body, and reduce the potential for injury.

Sometimes we look at our pets with envy, wishing that human life could be that simple. But in some respects, it actually is. Just keep up that activity level, eat healthy foods, and watch those scoops!!!

Published in January 2004 Arizona Women Lawyers Association, Perspectives.