Bonnie: Almost as sure as death and taxes is making a New Year’s resolution to lose weight (or at least to lose what you put on over the holidays). These new bowls make that so much easier, with pre-measured portions subtly etched into the interior of each white porcelain bowl. Measure Up Bowl provides a gentle reminder of how much food you’re eating, and should teach you to eyeball portion sizes at other times. I find them a realistic weight-loss tool.
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I tripped over them at an exhibit in New York City last year, and thought how attractive and subtle the Measure Up Bowl was as a teaching gadget. Another company — Slimware — offers melamine plates that also help you become portion conscious, as each plate has designated food-placement areas that correspond to recommended food portions. I’m neither wild about Slimware’s designs nor dining on plastic – unless at a picnic.

What’s special about both of these is that instead of counting calories or weighing your food, you eyeball your portions. Once you actually see what 1/2 cup of rice or potatoes looks like, you begin to realize how much you are overeating.

I’m putting on my registered dietitian hat for a moment to recommend these bowls highly to anyone who wants to lose weight and keep it off by having a simple reminder to limit food portions. Now that’s calorie control.

And since I’m giving weight-loss advice, I must add one more tip: Be sure to make exercise (or movement) part of your lifestyle.

Bryan: Oh the holidays! Tis the season to get fatter, tra-la-la-la-la la-la la la….

If weight-conscious people are aware of anything, it’s about how the festive season can do some damage to their waistlines! Indulgence is one thing, over-indulgence something completely different.

It all begins at Thanksgiving, the fattiest of holidays! Thanksgiving is a day that is literally built around over-eating. It’s one of the few times that you might be scorned for not getting a second (or third!) helping. Turkey, stuffing, trimmings… there is no room for error here, and counting calories is simply out of the question. But that’s only one day, right? Well, here comes December! Candy canes, chopped liver… it doesn’t matter your religious persuasions: The holidays are full of FAT! And nobody wants to be Grinchy, so we all partake: We party, we over-party and we over-partake!

So, now what? You’re health conscious but holiday fallible, and here comes the new year! Time for a change, time for a resolution, time for portion control… if not just for the next 330-days. Time for Measure Up Bowls.

This is simple, and I’m a huge fan. I’ve been preaching “everything in moderation” for years. There is no secret to weight loss, there’s no secret to a healthy body size. It’s all about portion control, not over-filling the tank, so to speak. Well, how are you supposed to know if you’re filling up without proper measurement. So, how about measuring your next meal? Sounds too difficult, you say? Well, Weight Watchers counts points, so why not just make it easier and count portions? Measure Up Bowl allows for exactly that type of control.

Forget exercising. Just exercise some control, portion control, by keeping an eye on your serving size. Sound easy? It is! So do it… and let Measure Up help!

The Classic Measure Up Bowl is great for measuring any food; cereals, fruits, soups, chilis, pastas, rice, salads… anything you can fit in a bowl! Porcelain construction makes these unique serving dishes compatible with almost any kitchen set. They’re microwave and dishwasher safe. Get to it!

Eric: For years I have been crossing my fingers in hope that a combination of intelligent design and simplicity would one day help alleviate concern over portion control in the home kitchen. I’m guessing that for the majority of people, portion control seems as dated as the eight-track tape – especially considering that a large percentage of the American population depends on restaurants and to-go food as its main source of nutrition.

I would be curious about the response if I were to challenge the average consumer to show me what a single portion size of pasta or meat should look like. I imagine most people feel as though they can eat whatever and how much they’d like, as long as they’re also investing time to work out – and that may be true, depending on the intensity of the workout. But the reality is that if you focus on eating portion-controlled smaller meals throughout the day, you’ll be in the same slim boat as that marathon runner (well, maybe a little chunkier).

Back to the result for intelligent design and simplicity: The Measure Up Bowl. This bowl is all you need for moving forward with your weight-loss resolutions, or for curbing your over-indulgence in certain treats (ice cream, yogurt, etc). The simple design helps you to visualize what a well-balanced portion of food should be. Just don’t be in shock when you realize how much we, as consumers, generally overeat.