Emily, as one who lost 40 pounds over the course of a year, I've got a couple of suggestions for you. 1. Eat breakfast, always, and be sure it includes a healthy portion of protein. 2. You can eat anything you want, as long as you do it in moderation. Half a cupcake or cookie will generally satisfy that urge for a sweet. A small scoop of potato salad will do you. 3. If you're a junk food junkie, like I am, don't keep it in the house. 4. Stop eating fast food; a takeout burger and fries will run you close to 1,000 calories. 5. Indulge occasionally. I refused to give up cream in my coffee, and I'd occasionally let myself splurge on something high-fat that I'd usually avoid. Good luck!

Thanks everyone! I didn't realize how cheap the scales were. Just purchased one off of amazon. You guys are right, if I want to be serious, I should grab the scale. Now I Just need to find a place to store it in my teeny kitchen. If anyone is interested, I grabbed the diet book Cinch! I'm usually very hesitant about diets because I love to cook (and eat) but the ones in this book seem really great and favorable. I'm actually excited to start using them.

Hit "submit" too soon. Anyway, it's four ounces before cooking, so I figure it's in the area of 3 to 3.5 ounces after cooking.

Think McDonald's Quarter Pounder.

It's a lot smaller than you think - depending on the chicken, could be 1/2 breast or about the size of a post-it note. A scale is the way to go.

I agree--fists vary! I have heard that 4 oz of protein (meat, chicken, fish) is about the size of a deck of playing cards. You could also eyeball things in the grocery store which are labeled for weight to get an idea, or ask the butcher or deli person to show you next time you're there. Good luck on your diet!

I would buy a scale. We got a small digit scale for around five years ago to measure coffee for grinding for the mornings brew. But I use it for other cooking almost daily. Especially when baking.

But without a scale I have used the fist measurement for meats and it gets you in the ballpark. Of course I am only 5' 2" so my fist is on the small side.

Oh and one more point, a food scale is great for baking too. Measuring ingredients by weight is the most accurate.

Good luck with your weight loss journey!

They say a serving of protein/meat is the size of a deck of cards, but truthfully, a scale is the way to go, if you are really serious about counting calories. Some models are under $20. I paid $25 on Amazon, and it's been very helpful.