My best friend recently started calorie counting.

She wanted to lose those extra pounds that were hanging on and thought that this was a quick and easy way to do it.

At first it was. But then when she got to a restaurant, she had no way of calculating the dish. And then on a busy day, she’d forget how many calories she’d already consumed. It wasn’t long before she became frustrated with the system.

Because she was really looking at the calories she was consuming, I thought I’d see how many calories were in the things I was eating. I had never looked at them before, but with a few stubborn pounds of my own, I started checking it out – what a shock to learn how just a teaspoon of honey is or a large salad. It was discouraging to say the least.

Now, as a restaurant reviewer, I can’t control a lot of what I eat, but I do try not to eat too much of it. So I try and really watch myself at home.

But I, like my best friend and most people I know who eat out, have the problem of portion control. Those restaurant platters they call “dishes” offer so much food that when we’re at home, I think we just mimic the same amounts.

The Adult Version Diet Plate, however, makes it incredibly easy. It is an illustrated plate that has been sectioned off into the amounts that you need of proteins, vegetables, grains, etc. You just put your food on the plate as illustrated and follow the pictures and lines. There is a female version - about 1350 calories per day, and the male version which allows for about 1500 a day.

Now it’s a little bit hard at first, but it does get easier. And be sure to get The Diet Plate Calibrated Breakfast Bowl as well. It shows you in colour-coded lines where your cereal falls (you can find that in the accompanying guide) and you just fill your cereal up to that colour line and then add milk. You’ll be amazed at the difference in what you probably are used to versus a “healthy portion”!

Now that spring is here, don't you want to lose those extra pounds just in time for capri and short skirt weather?

It’s not going to be easy, but if you follow the guidelines, these tools will help you in your weight loss goals.

Now if only I could bring them to the restaurants I’m going to….