I am so excited to be doing a review of Measure Up Bowls!!! For someone who has a terrible time figuring out what a portion size *really* is, these are the answer.

Before I give my review, here is a description straight from the Measure Up Bowl website.

"The Measure Up Bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe porcelain portion bowls that are a great healthy lifestyle tool. They TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF CALORIE COUNTING. The Measure Up Bowls can help you lose weight more quickly and easily - but here is the difference. The Measure Up Bowls are designed to help you keep the weight off. They are designed with the intent of permanently changing your lifestyle habits- not to just be another quick fix.

Many diets give you special food PORTIONED OUT. What happens after you reach your goal? Many times individuals go back to their previous lifestyle, and without all the work done for them, gain back the weight.

The Measure Up Bowls are a solution to portion control at every meal. The Classic is for soups, pastas, rice, cereal, chili, anything you eat out of a bowl. The pre-measured portions on the classic are 1/2 cup to 2 cups. The small Measure Up Bowl is perfect for high fat, calorie dense foods such as chips, ice cream, nuts, and granola. These foods should be enjoyed in a smaller serving size. The pre-measured markings on the interior of the small Measure Up Bowl are 1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, and 3/4 of a cup.

How does it work? Look at the serving size of the food you would like to enjoy, measure up to the appropriate line in your Measure Up Bowl, and enjoy! When you are done, just place your Measure Up Bowl in the dishwasher. Quick, easy, convenient portion control in a bowl."

Fantastic idea, no? Well, now that you know what they are, here is my take on them.
(I apologize for the blurriness of this photo...my camera is playing tricks on me.) Anyway, I love the packaging. The red color on the box really catches your eye, and I love how it tells you right on the outside what kind of bowl(s) are inside. Also, since it has a picture of the bowls right on the front, you can see exactly what you're getting before even opening the box.
I also love how well they package the bowls in the box. I hope you can tell by this picture, but they were completely snug in bubble wrap with a separator between them so the bowls wouldn't scratch. (There was also a piece of bubble wrap in the center of the smaller bowl, but I took it out so you could see the bowls better in the picture.)
And here they are! Out of the box and ready to go. I don't know if you can see the markings from this picture, but each measurement is actually carved into the side of the bowl so you don't have to worry about ink chipping off and leaving you with no measurements.

In a nutshell

Pros:

• Very sturdy
• Markings are carved into the bowl/no ink potentially peeling off
• Two different sizes available
• The larger bowl has 4 measurements (1/2 cup, 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups, 2 cups)
  
• The smaller bowl has 3 measurements (1/4 cup, 1/2 cup, and 3/4 cup)
• Bowls are microwave and dishwasher safe
• Can buy each size bowl separately or save and get both.
  

Cons:

• Only one choice of color
• Made of ceramic (breakable)

Cost: Classic Size $19.99 + shipping
          Small Size $13.99 + shipping
          Both Sizes $29.99 + shipping ($$$ out of $$$$$)

Final Score: 9/10

Now, a little bit about the company. Heather Harvey, the woman who invented the Measure Up Bowl, was frustrated with trying to lose weight. She had tried so many diets, but realized that she really needed a lifestyle change. She wanted to get fit, so she joined a gym and hired a trainer/nutrition coach. She learned that even though what you eat is very important, it's how much you eat that really counts. For example, 3500 calories equals 1 pound. (So by creating a calorie deficit of 3500, you've now lost 1 pound.) The trainer also encouraged journaling her eating habits so she would know exactly what and how much she was eating. Heather then realized that it would be *so* much easier to figure out how much she was eating if her bowls actually told her. It would save a step if she could just pour cereal (or fruit, or granola, or even chocolate chips) into a bowl without needing to measure it in another device first. She couldn't find a product like this anywhere, so she decided to create it for herself. And voilà, the Measure Up Bowl was born! She lost 80lbs in 11 months and has kept the weight off for over two years. And in addition to the two Measure Up Bowls that I reviewed, she also has a Measure Up Journal which helps you keep track of everything you eat and measures up the calories, fat, protein and carbs so that you can lose weight. It's a fantastic companion to the Measure Up Bowls! She's also in the process of creating a Measure Up Bowl for kids which is made of plastic.

I highly recommend this company and this product, so go get yourself a set today!

We were sent both sizes of Measure Up Bowls free of charge for the sole purpose of this review; no other compensation was received. All opinions expressed are my own.