Gain 20 lbs.? No thanks!

Would you rather lose $1,000 or gain 20 pounds?

Tough choice, but more than half of Americans would rather lose the money. Women (63%) are more likely to say so than men (48%) in an online survey of 1,000 people ages 18 to 80, sponsored by the International Food Informational Council Foundation.

Heather Mangieri, a Pittsburgh sports dietitian, isn't surprised: Losing 20 pounds is gut-busting hard work. Weight loss is "a commitment that requires attention all day every day."

She offers these tips:

Know portion sizes.

A 3-ounce portion of meat, poultry or fish is about the size of a deck of cards; 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine, a standard postage stamp. A cup of cold cereal, berries or popcorn is the size of a baseball.

Pack single servings.

If you buy grocery items in bulk, transfer them to single-serving portions. That will decrease the temptation to eat right from the bag.

Get a move on.

If you have a desk job, set a timer to get up every 30 minutes. Work at home? Jump rope one to two minutes every half-hour.