How to get used to smaller portions?
Woodsmoke
Posts: 360 Member
I have had large portions all my life, from my parents' cooking (they weren't 'over' feeding me, since I was never overweight when I was a child), to my own culinary expeditions.
I just can't get used to smaller portions! Even filling up on veg doesn't seem to work when what I want is more pasta and meat.
I bought myself a smaller plate to try and make my dinners seem bigger...
It doesn't seem to be working. Help?
I just can't get used to smaller portions! Even filling up on veg doesn't seem to work when what I want is more pasta and meat.
I bought myself a smaller plate to try and make my dinners seem bigger...
It doesn't seem to be working. Help?
0
Replies
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I takes a little time. Hang in there. How much are you eating?0
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Portion size is my major problem too. It takes some getting used to. I tried the smaller plate routine but I just ended up staking it taller.:laugh: I finally told myself to get into it gradually. I put the proper potion size on the plate and tell myself that if I am still actually hungry after that portion I can come back for seconds. I have learned to chew my food longer and to put down my fork between mouthfuls. I now enjoy my food more. It still took some getting used to.0
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Do you have a pet? Try making your normal meal but leaving some on your plate and feeding it too your dog...Assuming its ok for them to eat. Or throwing it out. I used to give my dog leftover chicken or steak or spagettie. It helps you look at the excess you don't need and eventually you will start cooking smaller meals and not even thinking about what you are missing because your looking at it as excess. Eat till you aren't hungry, stop, throw the rest away. Rinse and repeat until your mind is comfortable and then make smaller meals.0
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It has taken me a long time to get used to it.. Give it several months.... Stick to it,,,,0
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dont eat smaller portions
eat what you want
stay under cals
exercise it off0 -
The only thing that has helped me with portion control has been an appetite suppressant.0
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Don't eat in front of the TV. Take your time when you eat your food, chew everything nice and slowly. It takes your stomach a while to tell your brain that you're full. That's why you need to pay attention when you're eating. If you sit in front of the TV while eating and don't concentrate, you can eat a massive plate of food without thinking about it, before your stomach can tell your brain that you've eaten enough. I hope that makes sense. Drinking plenty of water with your meal helps too.0
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Try making lower calorie foods so you can have a larger portion
If I make a pasta, I put a LOT of veggies in it so that it seems like I'm still eating a lot, but it's healthier. I do lean meats like chicken and turkey so I can have a bigger piece, and then I cut my meat into small chunks so it seems like there may be more on the plate, and I add mushrooms, unions, zucchini etc to it 0 -
Buy a smaller plate!!! It may sound silly, but it works.
I eat till I'm full. I don't focus on the amount of food I am consuming, but on the satiety level. If you eliminate junk and eat highly nutritious foods, you will end up eating half of what you eat now and constantly feel satisfied. I recommend that you read: IT STARTS WITH FOOD. Good luck.0 -
Try to stay slightly hungry throughout the day. Try to not eat until you're bloated. Know which days you are able to exercise and eat more.0
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Everything must start from your head..!! eheheh However I do suggest salad and a toast (2slices bread, 1 slice ham and 1 cheese) at the end. The dry toast fall down heavy into the stomach and makes you feel satisfied.. At least it works for me.0
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Okay.. so first off, I am not crazy. LOL! I recently started doing something because a girl at work lost 50lbs and I asked her what she was doing. I work in a kitchen and find myself eating little bits all the time, as well as keeping up portion wise with the guys I work with. It was getting out of control.
I downloaded an app for my phone... weightloss hypnosis. It sounds crazy. I feel crazy saying it, but after the first session I found myself eating slower, eating less and not eating anything between meals ( even if I am hungry while cooking!!!). I used to go to Bob Evans and get eggs, potatoes, meat, pancakes with topping and I still felt hungry. The last time I went there, I got 2 eggs and an order of toast. I didn't even finish it!
There are quite a few free apps and if you don't have a smartphone, you can find stuff on youtube. I figured it was worth a shot. It has been 2 weeks and I have lost 5lbs. So I am going to keep with it. Sometimes the most unconventional things will help.0 -
Portion size is really controlled with cups (8oz) and a food scale. I suggest, 2 cups of fruit and/or veggies at every meal along with 4-5 oz of beef, chicken, pork or fish. Have 2 snacks that are a cup each. That should be your day. If you want to have other stuff, you will find it hard to learn portion control.0
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Has to be habitual. Usually about 21 days of consistent reduced portions is normal. If you pile it on over that time though, you break the consistency and have to start over again. Be determined. It can be done. If someone held a gun to your head and said that's what you had to do to save your life, then you will do it. Unfortunately in reality it really is about your life.
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
First, be sure you are actually serving yourself enough calories for your age and activity level. Maybe you do need more! Plan to lose weight slowly, not from severe calorie deficit.
Second, some people (like me) have a problem with sugars and carbs. If I get any sugar, it makes me feel ravenously hungry! Same for too many carbs. I learned this by accident, when I had to eliminate sugar for health reasons. After a month, I felt MUCH better, with fewer cravings, and less hunger! So consider eliminating all refined sugar (I even read the ingredients in everything I buy). You would probably be amazed at how much sugar is in "healthy" yogurt! And it is hard to find a tomato sauce with no sugar, for instance, but it can be done. It is also almost impossible to find bread with no sugar, but I got around this by simply eliminating bread, except as a rare treat. The reason is that whole wheat turns to glucose rapidly in your body, and white flour is very bad, too. So for me to get my sugar-induced hunger under control, I had to eliminate it. If you feel you absolutely MUST have sweetener, try something like agave nectar, which is very low on the glycemic index. It doesn't spike my false hunger.
Getting rid of all sugar is tough in our society. But even obvious sources, like candy bars, are difficult to ignore forever. There are some chocolate bars at health food stores that are sweetened with agave nectar, like Righteously Raw Divine Mints and Lulu's Chocolates and Two Moms in the Raw brands. Also, you could get some powdered 100% organic cacao, and stir it into a cup of hot water, then sweeten it with agave nectar. It makes a decent hot chocolate that some think is actually good for you! n But you might want to wait until you have been off sugar for awhile -- this might seem bitter if you are used to regular chocolates!
Third, drink a healthy, unsweetened tea between meals. I prefer green tea, for it's health benefits, but there are many good teas out there. You might like peppermint tea, for instance.
Fourth, if you are sure you have had adequate calories and nutrition, drink some water and get busy with something to distract yourself!
You are on the right path to be filling up on vegetables. I snack on carrots all day long!
By the way, I am 57 years old, I was heavy all my life, and in the last nearly two years, I have lost 185 pounds. You can do it!0 -
Put your fork down between each bite. Chew completely before picking it back up again and take a sip of water before taking another bite. Chew at least 10-15 times. It'll help to make it seem like you're eating more. And you'll really get to taste and savor your food.0
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Drink lots of water, it helps you feel fuller. 2 glasses with each meal is normal for me.0
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It is hard to get used to, but when you begin to see results from weight loss, it gets easier.
Try to keep raw veggies (low calories) on hand to munch on.0 -
I second the suggestions - it just takes time. It takes time to adjust to the portions, not eating whenever you feel like it, going without sugar and processed food, etc., etc. Unfortunately it takes time. Emphasizing the fruits and veg over the starches has helped me a lot.0
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If it is just that you want more of the pastas and meats, and not that you're actually hungry since you're eating enough veggies then it is just a "mental" hunger and that takes time for the craving to go away, just have to stick with it.0
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It takes time to get used to it. The smaller plate will help! I always try to have a bowl as a side of more veggies or salad as well. He the veggies first then eat the entrée. It does help! And honestly stick with it, it will become habit and your stomach will get into habit as well!0
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Okay.. so first off, I am not crazy. LOL! I recently started doing something because a girl at work lost 50lbs and I asked her what she was doing. I work in a kitchen and find myself eating little bits all the time, as well as keeping up portion wise with the guys I work with. It was getting out of control.
I downloaded an app for my phone... weightloss hypnosis. It sounds crazy. I feel crazy saying it, but after the first session I found myself eating slower, eating less and not eating anything between meals ( even if I am hungry while cooking!!!). I used to go to Bob Evans and get eggs, potatoes, meat, pancakes with topping and I still felt hungry. The last time I went there, I got 2 eggs and an order of toast. I didn't even finish it!
There are quite a few free apps and if you don't have a smartphone, you can find stuff on youtube. I figured it was worth a shot. It has been 2 weeks and I have lost 5lbs. So I am going to keep with it. Sometimes the most unconventional things will help.
^^ I've also done this. I agree. It does work! Also, I cut back to a smaller plate because I'm trying to change my life. I don't want that big huge plate anymore. It isn't needed to fuel my body. I do eat what I want... but I eat it SLOWLY. I count for it, but I drink water before my meals also. Big difference. It takes time... seriously this isn't something you are going to master overnight. BE PATIENT...and of course always eat all your calories MFP allows you to eat. Don't cut back just because your plate is smaller. :flowerforyou:0 -
Portion size is my major problem too. It takes some getting used to. I tried the smaller plate routine but I just ended up staking it taller.:laugh: I finally told myself to get into it gradually. I put the proper potion size on the plate and tell myself that if I am still actually hungry after that portion I can come back for seconds. I have learned to chew my food longer and to put down my fork between mouthfuls. I now enjoy my food more. It still took some getting used to.
this is what works for me, too--putting one portion in a bowl or on a plate and telling myself if i'm still hungry after i eat that (and i have to eat it slowly, not shovel it--when i get super hungry i want to eat as fast as possible!) then i can have another half-serving. i try to make sure i'm drinking enough water and keeping my carbs/ sugar under control... as another poster mentioned, if i have too much sugar early in the day i'm done for--ravenous all day long. same if i'm not well-hydrated. it really can be difficult when you are used to large portions, but truly your stomach & brain will adapt. do it in baby steps--nobody says you have to make a huge change at once. any progress is progress 0 -
You just have to train yourself. Once upon a time, it was very difficult for me...now, it's second nature and I actually wonder how in the hell I ate all that food. Make sure you're balancing you diet....it helps to balance verything out on our plate. Make sure you're getting your protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals from veg...ultimately, I think you'll find a well balanced and portioned plate to very good.0
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The funny thing about portion size is that when you eat more vegetables, you can eat more than if you eat pasta, and it's better for you. I can understand the feeling of not feeling full though. For a long time I had the same problem. So I started adding nuts to my diet. A handful of almonds will fill me up and adding Pine nuts to any salad makes it way more filling. You could also try using garden delight pasts, made from vegetables. I love eating, and my original solution to getting to eat as much as I wanted was to work out more... Tae bo is really great for loosing calories fast, if your looking for a good exercise.
I hope this helps. ^.^0 -
Drink a large glass of water before you eat.0
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Girl, this is my numero uno problem!I have had large portions all my life, from my parents' cooking (they weren't 'over' feeding me, since I was never overweight when I was a child), to my own culinary expeditions.
I just can't get used to smaller portions! Even filling up on veg doesn't seem to work when what I want is more pasta and meat.
I bought myself a smaller plate to try and make my dinners seem bigger...
It doesn't seem to be working. Help?0 -
Do you have a pet? Try making your normal meal but leaving some on your plate and feeding it too your dog...Assuming its ok for them to eat. Or throwing it out. I used to give my dog leftover chicken or steak or spagettie. It helps you look at the excess you don't need and eventually you will start cooking smaller meals and not even thinking about what you are missing because your looking at it as excess. Eat till you aren't hungry, stop, throw the rest away. Rinse and repeat until your mind is comfortable and then make smaller meals.
And how do you log this? If you feed some of your food to the dog, you are presumably not weighing your portions, which means that you are not really keeping track of your intake... Not to mention that this isn't great for your *dog's* waistline.
OP, it just takes time. But you aren't going to make any lasting changes without adjusting your thinking and habits. Just measure and weigh your food, set a manageable intake deficit, and keep at it. Also, drink water, and don't drink your calories otherwise--at least for a while.0 -
Oh, also. I watched this video when I started getting out of shape a while back, and it really helped a lot:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-R14Gvj1VWc
Once you get into the habit of doing it it's easy too. ^.^0 -
Tell yourself you can have another portion after 15 minutes of walking if you're still hungry. It takes some time after your full for you to actually feel full. Schedule snacks an hour or so after your meal so if you're still hungry and don't want to do the 2nd portion thing, you can tell yourself, I'll be ok, I can have a snack in just a bit.0
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