Portion control

Old_Cat_Lady

If you don't have a food scale. Get one. Portion control got me nowhere. Weighing food gave me control.

namedforthemoon

I've lost ten pounds so far with portion control alone. When I say portion control, I mean that I look at what a portion is (Plain greek yogurt says 1 cup, so I cut that in half to 1/2 cup) and cut the portion in half. I am eating three meals a day, sometimes I have a snack. I don't avoid any foods, I still eat bread, pasta, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, jam (although I prefer jam with real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup, on that note I try to read labels and buy things with real ingredients and the least amount of additives) sugar, etc. The only exercise I get is whatever happens in my day naturally, like picking up my kids, going to work, doing laundry, stuff like that. I still track my calories but I don't use a food scale, so my calories are probably off by a couple of hundred by the end of the day, give or take. But it's working for me. I learned about it when I saw something called "Just eat half" when reading about portion control. Apparently it's a book, but I haven't bought it. Why bother, just eat half, it's that easy! I don't need a book for that.

leasy1

namedforthemoon wrote: »

I've lost ten pounds so far with portion control alone. When I say portion control, I mean that I look at what a portion is (Plain greek yogurt says 1 cup, so I cut that in half to 1/2 cup) and cut the portion in half. I am eating three meals a day, sometimes I have a snack. I don't avoid any foods, I still eat bread, pasta, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, jam (although I prefer jam with real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup, on that note I try to read labels and buy things with real ingredients and the least amount of additives) sugar, etc. The only exercise I get is whatever happens in my day naturally, like picking up my kids, going to work, doing laundry, stuff like that. I still track my calories but I don't use a food scale, so my calories are probably off by a couple of hundred by the end of the day, give or take. But it's working for me. I learned about it when I saw something called "Just eat half" when reading about portion control. Apparently it's a book, but I haven't bought it. Why bother, just eat half, it's that easy! I don't need a book for that.

Well done, 10lb that's brilliant!!
I thought cut portions and you automatically cut calories and it is clearly working for you. I read sometime ago your stomach is as big as your fist if that's true I have no idea but if it is then sometimes my meals are double if not more than my fist.
I know when I wake in the morning thinking "diet" i swear something triggers in my head making crave everything what I can't have so I would rather, like you, have what I want but in smaller quantities.
Thank you and good job

namedforthemoon

leasy1 wrote: »

namedforthemoon wrote: »

I've lost ten pounds so far with portion control alone. When I say portion control, I mean that I look at what a portion is (Plain greek yogurt says 1 cup, so I cut that in half to 1/2 cup) and cut the portion in half. I am eating three meals a day, sometimes I have a snack. I don't avoid any foods, I still eat bread, pasta, cheese, ice cream, chocolate, jam (although I prefer jam with real sugar and not high fructose corn syrup, on that note I try to read labels and buy things with real ingredients and the least amount of additives) sugar, etc. The only exercise I get is whatever happens in my day naturally, like picking up my kids, going to work, doing laundry, stuff like that. I still track my calories but I don't use a food scale, so my calories are probably off by a couple of hundred by the end of the day, give or take. But it's working for me. I learned about it when I saw something called "Just eat half" when reading about portion control. Apparently it's a book, but I haven't bought it. Why bother, just eat half, it's that easy! I don't need a book for that.

Well done, 10lb that's brilliant!!
I thought cut portions and you automatically cut calories and it is clearly working for you. I read sometime ago your stomach is as big as your fist if that's true I have no idea but if it is then sometimes my meals are double if not more than my fist.
I know when I wake in the morning thinking "diet" i swear something triggers in my head making crave everything what I can't have so I would rather, like you, have what I want but in smaller quantities.
Thank you and good job

I also read about the stomach being the size of the fist, and one of the tricks I use is to eat my meals off of a salad plate instead of a dinner plate, so I am not overloading with food. I also try to chew my food slowly and put my fork down between bites, so I can savor the food and also give my brain and stomach time to exchange satiety signals. I also try really hard not to snack between meals, and drink water or black coffee or tea to help fill up. So far it's working out really well. One of the things I have noticed, though, is that if I eat in front of the television or while on the computer or phone, I don't pay attention to my food and eat faster, which makes me feel like I am still hungry because my brain/stomach haven't had time to exchange signals. So in a way I have to practice mindfulness while I eat. But my meals are more satisfying that way.

spiriteagle99

I hope you're getting some protein as well.

icemom011

I lost weight and am maintaining by portion control, switching to lower calorie choices of food, opting for more vegetables and salads and fruits versus high calorie foods, but i eat everything, including deserts. I do, on occasion, check weight of whatever item in question, just to see how much it's approximate caloric value is. It's not as precise as calorie counting, and i am very precise person, it's just somehow feels too restrictive of a habit for me to sustain for the rest of my days. I also have been eating very healthy for few years prior to this last attempt at weight loss, but my portions were way more than what they should have been. And so in the beginning, weighing some most offensive suspects in my diet, was a total eye opener on how much i should be eating. And from there, dialing it down to get results i wanted. It works for me, but it's different for different people. So try counting, keep it if it works for you, or adjust it needed to what suits you for the long term.