When did you learn to be satisfied with smaller portions?

happytree923

I'm down about 40 pounds from my highest weight with about 50 to go. I'm at a point where I am totally able to control my portions when I'm eating my normal home-cooked food, but when I get restaurant takeout or fast food or salty snacks, I still want to eat ridiculous portions. I'm fortunate that I'm not so busy that I have to rely on quick options all the time, so this is mostly avoidable, but I'd still like to get takeout once in a while without feeling like I want more than necessary. Did you experience this? Is this something that you can grow out of or will I always be negotiating with my inner fat kid?

Snowflake1968

Congratulations on the loss! That’s great. I don’t have any real advice for you other than when I know I am eating out I plan around it to have a maintenance day or to exercise to earn extra calories. When I’m paying for it like that I feel I need to eat it.

seska422

I have smaller portions of calorie-dense foods and larger portions of foods that aren't calorie dense. I'll eat a whole can of soup with a whole bag of steam-in-bag veggies at one sitting.

If I want to eat out at a restaurant and the only way I can meet my calorie goal for that meal is with small portions, I just remind myself that I can get really full the next time I'm home.

amandaeve

Portion control has gotten easier over the years. I'd say the year I lost 80 pounds I was always hungry and wanted to eat all the things. I know they say you won't feel hungry if you eat the right foods, but I was always hungry. Anyway, after about a year and a half I started to get a "full" sensation. A decade later I can still feel "full" and control portions, but, sadly, I do go bezzerk from time to time, and I do occasionally gain some weight and have to disclipline myself for a while for fear of gaining it all back again.

kommodevaran

I can still eat the same portions I used to, I just choose not to on a regular basis. I have been on MFP since Christmas 2013, so I know very well how much I need, and I trust it, but it still feels kinda weird to serve myself those ridiculously small portions and then stop eating and expecting to be allright afterwards. I don't feel "full" or "satisfied", at least not regularly, or immediately, or after breakfast/lunch. Most of the time now, I just eat and get on with other things, but sometimes I "regroup" and think about how I'm supposed to feel "neutral" and that "satisfied" in this context means "physically satisfied", not that I don't want anything more.

Eating out is so rare now that I don't worry about it, so I order what I want and eat up what I'm served. I don't find myself arguing over meal sizes anymore, but snacks/treats - wow, I really have to be the responsible adult sometimes.

VUA21

It took me about 3 months before I noticed that I would eat smaller portions without thinking about it.

makkimakki2018

A month before realizing my stomach capacity had shrunk.

rainbow198

It was tough for me because I wasn't satiated. But I pushed though because I thought you have to eat small portions and several times a day to lose weight.

One day I got fed up and started eating regular meals and stopped snacking and became a happy girl.

I learned that I'm a volume eater. I like having bigger meals spaced out throughout the day. My calorie intake remained the same so I was still able to lose weight and keep it off.

Gamliela

Eating slower has helped me. Keeping my mind on the rate of speed I'm chewing means smaller portions don't vanish so quickly and it means I don't stare disatisifedly at an empty plate as often. Its hard to bring myself back to that awareness again and again, but has its rewards.

amusedmonkey

It's been 6 years and I haven't learned to be satisfied with smaller portions yet. I just reduce the portions of higher calorie foods and make up for the volume loss with larger portions of lower calorie foods, or modify high calorie foods to be lower in calories if it doesn't affect the taste too much.

For restaurants or fast food, I usually save up calories because I don't feel satisfied eating anything less than my usual old portions, and if I try to modify my order to have fewer calories (like skipping the fries or something), it takes away from the experience. I would rather not have it than have a subpar eating experience. That's why I don't order takeout often and only do when it feels 100% worth it.

vladamisa

I agree with Amuse, I have only recently been back on my try to eat smaller portions and have a little help. Whenever I had first decided to eat less and workout more I lost great but I had knee surgery again and that meant no workouts for a while with only eating. I went from having small portions to they slowly got bigger until I was back where I was plus 20lbs. One way that you could help with this is if you ask for a togo box when you order if its a sit down and just put half of the food into the togo box. That way you can enjoy the meal again at a later date and its half the calories of what the entire meal would have been.

88olds

Some of my portions are small, some not.

At one point I was eating large portions of low cal food, and making a point of stopping to look at it before I started eating and say to myself, “This is a lot of food.” Why? I didn’t want to think I was deprived. Deprived is a plan killer. I try to think in terms of living with some reasonable limits.

One thing that’s changed is my idea of feeling full. I used to regularly eat heavy meals to the point of immobility. I don’t like that anymore. If I do end up feeling uncomfortable you full eating to many veggies, it doesn’t last long.

dsboohead

Eating slow and really listening and being aware of a satisfaction level.
Before I was just gorging just to gorge and going back for seconds. Now....one small plateful and realizing I am fine and will not starve. A lot of self talk to begin a new good habit!

HeyJudii

Luckily, during the week, I am in a situation where my breakfast and lunch are consumed in such a way, that it may take me an hour to finish. Add to that, my breakfast is a smoothie (lots of whipped in air makes it seem huge) and my lunch is usually a huge salad (mostly low cal vegetables). Dinner is eaten in a normal fashion, and nutritious and tasty.

It's Friday afternoon through Sunday night where I am aware of how small normal portions are. I try to allow myself more flexibility on the weekend, and those calories quickly add up in calorie dense foods like pizza, chips/crisps, etc. I try to incorporate the foods I used to eat in portions that contributed to my weight gain, in single portions, but many times feel it just isn't worth it. I don't want to fall into the trap of feeling deprived though, so I keep them in rotation. It's hard though not to just pick at the pizza until I fall asleep, or keep the cookie jar next to me, dipping in at will, but, I keep reminding myself of what I really want. To maintain.

swimmchick87

I kind of stepped myself down with portions, if that makes sense. For example, chips are something that I would eat huge portions of before. I started with weighing out 3 servings at once (all logged of course), then 2.5, then 2, etc.

I've also worked on getting away from volume eating even in scenarios where I can fit whatever it is into my calories. For example, I switched to Chilly Cow from Halo Top, because Chilly Cow comes in half pints. Although I can easily fit an entire pint of Halo Top into my calorie day, I wanted to totally get away from both the mindset of eating an entire pint of ice cream and the physical feeling of stuffing myself with an entire pint of ice cream.

I've also worked on slowing down and really tasting and enjoying my food. The other day I went to the movies and got a box of Sour Patch Watermelons and I surprised myself when they lasted throughout almost the entire movie. "Old me" was always practically finishing my snacks during the previews!

My stomach adjusted pretty quickly and I will say that a great majority of the time I no longer crave large portions of food. Even being overweight, I've always hated that really full/stuffed feeling, so that may have helped. Sometimes mentally I'll want to keep eating, but my stomach isn't really having it. In the past I have allowed myself to overeat in one sitting for special occasions (like my birthday) but I paid for it with severe heartburn and stomach pains, even though "old me" ate like that most weekends!

amusedmonkey

swimmchick87 wrote: »

I kind of stepped myself down with portions, if that makes sense. For example, chips are something that I would eat huge portions of before. I started with weighing out 3 servings at once (all logged of course), then 2.5, then 2, etc.

I've also worked on getting away from volume eating even in scenarios where I can fit whatever it is into my calories. For example, I switched to Chilly Cow from Halo Top, because Chilly Cow comes in half pints. Although I can easily fit an entire pint of Halo Top into my calorie day, I wanted to totally get away from both the mindset of eating an entire pint of ice cream and the physical feeling of stuffing myself with an entire pint of ice cream.

I've also worked on slowing down and really tasting and enjoying my food. The other day I went to the movies and got a box of Sour Patch Watermelons and I surprised myself when they lasted throughout almost the entire movie. "Old me" was always practically finishing my snacks during the previews!

My stomach adjusted pretty quickly and I will say that a great majority of the time I no longer crave large portions of food. Even being overweight, I've always hated that really full/stuffed feeling, so that may have helped. Sometimes mentally I'll want to keep eating, but my stomach isn't really having it. In the past I have allowed myself to overeat in one sitting for special occasions (like my birthday) but I paid for it with severe heartburn and stomach pains, even though "old me" ate like that most weekends!

What's interesting in my case is that I absolutely can and do have small portions of snack foods. Even before weight loss I often had single serving stuff like chips and ice cream. If I had access to more, I ate more just because it was there, but if I was buying something because I wanted it specifically, I usually just bought one serving and didn't think to buy more. When I decided to lose weight, the only snack food I had to work on not overeating was nuts, which I cut out completely to start - they were just too ingrained into my daily habits that I had to uproot the whole thing.

Snack portions are not a problem for me because I eat them for enjoyment, not to satisfy hunger. My problem is controlling portions of regular meals for which I'm actually hungry. My stomach doesn't seem to be "the shrinking" kind.

rosebarnalice

For me it has been a lot of mind work-- really focusing the pattern of think-feel-act.

If I really FEEL like I want to pig out, I try to ask myself WHY I want to feel that way. What is the thought behind that feeling? Am I trying to eat instead of feel? Am I trying to stuff down some feeling (loneliness? failure? boredom?) and what am I thinking that is making me feel that way (I'm alone right now because I'm unlovable? I'm inadequate because I failed to fix something today? I'm bored because I want a magic fairy to come entertain me?)

I then remind me that food won't solve any of those issues. The only problem food can solve is hunger-- and sometimes I just need to FEEL things like loneliness, failure and boredom because that's the human experience.

Armed with those thoughts, it's not difficult to bring in my own to-go container (always have one in the car!), or ask a friend if we can split something.

birdiebon

I still have to remind myself that it won't kill me to be a little hungry but I still don't necessarily like it!

Millicent3015

I'm slowly training myself to feel full on smaller portions. At fast food places I get the kids meals, or if I'm sharing a meal I take a smaller portion and let the other person have the rest. I also buy kids ready meals that I add extra veg to, and I eat off side plates about 21cm in diameter, which helps . I try to eat slower and chew more thoroughly, which is easier to do with veg. I pause between bites and concentrate on how I can feel myself getting fuller. It's a process, but I'm getting there 😊

maureenkhilde

I hear what you are saying. I also have lost 40 pounds and still have that discussion with myself when I go out to eat. And plan to lose another 70. Much easier to control at home, because the food scale is right there and I weigh everything first. And all snacks are done at beginning of week.

What I do when I go out. When I order my meal, I ask them to bring me the box right away, and I put half of the meal in the to go box. Some places do for me, and bring it out later. This has helped me control, what I eat at the moment.
As for fast food, other than one chick fil outing I have stayed away totally. It stayed within calorie allowance. I just sort of whined to myself when I got home and realized it was 28 carbs. But I enjoyed it, so figured ok one meal one day out of the week. Not a big deal. I wish more restaurants used smaller plates instead of going the opposite direction of using platters for food.

jguldi11

I try to add in healthier sides like steamed veggies or salad, eat that first with a tall glass of water, then slowly enjoy my entree. Usually by the time I'm done I'm full and satisfied.

mnbvcxzlkjhgfdsa12

Never! Volume eating is the only but thing that keeps me on track.

happytree923

Thanks for all the advice everyone!! In my case I think it is an ‘emotional’/habit issue, since I’m not having trouble with regular food. I had one very anti-junk and sugary food parent so I developed a really bad habit of overeating those things when they were available. I still haven’t quite internalized that I am an adult with total control over what I eat and the food will always be available later!

Sheisinlove109

I try to order something that isn’t completely ridiculous in calories but at the same time every once in a while I just eat what I want. On those days I work harder at the gym and watch what I’m eating in other meals. I’m down 150lbs.

I think after the first three months of watching what I was eating, I learned the values of food nutritionally and I haven’t tracked in a Long time. I listen to my body.

For me, the worst part of eating out is the massive amount of salt in all the food, especially meats. Grilled chicken is one of the worst for me.

JinnBee

I've lost 25# so far (of the 100 or so I'm looking to lose overall) in 3 months. I'm finding that I can't eat larger portions anymore. I went to lunch the other day and had allowed for a lot of calories, because I wanted a taco salad. I had only eaten half of it when I felt stuffed so I left the rest of it on the plate. The old me would have inhaled the whole thing without any trouble. I definitely think my stomach capacity is less now.

swim777

We usually go out on Sundays for lunch. Normally, I eat lightly for breakfast and lunch and save calories for dinner. I’m hungrier at night. One strategy is to divide whatever I’m having and save half for dinner. I may have to skip my after dinner snack but I don’t feel as deprived.