How Do I Avoid Second Servings At Dinner Time?

thedietpilot
thedietpilot Posts: 56 Member
in Motivation and Support
Hey everyone,

I have a tendency to always go for second servings at dinner time. I don't know why.

It's not like I go for second servings at breakfast or lunch!

For some reason, I always feel compelled to go for second servings, because we always cook an abundance of food for dinner.

When it comes to calorie tracking, I'm usually pretty good about breakfast and lunch, but when it comes to dinner, I always go over my daily calorie limit.

It sounds like a no-brainer to me that the solution would be to NOT go for seconds at dinner time.

I know there's all these strategies about mindful eating, eating slowly, putting your utensils down, etc.

But I'm wondering if anyone else out there has faced (or is facing) the same issue, and how do you cope with it?

Replies

  • kmblalock2016
    kmblalock2016 Posts: 15 Member
    for reals I always cook extra too! my trick is to measure out and plate and store the leftovers! then i sit and slowly eat! if I’m hungry still I drink my water! there is evidence that proves drinking soda or juice even if diet increases your hunger! so only water!!

    it is less tempting for me to dig into the fridge to find and serve. and heat up food!

    I also eliminated a lot of starchy foods and sugars and found my hunger decreases!
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Could you please provide links to that evidence? I've heard rumors, but nothing proven.
  • AkanthaAnil
    AkanthaAnil Posts: 10 Member
    I have the same problem! I can often feel so tired and hungry by the end of the day, but I have found that, in addition to tracking everything as best as I can on MFP, I do these types of things:

    a. Use a small plate. I know, it seems stupid, but if you use a smaller plate, the food "looks" like it is actually greater quantity than it is.

    b. Use a small fork, like the kind you might get in a confectionery to eat a slice of cake with your coffee. It kind of forces you to eat slower.

    c. Drink a liter of water before, during, or after dinner. I find it helps me feel fuller, and who knows, maybe part of my hunger is just thirst.

    d. This one is maybe a bit compulsive, but I will often consciously decide to eat half of my plate and put the rest back in the kitchen. Then, I wait for around 30-40 minutes to see if I am still hungry, drinking water or tea. If after some time I find that I still have some hunger, I will take a couple bites and put the rest in a container for tomorrow. If I feel like I don't really need it, the whole half-dinner goes into the fridge. I think that this works for me, because often, while I am cooking for example, I take a couple bites of something here and something there, and I don't track that. Then, if I don't eat my entire dinner, I think it tends to balance out roughly.

    e. Ultimately, though, the only way to avoid seconds or overeating is simply NOT to do it. I have to tell myself that my weight loss goal is the reason why I am doing all this work, NOT to eat seconds today, tomorrow, the next day, and derail all my progress. It is hard to tell yourself no, but if you decide to just go cold turkey like that, find an activity to do after eating, like reading or drawing or something, that will take your mind off of the seconds that you're not getting. :)

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Leave the table after the first serving
  • lambcruiser
    lambcruiser Posts: 11 Member
    Eat more during the day, if it's because you're letting yourself get too hungry later and it catches up with you- you won't feel as hungry or care as much. It's like shopping for food when you're hungry.
  • mcibty
    mcibty Posts: 1,252 Member
    Stop cooking an abundance of food at dinner? Only cook what you're allocated?

    Put the leftovers in the fridge immediately - it can be lunch tomorrow, or dinner another night.

    Usually - just employ some will power. These things aren't easy and you have to tackle the issues with brute force.
  • mabearof6
    mabearof6 Posts: 684 Member
    I cook extra food also. Its what the kids take for lunch the next day. I found putting leftovers away immediately helped keep everyone from mindlessly getting seconds.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
    1. Put the extras away before eating.
    2. Eat a smaller portions the first round so you can have seconds.
    3. Put the food on the counter or stovetop.instead of the table so it's not taunting you.
    4. Log it before eating. It may help to see you're out of calories.
    5. Allow an extra serving of your lowest calories option...veggie, salad, etc....
  • 88olds
    88olds Posts: 4,529 Member
    What happens after you go over your number? Do you log it?

    How much are you over your calorie target by the end of the week due to the second helpings? What is your long term trend on the scale week to week?
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,392 Member
    Things that have worked for me:

    First and most importantly, are you certain your calories are appropriately set for a reasonable amount of weight loss (for your stats) and are you logging food as accurately as you can? If you are under-eating in general or not eating to stay fueled throughout the day, it will be hard to stop eating at dinner.

    Second, I tell myself (if the first thing is definitely in line) that, "You have had just the right amount of food for today. Don't eat more. It's okay, you've had enough food."

    When I was losing weight and near the end of my weight loss I was legit hungry. It wasn't easy. I had to get some purposeful exercise nearly every day to make it manageable. Not only did the exercise blunt my hunger, but it gave me a cushion of a couple/three hundred extra calories to eat.
  • shaf238
    shaf238 Posts: 4,021 Member
    Use a smaller fork/spoon, there's some psychology behind it - do a quick Google and read up on it
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    1 - pre log. pre logging and KNOWING BEFOREHAND how badly over eating that meal/food will impact my day goes a LONG way to helping me self control.

    2 - leave table or make tea/water/drink of some kind instead to keep busy.

    3 - i cut up lots of low cal veggies very thinly to eat with dinner. they take time to eat (I tend to eat fast) which helps me eat less. I also add water which again helps fill me up in the moment and adds to the time it takes to eat.

    the idea of two small servings is good too.
  • pierinifitness
    pierinifitness Posts: 2,226 Member
    I suggest having a face-face with yourself in front of a mirror acknowledging your weakness and lack of willpower to place your weight loss goals in front of your desire to eat an amount of food that’ll compromise your goals and see what you learn from this introspection.

    The tricks offered by others are good but done without the tough work suggested will not provide you an effective and sustainable solution.

    Wishing you the best.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,925 Member
    Wait 15 minutes before going for a second helping. That's about the time it takes your stomach to tell your brain you have had enough.
  • emmies_123
    emmies_123 Posts: 513 Member
    Everything posted here already are super helpful comments.

    From my own experience, I do want seconds after finishing my meal but it is purely in my head. If I walk away I realize I"m not actually still hungry, my mouth just wants more tasty food. I am perfectly full for the rest of the night (awake about 3 and a half hours after dinner) on one serving.

    To help me break the bad habit I did the following (mostly stated above but repeating to show it works):

    1. Only cook one serving, or pack up any leftovers BEFORE I sit down to eat.
    2. Have an after dinner mint. As long as you have a small one, preferably one you can suck on for a bit instead of soft and chewy. One mint is less calories than a second serving of dinner, and taking the time to savor it will let you get past the immediate "I want some more" instinct.
    3. If you frequent buffets: Take some time between plates to make sure you are actually still hungry, and don't pick up multiple plates at once. It is very easy to go through multiple servings quickly if you chain them together, and before you know it you have eaten way too many calories. If with company, take some time to chat about a subject. If alone, finish your drink and pause to think "do i want more food or am i satisfied?"
  • tmpecus78
    tmpecus78 Posts: 1,206 Member
    Whats the deal with people now a days not having any self control when it comes to food?

    If you feel like I just have to have more food, cut back on your earlier meals.
  • funjen1972
    funjen1972 Posts: 949 Member
    tmpecus78 wrote: »
    Whats the deal with people now a days not having any self control when it comes to food?

    If you feel like I just have to have more food, cut back on your earlier meals.

    It's just not that easy for everyone. Some people struggle with this mental aspect of losing or maintaining weight, for various reasons (general lifestyle, habit, hormones, hunger pains, childhood relationship with food, etc....).
  • lin_be
    lin_be Posts: 393 Member
    I don’t know if you’re the main cook at home for dinner but I typically only cook enough for my husband and I to eat that evening. We rarely have leftovers. I am trying to reduce my food waste overall so it’s a good practice.
  • Panini911
    Panini911 Posts: 2,325 Member
    lin_be wrote: »
    I don’t know if you’re the main cook at home for dinner but I typically only cook enough for my husband and I to eat that evening. We rarely have leftovers. I am trying to reduce my food waste overall so it’s a good practice.

    or if you want leftover for lunch/dinner the next day (or to freeze) portion those out BEFORE eating. I usually separate my meals in portions before i eat so it's a clear definition.
  • melodyvegan
    melodyvegan Posts: 59 Member
    In addition to all the other great suggestions, brushing your teeth or having a cup of tea right after your dinner can help curb the desire to keep eating. If you're not truly "stomach hungry" you're just "mouth hungry" and that's all about cravings for something tasty so changing the flavors you're tasting in your mouth can go a long way. Hell, even having a small piece of dark chocolate at the end can help you curb the urge to keep eating, but really brushing your teeth or drinking tea can be very helpful!

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