Food Scale

bcovely

So I am starting over.....again. I am doing it right this time. I bought a food scale and cant believe, when you weigh your food, the little amount a true serving is. Wow!! Any suggestions on getting full?

mullanphylane

Eat less. Seriously! As you adjust your food/calorie intake, your body will adjust with it and become accustomed to less food so you feel full on less and aren't craving more. It just takes some patience. When losing weight, one will feel hungry, but that is, most often, a psychological feeling rather than real hunger.

And don't eat fewer calories so you can eat more later. That is probably one of the greatest mistakes most people make when making changes in eating habits. One can even hit their daily deficit calorie goal and gain weight. 600 calories during the entire day then stuffing down 800, 900, 1000 calories before sleep is almost a guarantee of adding pounds.

Lietchi

Feeling full is very individual. It takes some time to find what works, experiment with different ratios of carb/protein/fat.
Experience will also teach you which foods give you more 'bang for your buck'. Personally, I don't find bread very filling at all, for example. But risotto dishes fill me up really well.

And spread your calories however you like. Some people prefer breakfast to be their biggest meal, some people prefer a larger dinner. Personally, a big breakfast just makes me hungrier the rest of the day. I prefer a small breakfast, medium lunch, medium dinner and one or two snacks after dinner.

Good luck!

Lietchi

mullanphylane wrote: »

And don't eat fewer calories so you can eat more later. That is probably one of the greatest mistakes most people make when making changes in eating habits. One can even hit their daily deficit calorie goal and gain weight. 600 calories during the entire day then stuffing down 800, 900, 1000 calories before sleep is almost a guarantee of adding pounds.

That simply is not true. Spread your calorie goal however you like, a deficit is a deficit, no matter when you eat.
I've always eaten most of my calories later in the day it hasn't stopped me losing over 40lbs so far.

glassyo

mullanphylane wrote: »

Eat less. Seriously! As you adjust your food/calorie intake, your body will adjust with it and become accustomed to less food so you feel full on less and aren't craving more. It just takes some patience. When losing weight, one will feel hungry, but that is, most often, a psychological feeling rather than real hunger.

And don't eat fewer calories so you can eat more later. That is probably one of the greatest mistakes most people make when making changes in eating habits. One can even hit their daily deficit calorie goal and gain weight. 600 calories during the entire day then stuffing down 800, 900, 1000 calories before sleep is almost a guarantee of adding pounds.

That's not even close to being a guarantee.

But, yeah, play around with your macros and try to find some high volume low cal foods to tide you over. Popcorn.....veggies....lower sugar fruit...

They say protein and fiber helps too.

kimny72

bcovely wrote: »

So I am starting over.....again. I am doing it right this time. I bought a food scale and cant believe, when you weigh your food, the little amount a true serving is. Wow!! Any suggestions on getting full?

Most people find some combo of protein, fat, and fiber filling. If you are short on any of those, bring them up to goal first.

Try not to waste calories on beverages in the beginning. Beverages aren't satiating. First use all your cals for food and once you get used to the lower cals then you can see if you can sneak back in some beverage cals if you want.

In addition to getting fat, protein, and fiber up to goal, different people find different macros and foods filling. Some people find fatty foods fill them up fast, others could eat a block of cheese and still feel like eating. Keeping arealky accurate food log and making notes on how you feel throughout the day can really help you figure out where you waste calories and what foods fill you up.

You might also want to play around with meal timing and portions. If there's a time of day you're never hungry but you just eat then out of habit, consider skipping it or eating more like a snack at that time. If there's a time of day you have a hefty appetite, save more calories for then.

It's like a science project Good luck!

HeidiCooksSupper

You don't have to eat less volume, just fewer calories. There's even a thread for volume eaters somewhere here in MFP. Try not to think so much of cutting things out as replacing things. Replace rice with riced veggies. Don't eat a sandwich between two slices of bread when a wrap will do. Avoid unlimited cookies but allow yourself daily weighed amounts of mixed nuts.

One of the most surprising and disheartening things is how small a serving of cold cereal is. So, I don't eat cold cereal anymore. Why do that when I can have a nice bowl of oatmeal? Or a couple of eggs? Or ... If the servings are too small for the number of calories you have available, eat something else.

Eat things that make you feel full. Don't eat things that make you hungry and want more.

yirara

You can eat more than one serving, however much that is. It just means you have to eat less of something else. I usually plan my meals around the main ingredients, and then add however much pasta, rice, couscous or other things fit into it. So one day I might make a pasta dish with cheese sauce and salmon, and only fit in 65gr of pasta, another day I make a tuna tomato pasta and fit in 90gr of pasta.

nanastaci2020

Preplan/prelog your day and then edit as needed. It will help!

janejellyroll

mullanphylane wrote: »

And don't eat fewer calories so you can eat more later. That is probably one of the greatest mistakes most people make when making changes in eating habits. One can even hit their daily deficit calorie goal and gain weight. 600 calories during the entire day then stuffing down 800, 900, 1000 calories before sleep is almost a guarantee of adding pounds.

I lost all my weight eating the majority of my calories later in the day because it's how I prefer to eat. I'm maintaining that way too. An 800-1,000 calorie dinner isn't at all unusual for me, but as long as I hit my calorie goal overall, things are fine. Your body is perfectly capable of processing food while you sleep and using the energy that night and the next day.

AnnPT77

This is not meant as an absolute or some kind of magical spell/incantation, though sometimes people talk about it that way. But I'm going to write it, even at risk of coming across as holier-than-thou 🙄 **.

Some people find whole foods, less processed foods, or whatever trendy words a person might want to use, to be more filling than foods that have been highly processed in ways that take a lot of stuff out of them.

Obviously, this is a crazy-broad generality, because processing per se is no big deal (love my Greek yogurt, I love my chickpea pasta). All I'm trying to say is that if you consider what's more filling, something like 250 calories of sugar cookies (1-2 depending on size), or 250 calories of whole apple (a couple of good-sized apples), most people are going to find the apples more filling. (In this specific example, the apples are also much more nutrient-dense, as a bonus.) So, that sort of thing.

** Trust me, I'm unholier than thou, dietarily and otherwise, and I know it.

SuzySunshine99

mullanphylane wrote: »

And don't eat fewer calories so you can eat more later. That is probably one of the greatest mistakes most people make when making changes in eating habits. One can even hit their daily deficit calorie goal and gain weight. 600 calories during the entire day then stuffing down 800, 900, 1000 calories before sleep is almost a guarantee of adding pounds.

Except that this was the exact method I used to lose weight, and also my successful maintenance strategy. I eat a small breakfast and lunch, and then a large dinner. It really does not matter what time you eat.

Shortgirlrunning

mullanphylane wrote: »

And don't eat fewer calories so you can eat more later. That is probably one of the greatest mistakes most people make when making changes in eating habits. One can even hit their daily deficit calorie goal and gain weight. 600 calories during the entire day then stuffing down 800, 900, 1000 calories before sleep is almost a guarantee of adding pounds.

This way of eating is exactly How I lost 50 lbs. skipping breakfast, small lunch, large dinner is what keeps me feeling satisfied while in a calorie deficit. When you eat your calories does not matter as long as you are in a calorie deficit you’ll lose weight. You just have to figure out how to spread out those calories in a way that works for you.

SuzySunshine99

But back to the OP...I found that adding a lot of lower-calorie but higher-volume foods like fresh vegetables helps me stay full. Almost every day, my lunch is a HUGE salad. Lots of food for not a lot of calories.

However, what keeps you full is very personal...some people find protein fills them up, other people say fat, some people say carbs. You have to experiment to see what works best for you.

chris89topher

SuzySunshine99 wrote: »

But back to the OP...I found that adding a lot of lower-calorie but higher-volume foods like fresh vegetables helps me stay full. Almost every day, my lunch is a HUGE salad. Lots of food for not a lot of calories.

However, what keeps you full is very personal...some people find protein fills them up, other people say fat, some people say carbs. You have to experiment to see what works best for you.

I have humongous salads for lunch (and usually dinner) too! How about some pictures of your next creation? 👍

jwoolman5

Don't be afraid to eat a big salad at every meal... Also sliced raw veg and mushrooms are tasty sides. I like a pile of English cucumber slices and/or bell pepper strips and/or mushroom slices with a sandwich and also use a lot of greens inside the sandwich. Sometimes the filling is enough, wrapped in lettuce or the rest rolled up with a protein food slice or just eaten in a bowl of greens.

bcovely

Thank you all

fstrickl

Eat real food. Lots of fruit and veggies. Whole grains. Beans. Drink your water! Get enough protein and fat. I like Greek yogurt full of berries and a handful of nuts. It’s amazing how creative one can get with veggies and beans! (And a bit of cheese 🧀😛)

nanastaci2020

I don't build my meals based on what a a label describes as a serving. It may take trial & error, but I portion according to my needs in terms of calories & satiety.

I don't always get it right. Sometimes I may need a little more after my dinner, so I tend to leave room for a small snack or additional dinner/food as needed. And sometimes I wait and decide I've had enough afterall.

Noreenmarie1234

mullanphylane wrote: »

Eat less. Seriously! As you adjust your food/calorie intake, your body will adjust with it and become accustomed to less food so you feel full on less and aren't craving more. It just takes some patience. When losing weight, one will feel hungry, but that is, most often, a psychological feeling rather than real hunger.

And don't eat fewer calories so you can eat more later. That is probably one of the greatest mistakes most people make when making changes in eating habits. One can even hit their daily deficit calorie goal and gain weight. 600 calories during the entire day then stuffing down 800, 900, 1000 calories before sleep is almost a guarantee of adding pounds.

False. It works for some people. I eat a few hundred during the day then 2000+ right before bed and have maintained for years. I prefer to eat then and its when I am hungry. Don't listen to the false notion "eating before bed causes weight gain". For some people, it is the exact opposite.