Advise on Portion Control please! :)

TicketWitch

Hi Everyone
I am new here, I have had a few accounts in the past but once again here I am starting again.
I was doing SW (officially still a member atm) but my reasons for doing SW was that the portion control is not strict as long as it is 'healthy' food essentially. It is very easy for me to slip in to the it's Syn Free so I'll have a giant plate of potatoes! This then means I eat less and less speed foods even though I love veggies! SW is not working for me - I make excuses and don't follow the plan. I lost a 15lbs in 2 weeks and then have regained and lost the same amount over the last 3 months so something needs to change!

I currently weight 305lbs and honestly I am disgusted with myself.

My big question here is do you have any recommendations for cutting down portion sizes without feeling absolutely starving all of the time?

I really want to lose this weight, I have started Swimming and Aqua Aerobics - I hate the gym, I have a gym membership as part of my swimming membership but I really don't like going so I am sticking with the things I semi enjoy doing to try and build up these habits before moving on to other forms of excercise!

Sorry for the super long post, but at the minute I really have no idea whether I will be able to do this. I know I need to be positive and stick to my goals but it all feels a little overwhelming.

TIA

Lietchi

Finding ways to feel full while eating less will vary from person to person, but these are some strategies that can work:
- experimenting with meal timings: some people feel better eating small meals throughout the day, other people prefer fewer larger meals (for example 16:8 fasting which is eating an your food in an 8 hour window)
- high protein foods are very satiating for a lot of people
- high fiber intake helps some people feel full
- some people are 'volume eaters' consuming lots of high volume low calorie foods (lots of veggies) to feel full
- eating low carb helps some people feel more full

I would also say that reducing portion size gradually will probably work better than cutting down drastically in one go.

springlering62

Listen to wise @Lietchi

Pay attention to your diary. Use the notes area and make notes on how you felt after each meal. Learn which, or what type, of foods satiate you most. Increase consumption of those foods

Don’t stress over macros. Even if I’m not on track, I’m eating a heckuva a lot better than I did before so it’s still a vast improvement.

Some people use smaller plates to fool their eye into thinking it’s larger portions.

Hot drinks (coffee, chai) can pause the need to eat.

Sometimes, what your brain perceived as hunger cues is actually dehydration. Have a glass of water, wait fifteen minutes and see if you’re still hungry.

I’ve been enjoying an iced coffee the past few days (coffee, 1/2c Silk cashew-almond milk, zero cal salted caramel syrup). 15 calories and it staves off snack time.

I pad smoothies out with a ton of ice. The giant cup makes me feel like I’ve really got a lot to eat, it takes a while to eat, and bonus: very hydrating.

Try cutting condiments in half or seeking lower or zero cal versions.

There’s a volume eaters thread around here that I picked up great tips from, as well as a thread on increasing NEAT, which is just manipulating activities you do anyway to increase steps or burn more calories. One of my favorites was getting rid of a laundry basket and taking small batches of laundry to put away at a time.

TicketWitch

Thank you other for taking the time to respond
I'll head off and have a read of the topics you suggested

Thanks again

csplatt

Do you have a digital food scale? If I want peanut butter, I weight one tablespoon in grams out on a food scale. If I want chips, I weigh one serving (or half a serving depending on what my plan is for the rest of the day), on a food scale. Same goes with potatoes before I cook them, etc.

For me, knowing that I measured and cooked the serving I already deemed appropriate is much more successful than eyeballing it as I put it on my plate after I cooked. At times this creates more dishes (noodles for me in one pot, for the family in another), but it’s only an annoyance so I do it anyways.

skinniesomeday

you are worthy !! Please learn to talk to yourself like you would a best friend !! You are trying ! you can do it too it wont' be instant but all small changes DO absolutely add up !! I too HIGHLY suggest in investing in a digital scale. THEY are a life changer !! you can change the setting to ounces or grams with a touch of a button and almost everything you eat has the serving size in grams. Place your plate on the scale ... push zero and then place food on it .... if weighing another food , zero that out and place another food on plate...... no measuring cups to wash and done QUICK !! you are doing what you can and have NOT give up so pat yourself on back for hanging on !!

skinniesomeday

Plus make sure you are eating enough protein so you wont be so hungry !!