How do you eat less?

RhineDHP

Hey all,

So I've kinda been up and down in my weight these last few months (most likely water weight) and one thing that always becomes a hurdle for me is portion control. What have those who have successfully lost weight done in order to minimize the amount of food they eat but still feel full?

That's another thing I've jumped back on the bandwagon for - eating when I'm not hungry, yet not full. And I haven't logged in forever, which is probably another problem.

I'm at 1800 calories right now, which I think at 5'1 is healthily sustainable without much exercise (I try to exercise when I can, but a few people have left work and my schedule since last month has been kind of all over the place covering the shifts).

Any solid advice is very much appreciated.

KateK8LoseW8

Personally, I do intermittent fasting. I took a break from it for a while due to my workout schedule, but I'm back at it and it's made eating in a deficit so much easier again. When you restrict your feeding time from 12 hours down to 4-8 hours, it's just a lot easier to restrict total calorie intake. And for me, the hunger cycle doesn't start until the first time I eat anyway. So I just don't eat until late afternoon, and it's very easy to stay under my calorie intake for the rest of the evening.

Another crucial thing is plenty of protein (at least 100g - the MFP recommendation tends to be pretty low) and fat for satiety. When eating carbs, choose high-fiber sources that are slow-digesting. Straight up sugar doesn't satisfy me for very long, but high-fiber bread will keep me full for a bit longer. And with my main meal, I usually eat at least 3-4 servings of vegetables. Comes out to under 150 calories for all of the veggies, and it's a TON of food.

flumi_f

In a nutshell:

Lots of veggies and lean protein sources keep me full.

Grain carbs / sugars make me hungry.

So it I look at my plate, at least half is full with veggies. The rest is protein and / or carb source.

cafeaulait7

I have to eat good, real food instead of empty calories, mostly, darnit. My normal way of eating is eating both, lol! But I can't really get away with eating a lot of empty stuff now, especially if it's high in calories (obviously). It's one reason I have a maintenance day once a week - so I can eat a bit of fun, empty calories along with the 'real' food

lynn1982

Lots and lots of veggies is what works for me. When I first started my weight loss journey, eating less of the foods I was currently eating was not satisfying enough. I was still hungry at the end of the day and didn't have any calories left over. So for me, I had to completely revamp what I was eating and swap things so that I could still meet my targets (rather than surpassing them) and feel satisfied.

trudijoy

salads for lunch was a big thing. snacking on things like celery, rice crackers etc too. For the first 6 months I literally kept no junk in the house. If I wanted something I bought it, ate a portion, and threw out the rest. Then I realised I didn't need to throw it out because I wasn't fiending after it any more. Now, I can have chocolate in the fridge and chips in the cupboard and they last for ages lol

Francl27

I very rarely feel full honestly... but I eat all day pretty much.

hollybaba123

Like others have said, veggies help a lot.
I saw a segment on Rachael Ray a few weeks ago that showed how your stomach reacts to calories (in a nutshell) by comparing what 200 calories of a hamburger vs 200 calories of a salad looks like in your stomach. It was a great visual! Here's the link http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/lifestyle/health/16387_How_Our_Bodies_React_to_Calories/index.html


I also drink coffee in the morning and have a Bagel Thin with egg whites and turkey sausage and that keeps me pretty full for awhile. I have a snack before lunch (fruit or carrots) and keep my lunch light (spinach salad). If you eat smaller meals throughout the day, it kicks your metabolism into gear.

triskaidekaphile13

My stomach has shrunk considerably since I've lost weight and I just can't eat as much any more. I get fuller much faster and happily share half a portion of some meals with my wife. When I tried to keep the MFP 1200 I was hungry but followed TDEE minus 20% (and now TDEE -10% as I have less than 5lbs to lose to my goal) and once I was eating more but less than I previously did, I stopped feeling hungry. As others have said, keeping your protein levels up is proven to help you feel fuller for longer and I eat keep an eye on my macros to ensure I keep my carbs around the 55% too. Good luck.

LosingItForGood13

Every other month I lower my daily calorie intake to 25 less to see how that will work I tried 1200 calories but I know that I am not able to eat that low amount until I am almost at my goal weight so you can tweak your daily calorie amount to see what will work best for you or not to get to the level where you feel full and not hungry

harrietlg

I structure my day into 6 meals, 3 of them being main. I make sure I have a fibre full breakfast (cereal does not fill you up) try porridge with fruit. The other 3 meals are snacks which I also make sure are full of fibre and protein to keep me going throughout the day. i'm a chef so im up and going all day long and just need things to grab my daily intake is 1500. As long as you split it up for when you know you are going to be hungry that kinda helps too. I tend to eat soup as a snack as it doesn't keep me going for long but it's low in calorie and you can have it as a starter before dinner so that it fills you up for longer.

melaniecheeks

Veg and protein. And recognising what hungry feels like, and that hunger comes in waves.

Ed98043

Protein and fat makes me feel the most fed. 1,500 calories is also a lot more sustainable than the 900 I've tried to stick with in the past. Starchy carbs just make me hungrier so I avoid those as much as possible.

Also, as time goes on I find that my body isn't always screaming for food (though it is often muttering and complaining) - I've just had to make peace with the fact that I won't feel full every minute of every day. I save most of my daily calories for the evening when my hunger spikes so I can have a big meal.

Mr_Knight

What have those who have successfully lost weight done in order to minimize the amount of food they eat but still feel full?

Most of the time, I don't feel particularly full. Just have to suck it up and deal with it - that's the price to pay for all the years of feeling excessively full.

lewisdeanhughes

Filling Foods / Fibre / Water

seltzermint555

I'm 5'8", 208 lb and feel full enough on 1,410 calories. (I do eat back exercise calories, but don't exercise every day)

For me what works is eating 3 meals a day at strict times. I can vary the exact times, like on weekends, but generally I "must" eat breakfast around 7 am, lunch at some time between 11-1, and dinner by six. I don't snack. But if I am late on a meal, or skip a meal, I will feel so hungry that I will be pretty unstoppable and prone to overeating. When I eat those 3 "main meals" at my usual times I am never hungry...whether I eat a super healthy meal full of lean protein, veggies, etc, or just something junky, doesn't really seem to make a big difference on satiety for me.

summerroxygoodin

Fiber helps you feel full. I usually eat a high fiber granola bar. Works wonders for me.

Thad81

In the beginning I ate less than I needed to maintain the weight I was, which is what everyone does in the beginning. I exercised a lot and ate far healthier foods than I ever had before in my life. Now that I am near my ideal weight, it is far harder to just eat better and workout more. I already work out alot. Now I am fully in the maintenance/losing part of my weight loss. Recently I have bought smaller dishes, as a cue to eat less. Another thing that has changed since I originally lost weight is that I am far busier than I was at that time. I dont like the excuse of I dont have time (as I believe if its important, you will make time) but sometimes it is hard. I would rather take a lighter workload than regain the weight though. This is the process that I am in at this point. I choose to work less, and be more frugal with my money, so that I can maintain my healthy lifestyle. When I weighed nearly four hundred pounds I was by and large isolated from all people that were not tied to me by family or marriage, and as a result did not have a social life. Now that I am thinner and divorced I find myself in a lot more social settings (which is great) though it offers greater opportunity for bingeing of all sorts including drinking, eating, etc... I feel that I will always be a person that takes things to extremes, but I choose to choose my extremes and make them healthy if not entirely safe extremes.

This is an issue we all probably struggle with to some degree.

bellevie86

A few things that helped me:

- Spacing out my meals, I try not to have my lunch too close to my breakfast is the main problem for me.

- Recognizing what will a. Keep you full the longest (protein and such) and b. What IS WORTH the cals. Splurging on food with high sugar thus high in cals is NOT worth it ie: Donut.

- Drinking ALOT of water. 2 reasons: Helps me feel full longer and sometimes we feel hungry because we are actually DEHYDRATED.

You're body will adjust. People who go years eating a huge surplus will be hungry for a bit til they adjust. Just like people who really restrict (or anorexia) say they don't have much of an appetite or don't feel hungry most times. Cause their body is used to one behavior or the other. I felt the adjustment for awhile. I still have days where if I don't make the right choices I will feel hungrier. You'll learn what keeps you full and satiated.

bellevie86

Also, if you want to eat more or have an event workout to give yourself more cals to work with. You want more you gotta work more!

Rocbola

Fiber helps you feel full. I usually eat a high fiber granola bar. Works wonders for me.

(The first part of) THIS^^^

Eating foods that are high in fiber, but low in calories helps you feel satiated, while not over consuming. Foods that really help are cantaloupe and watermelon. Also, salads.

RhineDHP

Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I'm gonna up my protein and fiber

AlongCame_Molly

I eat off salad plates and one-cup ramekins, not full-sized dinner plates and bowls. It's amazing to see how much less you'll eat when you can trick your brain into thinking you're eating more than you actually are.

cadaverousbones

I would figure out your TDEE, that is the calories you eat to maintain your weight

http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

Once you know your TDEE, you should subtract about 500 calories from that, and that is what you would eat to lose weight.

Something that helps me to eat less and not snack when I am bored is to eat slowly, drinking water before, during, and after the meal. Give yourself 30 minutes for your brain to register that you ate. If you are STILL hungry after that, eat a small healthy snack. Another thing is to try to not eat 3 hours before bed. If you are bored or craving something, try having a cup of tea, or drinking some more water. Try to figure out if you are really hungry, or eating for some other reason. You may want to also have small healthy snacks throughout the day to keep you from over eating during your major meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) etc. Another good thing is to get a food scale. Measure all your food to make sure you are calculating the right amount of calories.

Hope this helps!

prettyface55

I live this post!!

Llamapants86

I found having an idea of what all I have actually eaten through the day really helps me. When my munchies show up around 7 or 8 it is easier to say no when I know that I have hit all my macros for the day.