Portion control

Paws4Luv

I don't really post anything on here but I figured it was time to ask for some help. I need help with portion control and need to stop over eating. I don't eat junk food or fried/sugary foods. I just can't control how much I eat. Sometimes I do and sometimes I just go over board. Does anyone have any tips on portion control or anything like that. I do use smaller plates but I just keep eating more than I should. Help?

WBB55

I feel I can sympathize with you. Here's something I do. I cook foods, stews, stir frys, whatever. And carefully weigh and measure things so I know the true calorie count. And before I eat any of it, I divide it into individual servings of 200 or 300 calories, or whatever a portion of that meal is. So if a casserole makes four 350 calorie servings, when it comes out of the oven, I put one serving on my plate, and while it cools, I put the other servings into individual containers and put them in the fridge, so by the time I'm done with my original serving, the others are cold. This serves a few purposes.

(1) It trains my eyes and brain to recognize what a "serving" is. Like what 100 or 200 calories looks like. (kinda like they did here http://www.wisegeek.com/what-does-200-calories-look-like.htm)

(2) It prevents me from "mindlessly" eating a 2nd or 3rd helping because it's still warm and delicious looking in the pan.

(3) work lunches for the next few days are already ready for me to pop in my bag on my way out the door in the mornings

jetlag

(2) It prevents me from "mindlessly" eating a 2nd or 3rd helping because it's still warm and delicious looking in the pan.

Good idea. That's a downfall of mine, for sure.

rockmama72

I eat a lot of vegetables with every meal. Also, I don't know what your mealtime situation is, but I have a family of five and I never serve family-style. I plate everybody's dinner like it's a restaurant, and I try to make it look pretty so it feels planned and complete. I usually cook for 6 so there's an extra portion that gets plated right into a Tupperware when I'm dishing up, so there's a portioned meal ready for lunch for one of us the next day.

Slinky_BraveHeartBunsOfSteel

You could add extra veg to your plate to fill up on. Something I do is drink a glass of water directly before and after my dinner. That way I'm satisfied with the portion I have and don't go looking for seconds

schonsdragon

It does take a while to train yourself to what does a real portion look like. Too often many of us have gotten used to a supersize portion and think that it is a normal size.

At first I always measured and weighed everything and if I wanted more I had to drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes to see if I really wanted it. I found that by waiting that stomach would sense it was full and I seldom wanted more. Now I eyeball part of the time but still regularly measure and weigh my food to make sure I don't get portion size creep. When we eat out I never eat more than 1/2 my meal and often eat less than that because the portion sizes are huge. At first and still often ask for half my meal to be boxed up before they bring to me or I split a meal with my husband.

WBB55

Good idea. That's a downfall of mine, for sure.

That isn't to say I'm not still hungry after I eat sometimes. I am. And sometimes I eat more. I just don't eat more of that same thing. If I'm still hungry after I've finished the "portion" then I do dishes or something. Then if I'M STILL HUNGRY, I have dessert. Like fruit or yogurt or something.

Sometimes it does look ridiculous having all these individual portions of things piled up in plastic containers in the fridge. But, it really has helped me understand what a "portion" is. And when I go out to eat, I can see how big the portions are and gauge how many calories things are.

CardinalKoolaid

I weigh everything and only cook when I need for the number of portions I am cooking. Portion control has always been a problem for me and this the way I ensure I am keeping within the limits.

Sometimes if I am not sure I will put everything in to MFP and whether I can fit it in to my daily goals; if not, I cut back or don't have it.

Eating out can be more difficult, but at home I try and cook everything from scratch.

Seoul11

Similar to above suggestions...

1.) Water. Drink more water throughout the day. And then with your meal. If you make it a habit to drink some water every few bites you'll get a lot more in and it will take you longer to eat so your body has more time to begin to feel full. I usually have a cup of tea after dinner, too. Warm beverages have a way of making you feel fuller for a short time.

2.) Clean up the kitchen when you are done. Like the suggestion above about putting leftovers away before you eat. If it's not easily available you'll be less likely to eat it. If I order a large meal at a restaurant I sometimes ask for a box when the meal comes so I can portion it out.

3.) If all else fails, brush your teeth when you're done eating. Or even use a fluoride mouthwash--you can't eat for 30 minutes after that. If you're still hungry after 30 minutes... well, then... maybe you should eat something.

cookiealbright

I usually cook (if I'm just cooking for myself) 1 1/2 portions. I eat a portion and save the extra for my lunch the next day. Sometimes I eat late, last night I didn't eat until around 8:30 p.m. since I went to the gym after work. Then I cleaned up, took nice long hot bath and went to bed. No snacking when you're too tired to eat! Good luck, you will find something that works for you! :flowerforyou:

elyelyse

another vote for cook only what you need, or pack up the leftovers right away and look at them as another meal to be eaten the next day, and not an optional addition to the meal you have just eaten. It really helps me to look at what's left in the pan and see it as tomorrow's lunch.

nikkiofthelake

I stay full longer if I eat foods that have lots of fiber - vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and beans - and drink lots of water.

Koldnomore

There were some good suggestions. There's one more that I will add though not directly related to 'portion control' it helped me immensely when I was starting off on my journey.

Practice putting your fork/spoon down between bites. It was the hardest thing that I had to learn. I would finish my meal so quickly that I would be done almost before anyone else so I would go back for more constantly. I started deliberately trying to slow down my eating, putting my fork don and counting to 20 before taking my next bite..It's HARD, but I guarantee you that it will help you feel more satisfied with less food. It takes 20 minutes for your brain to get the signal that you are full once you start eating..I could pack back a LOT of food in 20 minutes. Take a few breaths and see if that helps

marianneread

All good suggestions for storing leftovers in individual portions and waiting after you eat to make sure you're still hungry. I do that for meals and for snacks. I don't have bags of snacks in my desk at work, I pack individual portions for the day so I don't overeat. If I'm having a snack at home, I measure out a serving and put in a bowl just big enough for it to fit so it looks full. If I wait and I'm truly still hungry, I eat something healthy like an apple or some carrots. No one ever got fat by eating carrots.

Fiber is another good suggestion. I bulk up meals with veggies to increase the volume and fiber without adding a lot of calories. I also suggest making sure you're getting enough protein. If I don't, I'm still hungry.

ScottBurnett777

Look at this.
http://www.amazon.com/Meal-Measure-Portion-Control-Tool/dp/B004Z0SDXC/ref=pd_sim_k_3.

Looks cool, don't know how much success people have with it.

KimiSteinbach

Divy your foods out into ziplock bags. Buy a scale and start weighing things so you get an idea of size.

ashenriver

Studies have shown that eating with smaller plates help with portion control.