How do you make yourself STOP eating?

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2

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  • End6ame
    End6ame Posts: 903
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    My wife and I grocery shop just for the upcoming week, so we plan all of our meals a full week in advance (breakfast, lunch dinner and snacks) some things may change a little throughout the week, but it mostly stays the same. So for each meal the only thing that goes in my mouth is the amount that I planned for, no more, no less. I know this is a pretty rigid approach and not for everyone, but if you at least plan your entire day ahead of time to meet your calorie goals, you will be less likely to overeat.

    A little OCD there,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I wish I was that well disciplined,,,,,, I do good to plan the day. :smile:

    Lol…. Yes, I like to have things very organized. I used to just plan individual days, but since my wife gave birth and has been focused on losing her pregnancy weight, planning entire weeks became feasible, so we figured why not. It is also friendlier on the grocery budget when you only buy what you know you are going to use in the upcoming week.
  • Kahdel
    Kahdel Posts: 2
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    we portion the food on our plates then put away the leftovers before sitting down at the table to eat. out of sight, out of mind! then after dinner we go for a walk 30-50 minutes depending, if we are still hungry after that it's a fruit or veggie snack. so far it has worked out great for our whole family.
  • Shua456
    Shua456 Posts: 211
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    A few tricks to eat less:

    Use a smaller plate - this one is almost a no brainer

    Serve from the stove - not the table. If the food is in front of you it's very tempting to have second helpings even if you're not hungry. if you have to get up and walk to the stove for a second helping you're more likely to abstain

    Chew your food slowly - put your fork down after every bite and take the time to enjoy every bite. You'll feel fuller sooner and you'll feel more satisfied because you've enjoyed the taste more - of course if you're eating something like broccoli that you have to choke down, just get it over with. (in case you can't tell, I hate broccoli)

    Take a drink of water between bites. Cleanse the palatte. This goes along with chew your food slowly but it does work.
  • smpearce13
    smpearce13 Posts: 32 Member
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    The training yourself to eat slower is pretty tough for some of us who went through boot camp! When the drill instructor gives you 5 minutes to get your food AND eat it, that tends to get ingrained in your system! :)

    I usually eat my lunch pretty fast, but try to slow down when I'm eating dinner.
  • HoLLyZ82
    HoLLyZ82 Posts: 467 Member
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    I weigh all my food when I'm plating it.... so, I know that I can eat every morsel on my plate; no more, no less!

    weighing food has been a life saver! i agree with this.
  • brneydgrlie
    brneydgrlie Posts: 464 Member
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    I started using smaller plates. I thought it sounded silly, but it's helped me.

    Actually, that's not silly at all. Smaller plates are recommended by many health professionals. The plate looks fuller, so you are sort of playing a mind trick on yourself, but it works!
  • JDMPWR
    JDMPWR Posts: 1,863 Member
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    I punch myself in the stomach a few times
  • Maya1979
    Maya1979 Posts: 37
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    Also, I found that when I start to feel full if you take some of your drink and pour it on your food you won't want to eat it! Its pretty wasteful but it stops me from continuing to eat when I'm full.
    I have a friend who does this and she recently suggested that I do it too.
  • Thriceshy
    Thriceshy Posts: 707 Member
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    I also took to drinking water with my meals instead of soda. It makes me feel fuller, faster. In addition, I make sure that I have multiple servings of raw or steamed veggies on my plate, and that I eat THOSE first.

    I know exactly what you're talking about; cutting serving sizes is hard. One good approach is to MAKE less so that there are no leftovers and thus no opportunity to go back for more or put too much on your plate. Also, adding veggies so that they become the MAIN part of your meal is a good approach.

    But most of all, do what you're doing--recognize it's a problem and dedicate yourself to making a change.

    Kris
  • elliecolorado
    elliecolorado Posts: 1,040
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    Same as what others have said. I log my food in advance, then I measure what I logged and put it on my plate and then that is it. I try and log my whole day in advance so that I can measure out and pack lunch and snacks for the day to take to work with me.
  • mosneakers
    mosneakers Posts: 343 Member
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    Ok, so I'm going to sound so dumb, but I love my Dora bowl that I eat out of. It's adorable!!! You could even go so far as to have kid-sized forks and spoons - try it!
    Also, how do you eat? Do you just sit there and focus on eating or are you watching tv, reading, on the computer, etc? Try to concentrate on the food - the distractions could cause the overeating too.
    What about green tea or some low sodium soup before you eat? Could make you fuller quicker.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    This is going to sound really bad but I have very unflattering photos of me on hand. I look at them and it reminds me why I shouldn't eat that extra helping...

    Weird, but it works.
  • DianaPowerUp
    DianaPowerUp Posts: 518 Member
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    I personally found that once I changed my diet, and starting eating clean, unprocessed foods, and eliminated any refined carbs (or grains too), that my appetite went down.

    I mean, sure, I could eat 3 slices of pizza, or a whole plate of pasta. But if what is on my plate is a chicken breast with a side of spinach, not only does it fill me up better and faster, but I don't have the urge to have more and more.
  • FabCheeky
    FabCheeky Posts: 311
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    I'm having DUH moment here. I forgot important things: (1) fake sugars have been proven to increase your craving for carbs (2) eating 5 to 6 small meals a day keeps you from ever feeling OMG hungry and you can self regulate better (3) Use good judgment on what you're eating. No one ever got fat from eating too much raw spinach. It's when you add stuff that you start to add calories. You can have 2 cups of Taylor Farms (Sams Club) - Organic Baby Spring Mix for 13 calories. The serving is HUGE, and helps you in so many ways. Sprinkle it with a little lemon juice, good cold pressed extra virgin olive oil (should smell GREEN), and pepper---delicious and great for you.
  • rundgrenfan
    rundgrenfan Posts: 211
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    I also get wildly selfish about food. I'm actually a pretty generous person with everything and anything else, but when it comes to food, people better back off!

    Again, something I've been trying to fix...

    I think it has its roots from when I was growing up in a under-the-poverty line family? Not sure

    A lot of us grew up in the "clean your plate" mentality, or worse yet, the "if you don't eat it, someone else will" mentality. I grew up in a family of brothers that were occasionally known to spit on food that they didn't want to share...Your awareness of this issue is your best defense. The realization that it's okay to be hungry, that food will come to you again, and that you are doing something to really take care of yourself is the "aha!" stuff that changes the stuffing into thoughtful eating.

    Also, I wanted to commend you for taking the time to learn this about yourself at such a young age. I wish I had cared as much when I was only 10 or 20 or 30 pounds overweight (and a lot younger)! Hopefully it's a journey that will stick with you!
  • 2112540
    2112540 Posts: 71
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    What I have been doing recently that helps a ton is putting my meals into Fitnesspal at the beginning of the day and weighing my food. I don't eat anything else because it's not on the agenda for the day! Also, I have stopped having little low cal desserts/snacks because I find I continue craving and they just make me hungrier. Instead I just eat bigger meals and it's been helping! Once you stop eating bad foods for 1-2 weeks you stop craving and become less hungry:) Good luck! keep up the good work!
  • cabassi
    cabassi Posts: 9
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    I had a problem with this until I found MFP. Just the act of logging all my food, understanding how many calories I'm eating per day, and having a clear goal to meet has caused me to eat much less and exercise more.

    Have you been logging your food?
  • thelandofwin
    thelandofwin Posts: 79
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    I don't know if this has already been suggested, but sometimes when I am out at a restaurant eating my favorite food, I have to act on impulse to make myself stop.

    I usually dump ketchup, hot sauce, salt, or any other nearby condiment that would ruin the dish. I'm sorry, I know in a perfect world we all should eat in moderation with unflappable willpower, but we are all here for a reason. My weakness is queso and chips, so I will literally have to ruin my dish and make it inedible.
  • abalicious
    abalicious Posts: 361 Member
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    Make sure you don't eat dinner alone. Have someone there to engage in conversation. Make a rule to put another bite of food into your mouth every 45 seconds (giving you 25 seconds to chew!) Drink water in between your bites. If you're talking to that person, don't eat while talking. Start with the foods you like least and hopefully they'll make you somewhat full, then save the best for last.
  • blondie1121
    blondie1121 Posts: 15 Member
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    I have a couple tricks...I put my untensil down after EVERY bite. It takes that extra second longer to pick it back up rather than just being at the "ready to eat" position at all times. I also take a drink of water after every bite and definitely use a smaller plate. Salad plates are my new dinner plates. And I only do 1 "scoop" of whatever. One scoop of salad, one scoop of rice or potatoes or corn or fruit salad. No double dipping :)

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