somebody must know what I mean...

Hernandezedw

I was brought up being told to eat everything on the plate, and I think I'm constantly battling this, so may be like someone said I should make myself leave two bites everytime and recondition myself.

A lot of people were brought up this way. It's so very wrong. Most of the people teaching their kids this don't even know proper portion sizes.

chridow

I know how you feel! Here are some tips I've learned along the way:

1. Mentally prepare yourself for how much you're going to eat BEFORE you eat a meal.
2. Make sure you drink plenty of water, it really does help control hunger througout the day.
3. Box up/put away extra food you prepare BEFORE you sit down to eat.
4. Find something to do to keep you distracted and away from the food for at least an hour after eating.
5. If you throw away food, make it inedible before doing so (e.g. a spray or two of windex). This last one is crazy, but my cousin swears by it. Cupcakes, donuts and other goodies have gotten a spray when she's made an impulse purchase. She'll eat 1 or 2 and then spray the rest before throwing it away.
6. Don't keep tempting foods in the house. I LOVE cookies and sweets but I stopped keeping them in my house. If I really want it I have to go buy it and usually I'm just too lazy to run to the store. The same with juice, soda, etc. If given a choice between juice and water I'm drinkin the juice. But if there ISN'T any juice I HAVE to drink water.

Hope this helps, and remember changing old habits is hard and takes time. Try not to beat yourself up when you slip up :-)

brocantrs

Willpower!

sarahjean0612

Many of us can relate to this conundrum. A trick I sometimes do is to pour whatever I'm drinking over the food on my plate that I dont want to eat, whether it be the remaining portion or something like fries or chips that came with my sandwhich at a restaurant. Trying to just cover the food, or not eat it, or just eating "a few" never ever works for me. Once I see it, or especially taste it, I will devour it. But, once anything's been soaked in a pool of diet coke, it suddenly looses ALL appeal. I learned this trick in college from a sorority sister, and it works great. You may get a few odd looks from people, but who cares? Its worth it if it means reaching your goal.

Hernandezedw

I have that problem too... I grew up eating as much as I wanted and everyone used to joke around that I had hollow legs cos I could each so much and it wouldn't show... then I hit my late 20's and working more inside behind a desk... now I'm in my late 30's I've got to get rid of a decade of eating like I did when I was younger only without the young metabolism or amount of exercise.

I just realized, yesterday, that I wasn't "lucky" when I was younger. I was the same way. Ate as much as I wanted and people would say I'm so lucky because I don't gain wait. "Just wait till you get older" they would say. Now I laugh. I wasn't lucky. I just worked my *kitten* off doing things I enjoyed. Basketball, Football on the streets for hours. Exercising several times a day. There was no luck involved. If I knew then, what I know now, I would like to have told them they were just lazy.

Elle408

I don't leave food and I don't share food... I make really good, tasty food and damned if i'm giving it up!

So, saying that, I buy most things that are easily divided in to portions and I only cook enough to fit in to my allowance, then I eat every single bite short of licking the plate! I've come to realise that i'll never be the type of person to have small portions or leave food, so I just cook what I can eat and then I don't feel guilty about eating it all because it fits in to my allowance. It's working for me!

mamaboobear

I second the shoving gum in your mouth and RUN away from the food!!! Portion control is my biggest downfall but this is the one trick that has helped me tremendously!

Jenalyn

Have you tried an appetite surpressant of some sort?
I've found that drinking a cup of green tea (or taking a green tea capsule) half an hour before I eat helps with over-eating and its a natural surpressant.

ChezInProgress

It might also be about the quality of food you're eating. Salads are always a great meal. They generally aren't calorie heavy so you can grab several servings. But the good thing is at least for me, is I'm less likely to grab for a second or third serving. Grilled chicken is also excellent for this.

helenoftroy1

Have you tried an appetite surpressant of some sort?
I've found that drinking a cup of green tea (or taking a green tea capsule) half an hour before I eat helps with over-eating and its a natural surpressant.

omg, I've just realised! You are amazing! I stopped drinking green tea three days ago cos it was too hot, and this is the first time in a long time that I have wanted to eat although I'm full. I could hug you!!!!!!!!!!
I'm boiling the kettle now!:flowerforyou:

diverchic73

I have that problem too... I grew up eating as much as I wanted and everyone used to joke around that I had hollow legs cos I could each so much and it wouldn't show... then I hit my late 20's and working more inside behind a desk... now I'm in my late 30's I've got to get rid of a decade of eating like I did when I was younger only without the young metabolism or amount of exercise.

I just realized, yesterday, that I wasn't "lucky" when I was younger. I was the same way. Ate as much as I wanted and people would say I'm so lucky because I don't gain wait. "Just wait till you get older" they would say. Now I laugh. I wasn't lucky. I just worked my *kitten* off doing things I enjoyed. Basketball, Football on the streets for hours. Exercising several times a day. There was no luck involved. If I knew then, what I know now, I would like to have told them they were just lazy.

Exactly! I never realized how active I was until I stopped and thought about it. I used to walk everywhere, never sat still, rode my bike to get places I didn't walk to, danced loads, played softball, hiked up and down mountains, skiied, played volleyball and did track and field in school. Never thought it was exercise, it was just 'fun'. LOL

I see friends of mine back home (in Vancouver) who lead the kind of lifestyle I used to before I left there and they are super fit and healthy.

So I agree, to the ones who said we were 'lucky' we weren't we burned off every one of those calories while having fun!

gislihh

I sure know what you mean. After almost 30 years of trying to battle my weight I have been in exactly your shoes....., - until recently!
When I joined Myfitnesspal and started logging every food intake and excercise, distributing my calories througout the day in 5-6 meals (the biggest during dinner though), eating most of my excercise calories, THIS SUDDENLY CHANGED!

For the FIRST TIMEin my life I can have delicious foods and meals whithout wanting to keep eating forever. I enjoy food all day long, choosing whatever I fancy (being relatively healthy though). Cake portion midday, maybe a beer in the evening, along with everything else. Maybe an excercise if a big feast is coming up.

After viewing your diary I think you should eat more of your calories. You seem to have a lot left most of the time. Try to fill up your calorie quota with good food in even proportions.

I put my goal at 1 pound a week, although I would really like to loose weight faster, but this way I feel healthy and "normal", always being able to eat what everyone else is having (maybe in smaller portions) without binging.

Good luck!

MsKeelah919

Yes, I experience this too. As of yet, I dont know what to do about it. I'm a foodie. I love good food and enjoy my cooking. Tis a blessing and a curse! LOL

helenoftroy1

After viewing your diary I think you should eat more of your calories. You seem to have a lot left most of the time. Try to fill up your calorie quota with good food in even proportions.

I am trying to eat all my 1200 calories but until I get my HRM I don't want to eat back any exercise calories in case I do more damage than good. What do you think? Should i up to 1500? I have been losing two pounds a week consistently.

maz165

i am EXACTLY the same!! iv started to cook smaller quantities and i dont deprive myself. ill serve myself a portion and if im still hungry after 15-20 mins ill have a bit more.

That's what I was going to suggest--cook smaller quantities! I am totally the same way that I'll just keep eating because it's delicious and totally stuff myself. If I only make enough pasta for one helping (I am especially bad at portion control with pasta...it's just SO GOOD!!!), then I can't overeat it. It involves a bit less discipline than cooking larger quantities and telling yourself you're going to save leftovers.

A friend of mine eats a spinach salad while she's making dinner. By the time dinner is ready, she's much less hungry and doesn't wind up overeating.

I've also started freezing grapes so if I feel like munching after dinner, I just have a small portion of them as a sweet dessert.

Good luck!!

gislihh

While things are going so well for you it should be OK to continue on these low calories. But as soon as you slow down I think you should really up your calories. Before you give up or something like that, at least.

AlsDonkBoxSquat

After viewing your diary I think you should eat more of your calories. You seem to have a lot left most of the time. Try to fill up your calorie quota with good food in even proportions.

I am trying to eat all my 1200 calories but until I get my HRM I don't want to eat back any exercise calories in case I do more damage than good. What do you think? Should i up to 1500? I have been losing two pounds a week consistently.

Well, it seems to be working for you for now. Just keep it in mind. If your weight loss slows down start with your calorie intake.

dragonflydi

honestly I just wanted to eat it all even though I was full.

Save it for later. You loved it now, treat yourself with it again on another day, so you get twice the "yum" out of that item.

On a separate note, one of the biggest things I had to learn was NOT to eat until I was "full". It is much safer to eat only until you are no longer 'hungry'. It takes a good 20 minutes before your brain actually triggers that you are full. A lot of people over eat for this very reason. They are not hungry but keep eating until that "full" trigger hits and by then, they have consumed another 200 or more calories that they probably didn't actually 'need'.

This was a HARD one for me. I am having to work on this with my daughter as well. It's a slow process ...

k8edge

Try wrapping what's left in a napkin and throw it in the trash.

Well that is just wastefull.

Instead of throwing away good food... Perhaps walk away from it. Put everything away and start doing something else. Most likely you will learn to just say no.

kklindsey

As a former binge eater I feel you. It has nothing to do with hunger. It is this crazy voice in your head that drives you to eat more, long after you are full to the point of nausea. You just have to keep on resisting it, eating well, logging your food and exercise and take pride in the accomplishments you make. Recovering from binge eating really is a one day at a time type thing. I still crash and burn sometimes but as long as you don't throw in the towel you will do fine.

TripleJ3

Its more of a mental thing for me. I was not raised to eat everything on my plate but we weren't wealthy. We ate what we had. So I don't know if its that frugal living in me or what but I have a hard time leaving food I paid for behind.

I too try to make less etc etc because oddly I'm normally not good with eating leftovers the next day, I lose interest and want to try something new. I remind my self REPEATEDLY that the money is spent whether I eat it or not. Eating it all isn't going to change any facts other then change my pants size. I am NOT a garbage disposal.

I don't struggle with it as much as I used to but it still nags me from time to time.

Also logging and planning out my day every morning and seeing it in my face really helps too. My calories are like currency to me. I want to get the most out of them, get the best quality while not sacrificing what I really want. So when I see how much I "spend" on extra bites, it really sticks in my mind how it isn't worth it.

Barneystinson

I either try to make less (very easy with meats and vegetables) or portion out the dinners on the plates then pop the rest into the fridge in a pyrex bowl immediately (works well with rice, grains / casseroles / soups).

It's tough having some items in large bowls just sitting there on the table waiting for you to dish out a larger helping. They may be healthy and taste awesome but they're still calories, and beyond what you've budgeted

TakeOne

i am EXACTLY the same!! iv started to cook smaller quantities and i dont deprive myself. ill serve myself a portion and if im still hungry after 15-20 mins ill have a bit more.

make sure you drink lots of water before and after your meal, that should fill you up. orrr even better, put the remaining food away. in the fridge or freezer, hide it from sight. brush your teeth and make yourself a hot herbal drink. by the time youve done all that you would have forgotten about eating it.

dont get me wrong, i have failed a few times but now i have trained myself that my eyes shouldnt be bigger than my belly.

I totally agree! It is hard to cook a good meal and then only eat a small portion, but all of these suggestions have helped me. Especially if you freeze individual servings. Some of it is trial and error...not everything freezes well. I also try to think about how bad I feel (physically) when I over eat...its just not worth it!