How much do you eat vs how much you think you eat?

splackk

Interesting post and responses, I've noticed this too. My dad is one of those people who will go out to dinner with the family going on and on that he "hasn't eaten anything all day!". A few months back I visited and stayed with him a few weeks and we went out to dinner several times. He would say the same thing 3/4 of the times we went out, but living with him for that period I saw very well that he ate as much or more as anyone else should during the day, but he would treat himself to a 2000 calorie dinner as a treat for being so hungry! He's very overweight.

Meanwhile, my SO who was meeting my family and visiting the States for the first time complained of being too full frequently, saying she had been eating constantly. In truth, she would eat a big meal for breakfast with everyone, but then skip lunch being "too full" and only nibble a small dinner, in the end maybe even eating less than usual. And she's on the verge of underweight, can't gain for anything but can lose at the drop of a hat.

kmbrooks15

This is interesting, because I was just thinking today about my eating. I'm really not eating any less than I used to eat, but because I'm choosing my foods more carefully, I'm eating lower-calorie foods. I can eat the same amount of food but have it be less calories because I'm focusing on eating foods that are good for me, which tend to naturally be lower in calories. I was probably eating about 2500 calories a day before, and now I'm between 1200 and 1500 (depending on my exercise for the day) and still eating the same amount. I guess that's why I've not really been hungry doing this.

You're right, though, we often don't really have a proper perspective on the amount we're eating. Now that I'm measuring and weighing, it's helped me to recognize healthy portions. I used to think 1 cup of rice wasn't much, but it's actually more than it seems it would be.