Portion control - HOW?

empresslove13

My portions are so out of control. I wolf down food at an amazing rate. Curious what things have helped you all control potions?

runnercheryl

I just weigh everything out.

mrspetrosian

Yep, pay attention to serving sizes and actually measure it out. Get a scale for measuring meats.

After a while (for some it's a long while), you are able to really, honestly know what a true portion measurement is and won't have to measure forever. Well, some people do.

Good luck!

itsuki

Slow down when you eat.

Drink lots of water while you're eating.

Don't make more food than you need! Or, if you're at a restaurant/want to cook food enough to have leftovers, package up all but one portion ahead of time.

chachita7

I read an article about removing yourself from all distractions when you eat. Enjoy every bite, allow your mind to know you are eating - it is proven that by the third bite you brain recognizes you are feeding the body (no that doesn't mean stop at the 3rd bite). Plan your meals and weigh them - also eat in smaller plates.

^^ it all ads up.

BrendaLee

Having multiple items on the plate helps. If you eat less, you'll soon realize you don't need those huge portions, and it feels a helluva lot better to walk away from the table satisfied rather than stuffed. Feeling better should be a great motivator.

bcattoes

I eat light throughout the day so I can have a big dinner with the big portions I like in the evening. Usually at least half of my calories are comsumed at dinner.

SarahMorganP

I seem to eat bigger portions than most of the members here, but I really don't snack much, so I eat 3 bigger meals a day most days. That's what works for me. Still I have to weigh my food so that I know how many calories I am getting. So I do suggest weighing your food.

ashleighk90

Try just being aware of portion sizes for a while. Make sure you are always registering how much more than a serving you are taking in. Also, I doubled the amount of veggies I was eating with meals. So I am still eating a plateful, but now 1/3 of my plate is veg. I need to invest in a scale for my meats, but keep in mind a serving of meat is typically the size of your palm.

This website has some good info!

http://www.webmd.com/diet/control-portion-size

"... filling a measuring cup with the proper sized portion of vegetables, rice, etc. and then emptying it onto a plate will help you learn what these serving sizes look like. Take note of how much of the plate is covered; this will help you in the future, even if you only do it once. Simply by having and implementing this knowledge, you will have taken an important step in managing your weight."

ryno0618

I do not allow myself to graze. I put all of my dinner on one plate and that is all I am allowed. No seconds, no grazing afterwards.

I measure everything so that I am truly eating the serving size only.

I no longer eat in front of the television (except for like a popcorn movie snack). We used to eat in front of the tv or in bed every evening and I would not pay attention to my servings or how much I was eating for meals and snacks while vegging out on the couch. Now we cook dinner, put our entire meal on the plate, sit at the table and eat it slow.

farmers_daughter

I use my kids' plates & bowls....

Shut the front door! :noway:

Paolinat

The hardest part about a diet is eating less food.
For some food is like a security blanket and it is hard to lessen the grip.
For others it is an imbalance in eating: Eat only breakfast, lunch and dinner with no snacks, OR
Eating barely anything all day and eating huge at night (What is your body going to do with all those extra calories at night? Store it as fat... not a good idea.)
Hard to break the cycle of eating, just like smoking or any other addiction. I used to snack like crazy while studying. I used to smoke only when in the car (I found myself taking drives to nowhere). I used to want a snack before bed.
To break the cycles:
I eat veggies while studying and lots of decaf coffee and tea. Sometimes caffeine... ;-)
I quit smoking cold turkey, when I found out I was pregnant. I never want that filthy habit ever again.
Snack before bed is usually tea, maybe with milk. Sometimes I treat myself to a little bit of something.

The basic rule to eating successfully: everything in moderation. By the way, a friend of a friend, who is a model, said the best way to keep your weight low or lose weight is to eat a cup of veggies before you eat your meal. "Eat a cup of carrots and see how far you get into that slice of chocolate cake." For me, veggies have filled me up so I don't eat so much.

By the way, buy a scale and have measuring cups handy. Your reality of how much you are eating will completely change and the calories in certain foods will blow your mind!

By the way, I really liked this article:
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/slideshow.asp?show=6

Add to low food snacks:
Apple and peanut butter
carrots and hummus
cucumber and tzatziki
beets and cottage cheese

Mix any of the above.
If you mix a high carb with high protein, it make it harder for your body to metabolize, thereby giving you longer lasting energy without any crashes.

EngiAli

My portions are so out of control. I wolf down food at an amazing rate. Curious what things have helped you all control potions?

Weigh and measure everything. Either do it as you are putting it on your plate or do it ahead of time. Measure out cereal, nuts, raw veggies, berries and other snacks etc into tupperware or ziploc bags that you can grab and go. You can also do this with leftover meat to use for salads or sandwiches Using a measuring cup instead of a serving spoon for rice, potatos etc.

Cold_Steel

A few tips and tricks -


Restaurant Portion Control -

Order -A La Carte, if that option does not exist, if you are ordering a sandwich order it with fruit or vegetables (dont fool yourself with a side salad and then dump the dressing on it)

At Home -

I like the plate suggestions - it is all about will power -

The meat portion to the size of the palm of your hand is usually accurate
Make healthy side dishes and load up on those, that really changed our meal planning

Go for lighter options - light sour cream, leaner meats, no fat milk etc -

Back to the healthy side dishes - what I mean by this is if say you are making a burger at home-
Leaner meat say nothing fattier than 93/7% fat, low carb or whole wheat or half a white bun -
Load up on lettuce, tomatoes etc. No cheese.
Make some steamed or sauteed vegetables with abundance, eat those in between eating the burger and you will feel fuller -


Essentially the tip is - Eat more good stuff less bad stuff, that way you will be fuller with the good stuff and not so much the bad stuff.

HMD7703

Log it BEFORE you eat it! That way you can see what you are actually taking it. Half the time it will shock you so much that you might not eat anything!


And......... find a portion control plate!

empresslove13

you have all been SO helpful! I need to get a scale. i can eat and eat and eat meat

bcattoes

Eating barely anything all day and eating huge at night (What is your body going to do with all those extra calories at night? Store it as fat... not a good idea.)

MIne doesn't. I've eaten this way for decades. The only time I gain weight is when I stop exercising, and that's just because I don't lower my calories. And even that didn't start until I was over 40.

empresslove13

Oh! Portion control plate. I love that!

Cold_Steel

Eating barely anything all day and eating huge at night (What is your body going to do with all those extra calories at night? Store it as fat... not a good idea.)

MIne doesn't. I've eaten this way for decades. The only time I gain weight is when I stop exercising, and that's just because I don't lower my calories. And even that didn't start until I was over 40.

There has been no proven scientific evidence that suggests eating late at night makes you store fat...

Sorry, but for every article you post about it can be counter-posted by another, that is a highly debated topic. It can lead to gastric problems like bloating, acid reflux heartburn but as far as calorie storage nope.

It is believed that caloric exchange occurs between an 8-12 hour cycle, meaning energy you consumed now can be burned 8-12 hours later.

1. Your body is in constant state of energy transfer and exchange.
2. This myth is propagated and has been propagated for quite some time.
3. Some people do very poorly with eating in the morning (like me, I have to wait an hour or two to eat every morning or I feel terrible)
4. Some people do very poorly with eating at night and weight loss, some do very well. That is why it is not "science" yet.

empresslove13

Yes! I am on the hunt for portion control plates and i just got a scale! SOO excited! I will be able to track more carefully and as I go down in weight I think this will become more and more important. The main issue I have is with emotional eating as it relates to portions... thoughts?

_VoV

I haven't read all the answers, but I agree with weighing and measuring. Guesstimating amounts I eat can be a very slippery slope.

But, another thing I have done is eliminate foods that I eat, and eat, until they are gone: I call these 'trigger foods' and we all have them. I've been at this weight loss effort for many years, and some foods which were once awful trigger foods in the past, don't have that same effect on me now. Some don't even taste good to me anymore. I wonder why I even liked them at one time.

I am not mentioning specific trigger foods because on a site like this, I think it's better not getting people thinking about foods they would rather not eat. Just look at your food diary, and analyze which foods tend to set you off. Make these foods off limits in the house if that's where you have the problem with them, or if you must, freeze them or buy versions that involve some lengthy preparation--nothing that is quick and dirty.

I believe this is a process. When I first came to MFP in October, I felt my stomach was an empty pit. Huge quantities of food gave me no satisfaction, and each week the weight on the scale was creeping upward. It was a scary, out-of-control feeling, and I'm not going to lie--the turn off process wasn't like a light switch. I kept at it. My personal undoing was evening grazing. I NEVER thought I would be able to NOT eat massive quantities in the evening. But, now, it's much better. I have a binge evening less than once a week, and the day's calories are more in my maintenance range than 4000+ calories for the day.