Portion Control

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mindovermuffins
mindovermuffins Posts: 13
in Food and Nutrition
How do you overcome the urge to overeat?

Portion control is one of my big struggles.
The right amount of food looked so small on my plate until I switched to smaller plates. Now the food and the plate size are in proportion and I have tricked my brain into thinking I am eating more than I am so I am satisfied.
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  • Mitzigan94
    Mitzigan94 Posts: 393 Member
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    I overcomethat urge ever since I had almost all calories memorized on my mind..


    Also just this month taking pictures of my food before eating it, It's also a great way to remind yourself that you have just eaten.

    Photo food journalling your food helps too. Besides, who else wanna take a picture of a big amount of muffin/?

    there u have it. Portion control.:D
  • laceyfowler
    laceyfowler Posts: 127 Member
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    I make lots of meat and veggie based dishes in the crockpot, but even when they're quite healthy, over-eating these dishes can still pack on the calories (especially if I've used some coconut milk as a base in a curry or something!). Soooo I pile a reasonable portion of my main dish on top of a BIG serving (or a couple servings) of veggies :-)

    Sometimes I finely chop / rice up a bunch of cauliflower and use it as a base. Other times I lay down a cup, or two, or three, of spinach leaves or rucola to put the main dish on top of. This can fill up a pretty good-sized bowl or plate but only adds few calories... and a bunch of nutrients! It makes the meal look and feel more filling and is really good for you too :-)
  • eblakes93
    eblakes93 Posts: 372 Member
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    I think this is a really big barrier for most overweight people, myself included. Using smaller plates and measuring and weighing is a good teaching tool. It helps you learn what a portion is, so that when you are eating out or with friends you can guestimate portion size. I also try and eat slow and without being in front of the TV, really paying attention to whether or not I'm full/satisfied.
  • Shellz31
    Shellz31 Posts: 214 Member
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    I've been struggling with portion control forever, but lately I've been really trying to fit as much vegetables in my diet as I can stand. Vegetables, and to a lesser extent fruit and beans/legumes, are low calorie so I can eat the same VOLUME of food for fewer calories. Then it's much harder to overeat :happy:
  • bf43005
    bf43005 Posts: 287
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    Smaller plate worked, I also use smaller fork. Makes me eat slower, so I feel full faster. If I have a snack, like ice cream, I put it in a coffee mug instead of bowl. Makes it seem like more.
  • Redheadllena
    Redheadllena Posts: 353 Member
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    I make lots of meat and veggie based dishes in the crockpot, but even when they're quite healthy, over-eating these dishes can still pack on the calories (especially if I've used some coconut milk as a base in a curry or something!). Soooo I pile a reasonable portion of my main dish on top of a BIG serving (or a couple servings) of veggies :-)

    Sometimes I finely chop / rice up a bunch of cauliflower and use it as a base. Other times I lay down a cup, or two, or three, of spinach leaves or rucola to put the main dish on top of. This can fill up a pretty good-sized bowl or plate but only adds few calories... and a bunch of nutrients! It makes the meal look and feel more filling and is really good for you too :-)

    Great tip!!
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
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    I'm a volume eater, too. So I have vegetables with most of my meals. Example: pasta with sauce, and a pile of broccoli next to it. By the time I'm done, my stomach just assumes I had twice as much pasta. And not only is it about filler, but the fact that my body could really use the nutrients anyway. I feel physically and mentally better for having done it (even though my taste buds would prefer double pasta).
  • dejamos
    dejamos Posts: 53 Member
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    Mindful eating: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/dining/mindful-eating-as-food-for-thought.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&ref=dining&adxnnlx=1387380058-u/BuA7kGvuDnfsRpB3kzaw

    This was the one thing that brought everything else together for me. I don't worry about it as much when I'm not at home, especially in social situations (although I always pay attention to what I eat now), but when I am home alone this rule is the only unbreakable one that I have: When I eat, that is ALL I do. No TV, no computer, no reading, nothing.

    Oh yeah, except for popcorn. If my macros allow for it I let myself have a serving of popcorn in the evening in front of the TV. But that is the only exception.
  • sportyredhead01
    sportyredhead01 Posts: 482 Member
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    I found these bowls that have a really large lip on the outside with a design so visually it looks as big as a dinner plate but in reality it's just the tiny center that gets filled.

    I fill the bottom with spinach or roasted vegetables or mashed cauliflower or sweet potato. Then whatever protein I'm eating goes on that with dollop of avocado or homemade mayo for excitement.

    Also I weigh most of my food. It's incredibly eye opening to see the actual recommended portion size.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    it's xtrremely difficult. :(
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    Lots of veggies! I'm more into eating lower calorie foods, personally, than smaller portions of calorie dense foods, so my plate is always pretty full and around 400 calories. To be fair though, my problem was never overeating during meals, but eating thousands of calories in snacks.
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
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    Thanks for the great tip on Mindful eating !!! Sometimes we get too busy and we think that if only we can eat faster, finish faster, we can get more stuff done. But we end up with the same amount of work and with a lot more calories than we intended.:(
  • lynn1982
    lynn1982 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    Figure out why you're overeating - emotional reasons, boredom, etc. It might seem lame, but I started keeping a journal and wrote down how I was feeling every time I had the urge to overeat. Also, soups and veggies are your friend!! They're low in calories and filling. Start meals with a soup and/or salad, ensure half your plate is filled with veggies as your main, etc. Soon your body will get used to feeling full and you won't have the urge to overeat as much.
  • Lynn_babcock
    Lynn_babcock Posts: 220 Member
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    Vegetables.. way more of them. Broccoli just went on sale here yesterday.. 77 cents a pound for fresh broccoli. I'll probably be getting 30 pounds to put in the freezer this week... or steam and dehydrate. I like to figure 4 cups of vegetables for dinner and a small portion of whatever else makes up dinner. Until yesterday broccoli was $3.20 a pound.. gah, cabbage was 89cents a pound.. vegetables are expensive here so I've been trying to do more portion control of main food.. which never works out great for me :)

    I make egg drop soup which works out to 51 calories a cup.. the lowest calorie soup I've made.
  • NGFive
    NGFive Posts: 125 Member
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    Eat a couple of bites...just enough to get the taste on your tongue
  • sweetpea03b
    sweetpea03b Posts: 1,124 Member
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    Veggies for sure. My hubby and I started cutting out carbs at dinner and having meat/veggies only. I make sure that my veggies take up half my plate and drink lots of water..... then later if I'm still hungry I have a small snack. I think part of the problem is people don't let their food settle to realize that they had enough to not be hungry... then they overeat and have that "full feeling".
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    I measured everything and find recipes that either a.) I can have more than one serving of, or, b.) portion sizes are already fairly large.
  • chani8
    chani8 Posts: 946 Member
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    Now that it's winter, I try to turn every main course into a soup of some kind. Today I made ground meat for the family to make into burritos, but for me, I took out a measured and weighed portion of the ground meat, put it in a bowl on top of steamed cabbage and carrots, and poured hot water with spices in it, over everything. Made a great soup!
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    Spread it out and make it look pretty, like in a facny restaurant. Loads of salad to fill up the space.
  • rostraqueen
    rostraqueen Posts: 22
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    I'm been drinking more water (and occasionally no added sugar squash) because sometimes I think I'm hungry when really I'm just pretty thirsty! As I'm sure you've heard before.
    Smaller plate worked for me too and substituting high calorie sides for low calorie, e.g. having more carrots/broccoli/cauliflower/cabbage/green beans instead of potatoes with a cooked meal or having a pile of salad (mostly lettuce and without dressing) to bulk out a smaller portion. Instead of having half a pizza, have 2 slices and a pile of salad!
    Also, I've found making sure I have the right balance of nutrients in the day stops me from eating so much for the evening meal - could be psychological I guess, but it could also be that my body doesn't crave food as it has everything it needs!

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