Satisfied with smaller portions of favorite treats?
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Whambam087
Posts: 170
Can you learn to be satisfied with smaller portion sizes of your favorite treats overtime? For instance I love icecream, and if I could be satisfied with the 1/2 cup serving that would be no problem, but it's just so hard to have the 1/2 cup and have that be it! Maybe it's because I'm so used to having bigger portions when I do indulge and I've become accustomed to that. So has anyone successfully learned how to be satisfied with less bites? Lol
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Yes. It took time though. Like, a few months. I was used to eating at least five pieces of pizza in one sitting, and for dessert I'd have 2/3 of a pint of Ben and Jerrys if not more. Less just made me feel like I didn't have enough. Now though, I have one ice cream sandwich for dessert, and I'm satisfied.
honestly though, for ice cream just by itself, I feel like it's a little disingenuous for companies to say 1/2 cup is a serving, just so they can make the calories look lower. I don't know anyone, overweight or not, who only eats a half cup of ice cream at a time. Even now, that's not enough for me - that's why I don't eat ice cream by itself - somehow eating an ice cream sandwich or a low cal ice cream bar feels more satisfying.
But to answer your question, today I felt like snacking. I ate six tortilla chips, and felt fine and satisfied. That's a quarter of the serving amount (24 chips). This from a girl who always got two egg mcmuffins for breakfast cos one just didn't feel like enough. So it's doable.0 -
I found that after measuring some of my favorite foods out in servings they just are not worth it. Have you ever measured a serving of chex mix? Its laughably small, idk anyone who eats that little. Same with Oreos, who eats 2 Oreos? But you just need to decide if the treat is really worth it or not, because certain things will satisfy me, while others just make me want more.0
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yea I think so. I've been doing this for 30 days and recently have just been totally satisfied with smaller meals and treats. I went and got ice cream with a friend and got a mini size instead of my typical medium and I ended up totally satisfied. sometimes the brain will say "give me more" but if you wait it out your full and satisfied tummy will tell your brain to shut up lol0
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I agree with all posters above. Yes you can, but it takes a while to retrain your brain and stomach as to how much you should be eating! Also, I find that when I'm dieting well.for a while some things taste too rich.0
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It depends on the food. I can eat 2 oreos, and be fine. I can eat one handful of chips and stop. Other foods are trigger foods for me, and I eat the whole package before I stop. And some foods aren't worth the calories, so I don't eat them at all.0
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It depends on the food. I can eat 2 oreos, and be fine. I can eat one handful of chips and stop. Other foods are trigger foods for me, and I eat the whole package before I stop. And some foods aren't worth the calories, so I don't eat them at all.0
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truth of the matter is I can't eat as much now anyway...so my treats are a smaller size by default.0
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I ate 1 Hershey's kiss yesterday. Just one. I felt half way proud that I just ate one (22 calories) but then I thought I would never buy these to have at home because eating one measly kiss here or there wouldn't be satisfying.
Not like I need the WHOLE bag to eat at once, that's not what I mean. Just that I am not one of these people that goes "oh cool a thimble amount of chocolate, boy gee that sure curbed that sweet craving!" :noway:0 -
Most days I am. Some days I am ravenous and have a difficult time with it.
I try to eat slowly, small bites, and really savor the flavor. It really does help me eat less. Last night it took me 4 bites to eat 1 thin mint.0 -
I can. It took a little getting used to, but now I find recommended serving sizes like 1/2 cup of ice cream or 2 Oreos a perfect amount. Lots of times, I even just have 1/2 serving - for example, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have 1 package (2 cups) as a serving. I eat one cup, and give the other to my daughter (or someone else) and am perfectly satisfied. Sometimes, though, when I have calories left, I will have larger servings of things I enjoy eating.
I feel that thinking "who only eats <serving size amount> of <food>?" is a path to failure for some, depending on how they handle it.0 -
Absolutely! I sold myself this logic when it comes to sweets (I LOVE baked goods):
There is absolutely NO difference in taste if I have 2 or 3 bites of something VS if I eat a whole bunch of it. So I pay attention and savor each taste. Then get rid of it after 3 bites.
The difference is I feel a sense of discipline - or rather integrity toward my commitment to health, I don't have the fat feeling, guilt, or unnecessary calories to worry about. The result is I feel totally satisfied with a few bites. I don't feel like there is anything I "can't" have.
I can even do this with Key Lime Pie, which is my favorite thing on the planet!0 -
You definitely can! As the girl who hardly ever ate the correct portion size for most of my life, I measure nearly all of my snacks now and usually feel satisfied with the serving size. It just takes some time to adjust. I also find using MFP helped with the beginning stage for me. Knowing that I could add a snack I was craving more of today to the plan for tomorrow made me feel less like I needed to eat more right than minute.0
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Absolutely! For me it started with reading the labels and KNOWING what a serving actually was. And then figuring out where it was worth it to me to spend my calories and which treats wouldn't blow it for me.
A serving of Doritos is 11 chips. (140 cals)
A serving of "fun sized" snickers are two pieces! (a happy surprise - 160 cals)
A serving of my fave iced oatmeal cookies is 5 cookies. (150 cals)
A serving of mini vanilla Grandma's cookies is 9 tee-tiny cookies, or about half the little snack bag. (150 cals - this is bad, because then you have half of that little bag staring at you for the rest of the day, so I will avoid getting these from the vending machine from now on - 300 cals for the whole bag - really yummy and a nice treat, but not really worth it on a regular basis)
I have a treat pretty much every day too and I think that helps. I don't eat my treat thinking that I won't have anymore until I "deserve" it or something, so I can savor instead of scarf.0 -
It depends on the food. I can eat 2 oreos, and be fine. I can eat one handful of chips and stop. Other foods are trigger foods for me, and I eat the whole package before I stop. And some foods aren't worth the calories, so I don't eat them at all.
I totally agree with this. I can easily pass up certain treats because they're alright and don't really appeal to me, but icecream is just absolutely delicious! And because its so good I don't want to cut it out completely, I just want to be able to enjoy a reasonable portion without going overboard.0 -
Absolutely! I sold myself this logic when it comes to sweets (I LOVE baked goods):
There is absolutely NO difference in taste if I have 2 or 3 bites of something VS if I eat a whole bunch of it. So I pay attention and savor each taste. Then get rid of it after 3 bites.
The difference is I feel a sense of discipline - or rather integrity toward my commitment to health, I don't have the fat feeling, guilt, or unnecessary calories to worry about. The result is I feel totally satisfied with a few bites. I don't feel like there is anything I "can't" have.
I can even do this with Key Lime Pie, which is my favorite thing on the planet!0 -
Can you learn to be satisfied with smaller portion sizes of your favorite treats overtime? For instance I love icecream, and if I could be satisfied with the 1/2 cup serving that would be no problem, but it's just so hard to have the 1/2 cup and have that be it! Maybe it's because I'm so used to having bigger portions when I do indulge and I've become accustomed to that. So has anyone successfully learned how to be satisfied with less bites? Lol
Yes, but it really is the way I have been for as long as I can remember. If I have something like ice cream I usually put what I want in a coffee cup and that's more than enough for me. If I order out I usually get the kid's size of ice cream depending on where I am. If I have dessert out or at home I usually share.
Sorry, I can't offer any advice on how I can only have a small portion and be satisfied with that, but I believe you can do it too0 -
Took a while, but yes. When I started I cleaned house and threw out all the junk food because I didn't trust myself. Lately I've been bringing things back in, and I'm finding that a little really does satisfy me. Yesterday I budgeted two pieces of Dove chocolate and only ate one. I was shocked to find that I didn't actually want the second one and felt good when I put it back in the bag!
What helps me is Ziploc snack bags. I refuse to pay the ridiculous price of '100 calorie snack packs' so I make my own. I buy full packages of things (this week it is Nilla wafers) and put one serving in each bag. If I eat a bag I log it - IMMEDIATELY. Usually that's enough to deter me from reaching for another bag (seeing those calories!). I also find that one little bag is actually enough. A few months ago I would have scarfed the whole box (no joke), but now a few cookies a day really does tide me over and keep me satisfied.
As far as ice cream - I make my own. And I mean the real stuff - cream, milk, eggs, and sugar. I logged the recipe in MFP to figure out a 'reasonable' calorie amount (8 servings = 231 calories). As soon as it comes out of the ice cream maker I dish it up into 8 equal portions in little Tupperware containers and stick them in the freezer. Well - 7 Tupperware. The 8th portion gets eaten immediately But real ice cream is SO rich and so thick that one little cup is plenty. And since they're individually portioned once I lick the cup I'm done. Now I get ice cream once or twice a week and still stay within my daily calories.0 -
For me I find it completely satisfying. I have ice just just about every day and 1/2 cup is plenty. I won't give up any of my favorite foods. I just make them fit (usually). If they don't fit the day I want them, then I make room for it the next day.0
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A McDonalds icecream cone is about the only way I can handle ice cream but I am not a big ice cream eater anyway. Now chips, different story but I buy the small bags and it works fo me. I don't bring trigger foods in the house like M&Ms, Hershey bars,etc.
I can live with small portions because I hate eating those low carb diets and fruits and vegetables only all the time. I guess whatever works for me but I want all foods so I have to find a way to eat in moderation. I buy a small piece of cake in the grocery rather than a whole cake.0
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