Satisfied with smaller portions of favorite treats?

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Replies

  • Whambam087
    Whambam087 Posts: 170
    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 :smile: 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.
    The zip lock bag is simple but a great idea! It's sounds silly but I've noticed if I eat directly from a large bag or half gallon carton of ice-cream(I know), it's easy to just keep having a little more...and a little more. Maybe because the bag is big I can easily delude myself that I'm not eating "that much" lol. When I see the actual serving size laid out before me it's like more of a reality check though. It becomes more apparent that if I eat that there I'm having that many calories and well is that worth it?...oh wow I need to get an icecream maker that makes yummy icecream lower in calories. Where do you get something like that?
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    I can, but I have to put it in a bowl, weigh it, and put the rest away. When it's things that might go bad (ie, baked goods) it's harder though... I want to enjoy it while they're still fresh, and I tend to go a bit overboard. Typically it still fits in my calories.

    Restaurant food though... forget it. I'll eat the whole plate if it's right here. Leftovers just never taste as good to me (especially if it's served with ice cream, obviously).
  • Whambam087
    Whambam087 Posts: 170
    1/2 cup is nothing. you could do what i do and find a low cal alternative? i switched to chocolate soymilk ice-cream which is lower cal and so i can eat more. there are so many alternatives to our beloved fav foods. also, maybe fatten out your fav food by mixing something with it (fruit in with the ice-cream)?
    I did find this frozen yogurt place that makes 8 calorie/ounce frozen yogurt so I can have a whole pint for 130 calories (what a serving should be lol) and its actually pretty good. However if eat there all the time it could get pretty expensive.
  • Whambam087
    Whambam087 Posts: 170
    It's encouraging that other people have success though! I think part of the difficulty is I'm just not used to eating treats in moderation so it's like I'm adopting a whole new habit. I used to be of the mind that I couldn't have treats very often so when I did have them I would well have them. Either I didn't have them or I went all get out (usually icecream). Ideally I would like to have more of a healthy medium where I can enjoy them in moderation
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    Sometimes it helps me to simply put things in a smaller container. I know it seems silly. A custard cup of ice cream seems a lot bigger than the same amount in my regular bowls!
  • 1two3four
    1two3four Posts: 413 Member
    Everybody is different.

    For me, I can be satisfied with small servings of SOME things.

    Brownies, cookies and cakes: I can just eat whatever amount I budget for here. These tend to be the absolute richest of my treats and I am happy to eat only a small amount.

    High quality ice cream? Yes if it's really rich sometimes only a bite is fine. Sometimes I need the half a cup. And sometimes I'll budget for more when I'm planning the day and eat half the pint or make a sundae with caramel-butterscotch sauce and nuts as a special treat. Both ways are fine for me. I don't think I've struggled with this since starting counting calories.

    Chocolate candy: I this is something that I struggle with. A piece is always enough until I mindlessly go back for more so I'll buy it and keep it out of reach and I'll budget a piece here and there and keep the rest where it's really hard for me to get at it.

    Potato chips: No way in hell. I cannot just eat one. One bag, yes. One chip, no. I don't keep them in the house I try not to eat them when I encounter them, I can't just eat one. I can't even put them out of reach because they are just that good and I'm not able to moderate my intake.

    Also, the richer and tastier something is dessert wise the easier it is for me to be satisfied and eat less. Like 340 calorie ice cream is easier to just eat one bite of than 140 calorie ice cream. Baked goods that are freshly made (either at home or in a bakery) are easier to just eat a small amount of. If I start getting "diet" foods low fat, low sugar or whatever then it becomes harder for me to say, I've had enough.
  • sitayaksha
    sitayaksha Posts: 10
    I just started here and I found that I am enjoying the little packs of 100 calorie snacks they fix cravings and fill you a bit . I got some that had some Keebler cookies and chocolate gram crackers and cheese it's and they are a good in between snack and very small portions and I AMA person who likes big portions lol so I really like these and they have the healthy choice Greek yogurt (which is really good and taste like ice cream a is 100 cals too, WW also has good ice cream that is not too bad I cals as well. And fiber one has good snacks too . They all help and give you a variety of snacks.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    I can't keep certain things in the house. I swear I'll wake up in the middle of the night, realize I didn't finish it and get to work. So I have to buy just the serving size or two whenever I'm craving. DQ mini blizzards, for example. For other items I make just the serving size and that's how I control my portions. Mug "coffee cake", pancakes, pizza, yum. I had pizza for dinner so many nights in a row that it became like a normal meal rather than a treat. Got the idea from a thread on here within the last two weeks. LOL
  • ponycyndi
    ponycyndi Posts: 858 Member
    I'm sure if you try really hard and foster a new habit.

    For me, I've decided my definition of moderation is to stay away from my trigger foods as daily habits, but when I do have them give myself free reign. I'm not at all interested in having a half cup of ice cream nightly, or two ores a day; I'd rather eat a quarter of a gallon twice a month, or a whole pack of oreos every once in awhile, and then move on.

    I agree with this, and the opportunity to splurge once a month or so is already laid out- Christmas, Valentines, Birthdays, anniversary, Halloween, 4th of July, etc. Not thatI splurge every holiday, but I can, and if its my anniversary and my hubby always makes me a chocolate cake, I'm gonna eat half of it.
  • dandelyon
    dandelyon Posts: 620 Member
    Yes, smaller portions are everything for me. I have happily stuffed myself on basic pantry staples, so it would be pretty rough on my family if I just stopped buying anything that I might be tempted to overeat.
  • Bagelsan
    Bagelsan Posts: 49
    I have an easier time just not eating most sugary things, rather than trying to eat just a bit of them. The time I crave a cookie most is ...right after I eat a cookie. It's like my taste buds suddenly remember what sugar tastes like once I have a bite, and instantly scream for more! Skipping desserts altogether is usually best for me, because it's "out of sight, out of mind."

    But when I *do* try to eat a small amount of a sweet, I focus on something high-quality and very flavorful in a small container -- a single scoop of raspberry sorbet in a cute little bowl with a teeny spoon and my full attention (savor it!) is more satisfying than half a gallon of off-brand vanilla ice cream while distractedly watching cat videos, yanno? Make it delicious and make it last a while rather than just wolfing it down and it will seem like a more complete dessert experience. :)
  • MysteriousMerlin
    MysteriousMerlin Posts: 2,270 Member
    I find I do MUCH better when the portion is already measured for me. Not that I don't know how to use a measuring cup or spoons, or a scale, but I'm way less tempted to sneak in an extra spoonful of something if it meant I had to open another package.
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
    A lot of great replies here. I think it will be a decision only you can make for yourself. Different things drive different people to do things. I have found now that I am more aware of the calories, I am less apt to grab the doritos if there is something healthier available to me. However, if I really want the doritos, I just have the single serving and fit it into my caloric intake for the day.

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