Portion Control? Yeah, right...

Ditch the Cheerios and eat protein for breakfast. That's probably why you're starving. :flowerforyou:

After a couple of weeks, your appetite will change. Since you are eatting less, you will start to feel fuller sooner. I started about 3 months ago. I find that now when I eat I actually push the plate away and can't finish my plate. It will get better.

There are so many yummy and filling options. I just had a piece of whole grain toast with a bit of butter, a slice of cheese, a mountain of egg whites, avocado, and tomato, and a side of grapes for breakfast. 375 calories according to the counter, and I'm stuffed! Cheerios and a banana is more of a snack I'd say.

I was hungry a lot at first because I had a big problem with portion control, I never ever felt full. But it gets easier and easier and finally you get used to eating a normal portion of food. Also I agree, cherrios fill me up now but would never have worked for me in the beginning.

Like you said, it's only day 2. It will get easier. You have to remember to drink lots of water, and remember the reasons you want to do this. Sometimes it's all about your will power and motivation. Also, after eating, make sure you give yourself enough time to figure out if you really are hungry...or if you just needed a little more time. Sometimes after I eat my mind says I'm still hungry because I don't think I really ate that much, if I just wait a little bit I usually find out I'm not actually still hungry.

Good luck on your journey!

There are so many yummy and filling options. I just had a piece of whole grain toast with a bit of butter, a slice of cheese, a mountain of egg whites, avocado, and tomato, and a side of grapes for breakfast. 375 calories according to the counter, and I'm stuffed! Cheerios and a banana is more of a snack I'd say.

That's an awesome breakfast! It would keep me full and happy. This morning I had an Amy's tofu scramble. That was pretty good. I was also thinking earlier that Greek yogurt would be great breakfast food because a cup is 24g of protein or so.

Also, I might mention that you may want to make sure you're doing snacks. I eat 5x a day, and this also helps. Always include protein with your snacks as well. Your issue really sounds like the blood sugar roller coaster I go on from too little protein / too many carbs.

Part of it is learning what will give you the most "bang" for your caloric buck and part of it is slowly moving down portion sizes and readjusting yourself so that smaller portions are enough.

The person who suggested protein for breakfast is smart- i usually do 2 eggs or slices of PB toast- but I also spent the summer slowly decreasing my portions without looking at calories. Some people just push through it, some do it like I did- slowly but with less results.

Either way, ditch the cereal- try oatmeal with fruit if you like your grains 1st thing, otherwise, stick to protein if you can.

The hunger will ease up over time. I found that measuring and weighing EVERYTHING and recording it here BEFORE I ate it helped me to get a grip on portion sizes and made me MUCH more aware of what I was putting in my mouth. Also, as other said, making smarter food choices that are more filling but still low in calories will help. Be sure to drink lots of water also BEFORE and AFTER you eat.

Good Luck! You can do it!

Mary

Cheerios, skim milk, and banana= low protein, which I have found = high hunger. I'm not on a low carb diet, per se- but I definitely limit my simple carbs and up my fiber and protein, and my hunger level certainly decreases eating this way.

We ditched the flying saucer sized dinner plates and exchanged them for salad plates instead. This is one way to control portions, you still get a plate full of food, just a smaller plate.

I also have heard to put everything (including dessert) on your plate at one time, this is supposed to avoid "second servings".

A tip for portion control at a restaurant, immediately portion control your plate. Scoot anything you are going to eat over to the side, then dump salt on the portion you will not be eating. This avoids you being tempted to "pick at your food".

I have been known to eat non-traditional breakfast foods, such as veggie soups with barley which is a huge filler. Or a turkey sandwhich with avocado as the spread on whole wheat bread and spinach instead of iceberg. Some people can't do this, but I find breakfast foods are usually low in fill power or high in sugar.

Thanks, guys. I guess I'm just used to thinking a "portion" is what the restaurant plops on your plate before they hand it to you. Maybe the water will help -I think I'm just going to grab a bottle, find a room to clean, and turn on the iPod.

And therein lies part of the cause of our weight problem. The amount a restaurant serves is sometimes up to 6 servings! I agree with others though that in time you will adjust. It IS hard at first, and very eye opening when you measure out your meals.