Portion Control ONLY Success Stories?

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  • HaleyAlli
    HaleyAlli Posts: 911 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback everyone. I like the idea of having healthier versions of my favorite foods. I'll look into that. I'm considering going off strict calorie counting for a little bit and seeing how it goes... I'm just getting so stressed out worrying about my calorie count every day and sometimes it makes me hungry just thinking about it :tongue: But if I control my portions (my idea is to limit myself to 1 serving per item at every meal) my calorie count will naturally be lower and I won't have to worry. I appreciate all the thoughts and tips :smile:
  • baconsteak
    baconsteak Posts: 7
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    But if I control my portions (my idea is to limit myself to 1 serving per item at every meal) my calorie count will naturally be lower and I won't have to worry.

    Be careful with this, don't let this become your mantra. 1 serving of junk is still junk and although you will eat less this way you are not guaranteed to eat less calories or lose weight just by following this one rule. Sounds like you are trying to lose weight? Why not do it with a slow move over to more clean foods? No way are you going to do this tomorrow but over time you can move to healthy food and not have to worry about all the hormonaly havoc eating junk with do to your metabolism. Just because you "eat less" or reduce your calories does not mean your hormones are going to allow you to lose enough weight to get to your weight goal. Maybe you could set some goals of altering your diet each week a little bit to improve what you are eating, not just how much you are eating. Best of luck!! :happy:
  • sister_bear
    sister_bear Posts: 529 Member
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    I started off with portion control and striving to get the nutrients I need and not the tasty tastes I crave. I felt like something was missing and I knew what. Exercise.

    I still 'treat' myself occasionally, but junk food just kills me now. It makes me feel terrible.

    Junk food also contains stuff that makes you want to eat more of it. Dangerous stuff.
  • nlghtcrawler
    nlghtcrawler Posts: 8
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    I started off with portion control and striving to get the nutrients I need and not the tasty tastes I crave. I felt like something was missing and I knew what. Exercise.

    I still 'treat' myself occasionally, but junk food just kills me now. It makes me feel terrible.

    Junk food also contains stuff that makes you want to eat more of it. Dangerous stuff.

    Most of my weight loss comes from portion control and calorie counting, i agree with the junk food thing though, I ate IHOP today and i felt like CRAP afterwards, but i do try and have a candy bar or something good every now and then. I look at my journey as a life style change rather than a 'diet'.
  • Oishii
    Oishii Posts: 2,675 Member
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    In the past portion control is all I've done, but I think tracking calories with mfp has been a goodway to think things through better.

    When I lost 20lbs in France in my early 20s I still had huge ice-cream Sundays, just that would be my entire meal, not dessert. I swapped my morning croissant for cereal bars, and split them to have half at breakfast and half when I got to work. I suspect I was eating under 1200 net at the time, considering how much walking I did and how hungry I was.

    More recently, I habitually gave myself half portions of rice, pasta etc, but lost nothing because I ended up bingeing on chocolate or ice-cream instead. To me the advantage of calorie counting is that it is like having money in your purse: you have to decide what is worth spending precious calories on. Thus I ate healthier when my calories were lower: mediocre chocolate cake wasn't worth a quarter of my calories for the day. Now I'm maintaining I might have that cake, and if I asn't calorie counting to lose I might have then too.

    I hope whatever you choose to do works out for you.
  • kacarter1017
    kacarter1017 Posts: 651 Member
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    Probably not. One of the issues with fast and processed food is the sodium content; and at some point all that sodium will make you retain fluid and slow/halt your weight loss. Also, your body seems to get to a point as you get closer to ideal weight range where it gets pickier about nutrients- at least mine is. If I have too many days with higher sodium, not enough protein, etc, my weight loss is stalled. It's slow enough right now, I'm trying harder to manage the nutrients better.

    What it comes down to is would you be able to maintain healthier eating long term? The changes you make have to be things you can sustain. If not, then maybe you accept the weight you're at because this is how you can eat over the long haul.
  • CherrySunday
    CherrySunday Posts: 301
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    Portion control worked for the first 20 pounds, after that I had to kick in on the exercise!
  • Talakhalid
    Talakhalid Posts: 3
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    Yes I did portion control and I succeed , I lost 20 kilos in 8 months . I used to eat every thing but in small quantities . I used to eat 20 gm chocolate daily and I lost weight .
  • nathalier71
    nathalier71 Posts: 570 Member
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    I've mostly cut on portion size. I measure everything - instead of having 3 bowls of chips, I have 1 portion which is 50gr - which is plenty!

    At first, I tried cutting things I love out - that was not going to work... so I cut down. I do eat lots of veggies and fruits and other healthy things... but I didn't cut out what I love - like chips and chocolate.

    It's all in moderation.

    You also have to move some. I started with walking - lost most of the weight just cutting down and walking.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    Yes I did portion control and I succeed , I lost 20 kilos in 8 months . I used to eat every thing but in small quantities . I used to eat 20 gm chocolate daily and I lost weight .
    You have bumped a zombie thread from 2011. SHAAAAAAAMMMMMEEEEE
  • krismas444
    krismas444 Posts: 3
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    I am doing portion control only (as well as exercising). I'm not doing any other kind of "dieting" though. My goal through this process is to essentially eat like I will eat for the rest of my life. But to figure out how to do it so I can be the weight I want to be. I still have a chocolate chip cookie but only one. My big treat is I have a small half cup measuring cup and a baby spoon. I measure out my ice cream and use that to eat it. It takes longer that way, and because I know that its all I get I am very mindful as I'm eating it. Same with the cookie. I walk nearly everyday and also hike on the weekends (with winter coming I get to find some new challenges and things I can enjoy doing). Find activities you enjoy doing and that helps. Don't sweat the day to day look at your calories over the course of a week. Make sure that you are "swapping" healthier choices for the fun stuff. If you want to have a sundae then make sure you have a very healthy meal before that where you eat lots of lean stuff. Your calories are precious but so is your life so if its a day of lots of bad choices because you are out of town or there is a special event forgive yourself for that and just make healthier choices for the rest of the week. I've seen it here and its true - You didn't gain it in a day and you won't lose it in a day either. If you are plateauing then try mixing up your activities. That's what did it for me. Around 10lbs I couldn't lose any more for a month and then I exchanged in a day of pilates and suddenly I was back to my half a pound a week. Another thing that helped me naturally is that I drink half my body weight in water every day. It makes me more full and also inadvertently helped me give up sodas except when I really want one not just when I'm thirsty. Good luck!
  • EmotionalEater84
    EmotionalEater84 Posts: 311 Member
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    There's a reason we say 80% diet and 20% exercise ;)

    Throw in a bunch of veggies and fruit into the mix - you'll do fine!
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
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    Honestly, I eat whatever the heck I want, as long as I keep within my calorie limits. some things are considered "healthy" foods and some are not. Portion control is just another way of calorie counting, which is one of the things this site is used for.
  • IndiaGuerita1983
    IndiaGuerita1983 Posts: 98 Member
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    I had the most success when I was making very healthy choices. I lost 75 lbs by being very strict with what I ate (I ate clean every day for about 8 months). My sister started her weight loss journey at the same time and decided to cut portions but not limit her sugar/carb intake. She lost about 40 lbs in 8 months. (Which is great...but personally I would have given up without the faster results.)

    When I have a cheat meal my body swells up and I gain anywhere from one to ten pounds overnight. (Yes...I have gained 10 lbs overnight after a bad day of food.)

    I think if you want to see faster results you'll have to make healthier choices...or at the very least watch your sodium intake. You need to measure out your food consistently, too. That's the key for me.

    Good luck.

    -India
  • dmt4641
    dmt4641 Posts: 409 Member
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    For me personally, I am not full enough with only small portions of rich foods. Try the 1/2 plate rule. Fill 1/2 your plate with veggies and salad and then other have can be a smaller portion of what your mom makes. It is easy to buy some frozen veggies and bagged salad to supplement your meal and make sure you are getting enough nutrition. I also sometimes make a big pot of low cal soup early in the week (mostly just veggies) and have a big bowl of that before a meal.

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