Having A hard time getting my portions down. Anybody got some ideas?

I dumped whatever I cooked onto lots of leafy greens. I had to have quantity. Be sure that is a safe option for you. It worked for me and now after some time, I'm more full on less and don't have to see massive food in front of me.

You can't beat weighing your food for greater accuracy and peace of mind.

Still use the plates until you have trained your eye to measure what a portion should look like.

I eat a lot of salads too as I am often time poor and don't want to spend ages cooking. If you are used to eating big portions throwing some cooked chicken onto a big salad can fill you up.

Einstein worked out that space and time are related...so what?

So, if you take LONGER to eat the same meal it will seem to be BIGGER! Psychologically speaking that is. So, I have started to cut my food into smaller pieces, and to put my fork down before I chew 20 times before swallowing. I used to be a food "gobbler" but now I try to savour every mouthful. Also I read that if you pray or give thanks for the food before eating it will be more satisfying.

So when it comes to food, size is not everything!

lisal68 wrote: »

Bought those sectioned plates, but they still don't look like it's enough food. I'm diabetic and have many other medical problems, it's hard to cook so I try to get fast stuff I can nuke!!!!!!!

If you want to lose weight, then you are going to have to devote some attention to it. What jade rabbit said, that the plates arent really going to cut it and you should be weighing your food so you know what amounts you are eating. You need to know that becayse you need to ensure you are in deficit, which means you will lose weight.

You can use a microwave, but the problem with packaged or heavily processed meals is they contain high amounts of fat and salt.

You should investigate cooking some of your own food. it doesnt have to be complicated and can be a lot healthier for you. Frozen veg are fine. Soups and stews can provide with you with some cheap nutritious meals.

The recommended diet for a diabetic is a healthy, balanced diet that is low in fat, sugar and salt and contain a high level of fresh fruit and vegetables. Thats the same sort of diet thats easy to achieve a calorie deficit to lose weight on. Lean proteins and complex carbs.
If you follow such a diet then you will get much more food.

I HATE TO COOK and LOVE TO NUKE so I have to weigh in. Apologies for length.

LARGE bowl + Mixed salad greens so the bowl is almost full + Protein a little bigger than the size of my palm + Low cal dressing + chopped carrots, celery, onion(whatever you like really as long as its veggie).

This is very quick to make but all that salad takes a long time to eat (all that chewing and forking) and it feels like a lot of food when really it's very calorie light compared to other things of the same volume, like a giant bowl of mac n cheese. I read somewhere your body takes about 20 minutes to register when it's full so eating slowly (or eating something that forces you to eat slowly) really helps. Don't skip the protein! It makes a boring salad that much more satisfying. Throwing in canned black beans is good too to satisfy the chewing and the feeling of wanting something heavy in the stomach. I do what is easy otherwise I fail. Store bought mixed greens + rotisserie chicken + canned black beans are staples of my grocery list.

Also healthy single serving soups that I can find on sale--I like the organic pacific ones that come in the box and add frozen vegetables to the soup for more nutrition/feeling of fullness in a large bowl and nuke it. I always check sugar and protein and opt for the ones with more protein and less sugar. These levels don't matter much for losing weight (just a deficit will do that) but keeping those levels in check seems to help me with feeling full and helps curb cravings.

These are just some things that work for me to keep me feeling full, obviously your "lazies" (as my husband calls them) may be different.

lisal68 wrote: »

Bought those sectioned plates, but they still don't look like it's enough food. I'm diabetic and have many other medical problems, it's hard to cook so I try to get fast stuff I can nuke!!!!!!!

Buy those steamable veggie bags. You nuke them and, with four cups of veggies and 120 calories in the entire bag, your plate will be overflowing.

I am also having trouble with portion size. There are a lot of great suggestions here. I would also suggest eating high fiber and filling foods early in the day; oatmeal and apple. I have had success eating more soup and salad.