How do you control how much you eat?

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Replies

  • HisPathDaily
    HisPathDaily Posts: 672 Member
    The most success simply comes down to a game plan. If I cook, order out, or go somewhere, in order to be successful I need to plan ahead of what and how much I will eat. Until I get back into portion control to the point when it becomes more natural (and for me it did, but it took consistent victories for a few weeks to a few months) I need to simply make a plan.

    Driving home from work I'll plan a meal in my head and know what I will allow myself.
    Today going out to lunch I made a plan for what I would order and stuck to it.

    For me, it's the planning ahead so I don't need to ask in the moment "should I get some more?" because I already know the answer.

    Then ... sometimes ... I drop the ball and give in to temptation ... but if I didn't do what I said above, then I would drop the ball a LOT more.
  • atypicalsmith
    atypicalsmith Posts: 2,742 Member
    You can't control how much you eat. You can only control yourself. What a concept.
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
    I pre-log the night before, and I stick to a lot of the same meals. So I know for a fact that my typical lunch at work will keep me full. Also, I find it helpful to get up halfway through a meal...to refill my glass of water (I drink a lot of water), or just quickly put something away. It takes 30 seconds but gives me enough time to start feeling how full I am. I might still finish the meal, but usually it stops me from getting any more.
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Actually portion things out...so instead of pulling out the bag of Gold Fish crackers and just digging in, I use my food scale to portion out an acceptable serving and then I put the stuff away. I use my food scale to portion out most things....I don't just eat from packages, etc and I don't hang out in/around the kitchen when I'm not actively cooking something or otherwise preparing snacks/meals.

    I also plan my snacks into my day. I also don't keep things in my house that I have difficulty controlling myself with

    This.
  • Lefty1290
    Lefty1290 Posts: 551 Member
    I take/weigh servings and put the rest away, saying, "this is all I'm having" and eating slowly so I am satisfied with smaller amounts.

    I try not to eat chips, etc. straight out of the bag anymore. I have a box of Hot & Spicy Cheez-Its (my favorite kind) that I bought in the beginning of March and it's not empty yet. Before, I would mindless plow through 1/3-1/2 the box in one sitting.

    This is what works for me.
  • sammyantics
    sammyantics Posts: 191 Member
    They almost always give you an equal portion to them.

    My man hardly eats. Like, if I don't feed him, he won't eat all day. So it's actually the opposite for me. He tends to dole out much smaller portions because he gets full super quick. (he's a beanpole)
  • sammyantics
    sammyantics Posts: 191 Member
    Lefty1290 wrote: »
    I take/weigh servings and put the rest away, saying, "this is all I'm having" and eating slowly so I am satisfied with smaller amounts.

    I try not to eat chips, etc. straight out of the bag anymore. I have a box of Hot & Spicy Cheez-Its (my favorite kind) that I bought in the beginning of March and it's not empty yet. Before, I would mindless plow through 1/3-1/2 the box in one sitting.

    This is what works for me.

    DUDE. cheez-its are such a weakness. I actually got one of those snack-size boxes a week ago and it's still not gone. Granted, it's at my apartment and I'm only there a few times a week, but I'm still pretty proud of that.

  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    I know I'm not alone when I say this, but I have an unhealthy relationship with food. I use it as a comfort, I eat when I'm not hungry, etc. etc.

    What I want to know is how do other people control their portions? I'm not talking about meticulously weighing out food and prepackaging 5,000 meals ahead of time, because I won't ever do that, it's just not a sustainable way for me personally to live my life.

    I'm talking about knowing when to stop eating, and finding the will to actually do it. When my boyfriend and I cook, we typically make enough for leftovers, but when I finish my plate, my brain says 'go to the kitchen, eat the rest.' Thankfully he is very diligent about stopping me, often before I even realize that thought train has left the station.

    But, how do I get to that point on my own? I want to be able to tell myself that I'm not hungry anymore, so I don't have to rely on him to do it for me.

    Case in point, I picked up a burrito bowl for lunch. I ate the whole thing, knowing full well that the last time I did that, I felt way too full and my stomach hurt for the rest of the day. So now I'm sitting here, wishing I'd eaten less, wishing I had the restraint to not stuff my face whenever my boyfriend isn't around to protect me from my own disgusting eating habits.

    I've come really far in my journey to eat better, but this has been an ever-present hurdle and I would love to hear how you've overcome similar problems.

    First off, I'm in love with your hair <3

    Now that that's outta the way, log it! Worked for me. Forcing myself to log every over eat and binge trained me to stop. It hurt to face the reality of my situation, but it's effort has paid back 10-fold!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Pre-logging and weighing. Weighing your food may seem tedious.. I get it. I was very abhorrent to the idea at first. I mean, it seemed like such a hassle. But then I realized the scale is a tool, and using that tool would help me better to my goals and might teach me better about portion sizes. And it does. I still suck at estimating, so I still weigh, but if I'm at a party or something, I feel like I can estimate way better than before.

    Also, I typically do not go back for seconds, unless it's something I've planned for.
  • crazyjerseygirl
    crazyjerseygirl Posts: 1,252 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Pre-logging and weighing. Weighing your food may seem tedious.. I get it. I was very abhorrent to the idea at first. I mean, it seemed like such a hassle. But then I realized the scale is a tool, and using that tool would help me better to my goals and might teach me better about portion sizes. And it does. I still suck at estimating, so I still weigh, but if I'm at a party or something, I feel like I can estimate way better than before.

    Also, I typically do not go back for seconds, unless it's something I've planned for.

    I've also found weighing slows be down. It's harder to grab and binge if you're weighing everything!
  • mistikal13
    mistikal13 Posts: 1,457 Member
    I portion out a serving and eat only that, no seconds. Plus tons of water and fruit/veg for snacks if I'm still hungry.
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    Ninkyou wrote: »
    Pre-logging and weighing. Weighing your food may seem tedious.. I get it. I was very abhorrent to the idea at first. I mean, it seemed like such a hassle. But then I realized the scale is a tool, and using that tool would help me better to my goals and might teach me better about portion sizes. And it does. I still suck at estimating, so I still weigh, but if I'm at a party or something, I feel like I can estimate way better than before.

    Also, I typically do not go back for seconds, unless it's something I've planned for.

    I've also found weighing slows be down. It's harder to grab and binge if you're weighing everything!

    This too!
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,150 Member
    I pre-log everything I eat.
  • ElvenToad
    ElvenToad Posts: 644 Member
    I weigh out my food on my plate, fill up my 18 oz water bottle, sit down to eat.. after I finish my plate I immediately drink the 18 oz of water. Put my plate on the floor and my cat licks it off (haha no way I'm going back for seconds now)! Afterwords I'm very satisfied and feel full but not stuffed. Drinking water makes a huge difference, helps fill up my tummy and keeps me hydrated :)
  • Allelito
    Allelito Posts: 179 Member
    I like logging the night before and plan what I'm gonna eat. Then, the next day I'll have something to follow, and I'll just follow the exact amount of food that I pre-logged. I pre-log everything up until my late night snack, and I usually save 300-500 calories for that, so that I know during the day that "Alright, if I follow this plan perfectly today, I'll be able to snack a lot tonight! Awesome!" (Which I LOVE)
  • PostExamsHealthBinge
    PostExamsHealthBinge Posts: 26 Member
    Don't buy the food and you can't eat it, obviously buy a few treats but then make sure the rest of your shopping is super healthy
  • wils5150
    wils5150 Posts: 149 Member
    the sure fire way is to weigh your food and stick to your calorie count. I wasnt losing weight till i did. I am willing to bet a lot of folks are the same.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    No garlic bread is safe with me if it is within reach. Hubby and I have a silent pact that the spare garlic bread goes to the side.

    I ask for a take-out container as soon as my meal is served and put half away right away.

    I think some of what you describe is mindless eating or habit. Consider tricks to make yourself mindful, like a rubber band on the wrist, an imaginary stop sign in your head, or arrange to go for a walk right after a meal at home. Have something to do.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    I've also become a big whole feed eater and keep lots of veg and what not in the house...if I really need to go to town, the broccoli or the cucumbers are right there and I can have at it.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
    I find it helps to ... y'know ... not put food in my mouth when I'm not hungry ... right?

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