How to stop eating/not eat when you are full/shouldn't eat anymore.

Options
sweep4412
sweep4412 Posts: 3 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Basically what I said in the title.
How do you not eat too much, when the meal is just so good and you're so hungry? How do you hold yourself against something like chocolate, when you've already reached your daily calorie limit?
«13

Replies

  • yopeeps025
    yopeeps025 Posts: 8,680 Member
    Options
    practice will power and self control.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
    Options
    First of all, you can strive to not let yourself get too hungry. This is a problem for me - if I slip up on that, I want carbs carbs carbs.

    There's something called the "Completion Compulsion" which showed that people like to eat things in whole units and feel compelled to finish these units. For example, only once did a test subject leave part of a cookie.

    So for chocolate, I weigh out what I plan to eat and put the rest away.

    At restaurants, I am good about eating just half of an entree but some people ask for a box right away and put half of it in the box to get it out of sight.

    On the rare occasions when I have pizza, I also have a big salad - all that chewing of the low-energy-dense food helps me stop eating pizza earlier.

    Here's the original study: http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/pdf/10.2466/pr0.1957.3.g.15

    Here's a good article, complete with tips: Here's A Psychological Explanation For Why The Average American Eats 2,000 Pounds Of Food A Year

    Siegel's breakthrough was the realization that we take a meal to be a "unit" of food, and we feel compelled to do everything in our power to finish it.

    In the words of Louis C.K., "The meal is not over when I'm full. The meal is over when I hate myself!"

    Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-americans-eat-so-much-2015-1#ixzz3bpfusRSZ
  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,658 Member
    Options
    If I've reached my daily calorie limit, I stop eating, It's pretty straightforward.

    I protect against not eating to much by weighing what I eat before I eat it. That's also pretty straightforward.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Options
    DeguelloTex wrote: »
    If I've reached my daily calorie limit, I stop eating, It's pretty straightforward.

    I protect against not eating to much by weighing what I eat before I eat it. That's also pretty straightforward.

    Agreed...having a calorie limit overrides the "this tastes good so I'm just going to eat as much of it as I want."
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Options
    How to stop eating: Stop eating.

    I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't even understand the question. How do you avoid running around the grocery store hitting yourself in the head with a loaf of bread shouting "I AM THE WALRUS?" How do you not cut down the largest tree in the forest with a herring? How do you not wear your underpants as a hat to your friend's wedding?

    Ya just don't.
  • DirrtyH
    DirrtyH Posts: 664 Member
    Options
    HeySwoleSister wrote: »
    How to stop eating: Stop eating.

    I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't even understand the question. How do you avoid running around the grocery store hitting yourself in the head with a loaf of bread shouting "I AM THE WALRUS?" How do you not cut down the largest tree in the forest with a herring? How do you not wear your underpants as a hat to your friend's wedding?

    Ya just don't.

    Basically this. I've found that there are certain foods that after I eat my pre-approved portion, I just Still Want Moar even though I'm not still hungry. I give myself a ten minute rule. I wait ten minutes and if I still want it, I can have some. It's very rare that I actually go back for more in these cases -usually 10 minutes (and maybe a glass of water) is enough to calm the crazy monster inside me and I realize I'm just fine.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,902 Member
    Options
    I've heard to allow yourself 20 minutes for the satiety signal to get to the brain from the stomach.

    http://www.nutrition.org.uk/healthyliving/fuller/understanding-satiety-feeling-full-after-a-meal.html

    ...Although we can feel the stomach filling up as we eat, it can take 15-20 minutes after food is first eaten, for the full range of satiety signals to reach the brain. By this time and for some time afterwards we will experience feelings of fullness.

    Despite these sophisticated mechanisms that exist to control energy intake, people often still eat when they feel full or refrain from eating when hungry. There are many other factors that influence eating behaviour as well as the body’s satiety signals, such as portion size, the variety of food and drinks available, emotional states and the social situation around an eating occasion.

    Tips on how to feel fuller

    So how can we best try to enhance these feelings of fullness to help us control how much we eat? Here are some top tips for helping you feel fuller:
    • Foods high in protein seem to make us feel fuller than foods high in fat or carbohydrate, so including some protein at every meal should help keep you satisfied. Foods high in protein include meats such as chicken, ham or beef, fish, eggs, beans and pulses.
    • If you are watching your weight, opt for lower fat versions, using leaner cuts of meat, cutting off visible fat and avoiding the skin on poultry as this will help reduce the energy density of the diet, which can help to enhance satiety (see below).
    • Foods that are high in fibre may also enhance feelings of fullness so try to include plenty of high-fibre foods in the diet such as wholegrain bread and cereals, beans and pulses and fruit and vegetables.
    • Alcohol seems to stimulate appetite in the short-term and therefore drinking alcohol is likely to encourage us to eat more. Alcoholic beverages can make you forget about your intentions to eat healthily by making you lose your inhibitions. Alcoholic drinks are also calorific, so you should cut down on alcohol consumption if you are trying to control your weight.
    • The ‘energy density’ of food has a strong influence on feelings of fullness or satiety. Energy density is the amount of energy (or calories) per gram of food. Lower energy density foods provide less energy per gram of food so you can eat more of them without consuming too many calories. Low energy density foods include fruit and vegetables, foods with lots of water added when cooking such as soups and stews, and lower fat foods. Click here for more information on energy density.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    sweep4412 wrote: »
    How do you not eat too much, when the meal is just so good and you're so hungry?

    I decide how much I think is reasonable to eat and put it on my plate and either put away the food or simply decide I'm not having seconds. At a restaurant I decide in advance that I'm eating half (or whatever).

    But another question is why are you so hungry? If you are eating enough, most likely you are either letting yourself get too hungry in advance of the meal and might want to think about meal timing OR you just think you are still hungry because you are enjoying the food and if you stopped eating for a bit would realize you are not.

    But you need to consider also if you aren't eating a reasonable number of calories, since you shouldn't be hungry.

    Another possibility if you are eating a decent amount and struggling with hunger is bulking up the meal with more lower calorie foods. My plates are really full, because I fill over half of it with veggies, so I feel like I'm eating a huge amount of foods with a quite reasonable portion, and am satisfied when finished for the same reason.
    How do you hold yourself against something like chocolate, when you've already reached your daily calorie limit?

    You just do. It's easier if you work in a little something when you aren't already really hungry, though, and have a plan. I usually have a little something sweet after dinner (when I won't be tempted to overeat), and earlier in the day can tell myself that I'm going to have that, so it's worth waiting. Usually I'll choose to have my evening dessert rather than snacking on something dumb and less appealing during the day. Sometimes something really good comes up that I am willing to work into my calories, but then I actually force myself to work it in--I forego the planned dessert after dinner and maybe cut my serving of potatoes (or whatever) at dinner--I wouldn't cut protein and veggies, though. It's simply a matter of learning that you need to make the decisions that allow you to meet your calories and see the cap as a hard cap (I make exceptions, but not on a daily basis).
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    Options
    HeySwoleSister wrote: »
    How do you avoid running around the grocery store hitting yourself in the head with a loaf of bread shouting "I AM THE WALRUS?"
    Ya just don't.


    Same answer if you shout "THE BRITISH ARE COMING, THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!" ?
  • BigBigBertha
    BigBigBertha Posts: 208 Member
    Options
    HeySwoleSister wrote: »
    How to stop eating: Stop eating.

    I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't even understand the question. How do you avoid running around the grocery store hitting yourself in the head with a loaf of bread shouting "I AM THE WALRUS?" How do you not cut down the largest tree in the forest with a herring? How do you not wear your underpants as a hat to your friend's wedding?

    Ya just don't.

    If it were that simple, then significantly fewer people would be overweight.

    I have always struggled with willpower around food, but I have found pre-planning to be the best way to stop myself over-eating.

    I plan all my meals for the week every weekend, create a shopping list and do one big shop, therefore I buy and cook only what I have planned in advance. This way, it becomes incredibly inconvenient to spontaneously take another portion and overeat. For instance, if I eat more than one portion at dinner then this completely puts out my schedule for the week, and is just not worth it.

    I am also less likely to have tempting foods in the house, as they will not have been on my shopping list. Even when I want a chocolate bar or something and am tempted to go to shop and buy one, laziness usually wins out and I don't bother, as I have all the food I need for the week already and no other excuse to go to shops.

    Pre-planning is tedious but only takes about half an hour really, and has really helped me to think with my head rather than my stomach when it comes to food. I recommend it.

  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    Options
    Plan ahead. If you know you have chocolate in the cupboard and know you'll want some, save 200 cals at te end of your day so you can have a moderate portion.

    If I know I'm going to have a day full of temptations/high calorie foods, I will pre-log my entire day, and hold myself to those portions. It really helps.
  • andympanda
    andympanda Posts: 763 Member
    Options
    a few tricks, have some water, or a lollipop or a hard candy, somthing that will stay in your moth for a long time until the urges go away, or go for a walk, or do something to keep busy.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
    Options
    Put the fork down and push back from the table.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    Options
    Lately, the trick for me is to plan ahead and once I have reached my planned limit, get busy with something. Whether it is washing dishes, cleaning, taking a bath, or even getting in some extra steps for the day by taking a walk. I have found, when I am busy I rarely think about food. It is when I am bored that I have trouble.
  • fitasacello
    fitasacello Posts: 34 Member
    Options
    I love all of these tips! My advice is to exercise, getting cardio every day just seems to end bad food cravings for me, and buy some healthy food that you're not particularly fond of (say raw radishes or unsalted pistachios) and then when a craving hits say to yourself "well if this was real, true hunger, then I would eat the freakin radishes now wouldn't I?"
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Options
    ceoverturf wrote: »
    HeySwoleSister wrote: »
    How do you avoid running around the grocery store hitting yourself in the head with a loaf of bread shouting "I AM THE WALRUS?"
    Ya just don't.


    Same answer if you shout "THE BRITISH ARE COMING, THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!" ?

    I'm not made of stone, man.
  • andympanda
    andympanda Posts: 763 Member
    Options
    fitasacello wrote: »
    I love all of these tips! My advice is to exercise, getting cardio every day just seems to end bad food cravings for me, and buy some healthy food that you're not particularly fond of (say raw radishes or unsalted pistachios) and then when a craving hits say to yourself "well if this was real, true hunger, then I would eat the freakin radishes now wouldn't I?"


    What's wrong with unsalted pistachio's? you actually taste the nuts, and not the salt. If i don't control myself,i could eat way too many

  • nadjacs
    nadjacs Posts: 3 Member
    Options
    sweep4412 wrote: »
    Basically what I said in the title.
    How do you not eat too much, when the meal is just so good and you're so hungry? How do you hold yourself against something like chocolate, when you've already reached your daily calorie limit?

    Every person is different and has different triggers and different problems to get over, so to some extent, you should pay a lot of attention to why you are doing what you're doing and if you can figure out why YOU are doing it, you can maybe find a way to help you stop when you should and help you to improve your habits so that they help you instead of being a problem.

    Some things that have helped me --

    At home (and in general):
    • serve measured portions on the plate and don't keep all the serving dishes at the table where they are tempting you to take extra helpings
    • eat slowly, tasting every bite
    • drink a lot of water with your food (helps slow you down, helps you to taste the food, helps you to feel full)
    • if you know you have a weakness for a particular treat or snack, give yourself permission to have it **sometimes**, at a reasonable rate, not **always** and not **never**. if it is some kind of baked good -- get/make smaller sizes, don't keep leftovers in the house (take the rest of the cake in to your office or send it home with your guests, but better yet, make mini cakes or whatever)
    • eat at a table and with utensils -- make eating the focus, not something that happens in the background

    At a restaurant:
    • you can often request that they box up half for you to take home, or if you're not in a place that does that, you can split an overly large portion in half on your plate, leaving a good leftover for another meal and keeping your current portion within your limits
    • split desserts or appetizers with people at your table and take small bites, savoring each one
  • HeySwoleSister
    HeySwoleSister Posts: 1,938 Member
    Options
    BigBigBertha wrote: »
    HeySwoleSister wrote: »
    How to stop eating: Stop eating.

    I'm not trying to be rude, but I don't even understand the question. How do you avoid running around the grocery store hitting yourself in the head with a loaf of bread shouting "I AM THE WALRUS?" How do you not cut down the largest tree in the forest with a herring? How do you not wear your underpants as a hat to your friend's wedding?

    Ya just don't.

    If it were that simple, then significantly fewer people would be overweight.

    I have always struggled with willpower around food, but I have found pre-planning to be the best way to stop myself over-eating.

    I plan all my meals for the week every weekend, create a shopping list and do one big shop, therefore I buy and cook only what I have planned in advance. This way, it becomes incredibly inconvenient to spontaneously take another portion and overeat. For instance, if I eat more than one portion at dinner then this completely puts out my schedule for the week, and is just not worth it.

    I am also less likely to have tempting foods in the house, as they will not have been on my shopping list. Even when I want a chocolate bar or something and am tempted to go to shop and buy one, laziness usually wins out and I don't bother, as I have all the food I need for the week already and no other excuse to go to shops.

    Pre-planning is tedious but only takes about half an hour really, and has really helped me to think with my head rather than my stomach when it comes to food. I recommend it.

    But, the thing is, it's a mental game. Start thinking of it as being JUST THAT SIMPLE rather than bogging yourself down in failure-predicting angst over what is, actually, quite simple.

    "I'm not going to eat that." That's all it takes. I fail to see how it's helpful to get all torn up inside just because "but chocolate!" It's food. Eat it or don't . How to eat it? Put in mouth, chew, swallow. How to not eat it? Don't put it in your mouth. See? Fewer steps, even. Don't torture yourself by building it up as an impossible goal in your mind.

Categories