I eat too much...how should I go about shirnking my intake

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Pennypig87
Pennypig87 Posts: 4 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I don't necessarily eat bad foods but I just eat a lot of food in general. Its generally healthy food and not processed but just more than I think I need in a day. How do I "shrink my stomach"? I'm not heavy and I'm not thin I'm average athletic build and I'm looking to just drop a few lbs like 5-10 which is hard and so I know I need to change my diet as well as increase my workouts.
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  • myheartsabattleground
    myheartsabattleground Posts: 2,040 Member
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    Open your diary.
  • Pennypig87
    Pennypig87 Posts: 4 Member
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    what do you mean?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Figure out how many calories you need per day to lose weight (with 5-10lbs to lose, a healthy rate of weight loss would be something like 0.5 - 0.75 lbs per week). There are several online calculators you can use to estimate this amount based on things like your current height, weight, and activity level.

    Eat that many.

    When you've eaten that many, don't eat any more.

  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,531 Member
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    Pennypig87 wrote: »
    what do you mean?[/quote

    Its easier for us to help you on intake if your diary is open. Go into Settings, Diary, scroll to bottom and click on Public.

    And yes, the online calculators work great.

  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    myheartsabattleground wrote: »
    Open your diary.

    What good would that do?

    Really, all you need to do is figure out what you need to set as a calorie goal, which MFP will do for you, and then log your food so you know where you are at in terms of eating to that goal. Stay near that goal and you'll do fine.
  • Pennypig87
    Pennypig87 Posts: 4 Member
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    okay I opened it and I'm new sooo there aren't many days.... And i understand the process I was looking for tips of what has worked for other people I'm using the calorie counter but i log at the end of the day sooo I go over. I cant log throughout the day all the time.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    If you have been maintaining your weight, rather than actively gaining, you could try eating less just 2-3 days a week and likely create a weekly deficit for weight loss.
  • TimothyFish
    TimothyFish Posts: 4,925 Member
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    If you aren't able to log your food at the time you eat it, find some meals that are at the right number of calories for your goal and eat those regularly.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Pennypig87 wrote: »
    okay I opened it and I'm new sooo there aren't many days.... And i understand the process I was looking for tips of what has worked for other people I'm using the calorie counter but i log at the end of the day sooo I go over. I cant log throughout the day all the time.

    Well...there's lots of tricks people use...the key is just finding what works best for you.

    Are there certain times of the day you tend to be hungrier? Plan ahead so you have calories available during those times. Lots of people also find it a good idea to save 100-200 calories for a snack at the end of the day.

    Some people find it easier/necessary to pre-log their entire day (in other words, plan out all your meals and snacks first thing in the morning so you have a plan to stick to).

    Ultimately you just need to find out what works best and is sustainable for you.
  • StaciMarie1974
    StaciMarie1974 Posts: 4,138 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Sounds like you just need to trim your intake slightly, assuming you've been maintaining.

    General tips:

    Try having a smaller portion calorie dense items and larger portion of low calorie items. Like if you have a protein, starch and veggie for dinner: have less starch and add a 2nd veggie. Eat the same amount of food but less total calories this way.

    Also pay attention to how foods are prepared. Eat less fried, and more baked/grilled.

    Don't drink your calories. If you consume sweetened juices, tea, regular soda, coffee with cream and/or sugar - try switching to low cal/no cal alternatives.
  • oriel67
    oriel67 Posts: 11 Member
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    This is what I do to cut down on my portions.
    Pre-portion your snacks. 12 grapes in a snack bag, 1/3 cup of carrots or cukes, celery or a mix in a bag, one hard boiled egg in a bag, 6 strawberries in a bag etc. Cook up a bunch of chicken and measure it out in 4 oz. portions. Every time you take one you know it is one serving.

    Use a salad plate for your dinner as well. you will think you are eating more, but in reality you aren't.
  • Pennypig87
    Pennypig87 Posts: 4 Member
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    These are all great ideas I think preplanning food for the day will help...i will start there!! Than you!!!! :smiley:

    I know it doesn't shrink that's why its in " " but thank you. I said I am new i didn't know how these things worked I thought that part of my profile was open to?!?! but I am 5'6" and on any given day am 135-140.
  • lastspen
    lastspen Posts: 106 Member
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    From what I can see you're eating a lot of baked foods (ie. banana bread, english muffins, etc.) I would say that if you could limit breads and rice to once a day you would probably be closer to your intake goals. Instead of almond butter on bread eat it with apples or some look for the lower carb/calorie bread that stores sell. I rarely eat pasta, rice or potatoes. If I'm making a stir fry, I just load a ridiculous amount veggies in there.

    Also, if you eat more fruit and veggies, not including the starchy kind (corn, potatoes, bananas), you wouldn't have to worry as much if you go over by 50 or so calories.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,973 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    lastspen wrote: »
    From what I can see you're eating a lot of baked foods (ie. banana bread, english muffins, etc.) I would say that if you could limit breads and rice to once a day you would probably be closer to your intake goals. Instead of almond butter on bread eat it with apples or some look for the lower carb/calorie bread that stores sell. I rarely eat pasta, rice or potatoes. If I'm making a stir fry, I just load a ridiculous amount veggies in there.

    Also, if you eat more fruit and veggies, not including the starchy kind (corn, potatoes, bananas), you wouldn't have to worry as much if you go over by 50 or so calories.

    Sorry but going 50 calories over is still going over. Limiting bread isn't going to etc her closer to her goal because of the bread but because she is eating less.

    She's not always eating at a deficit.

    Penny - are you going over your calories because you're hungry? Try eating more protein and high fiber veggies and less breads.


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

    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:
    1. 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.
    2. 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).
    3. 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.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
  • professionalHobbyist
    professionalHobbyist Posts: 1,316 Member
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    Fibrous veggies will make you feel fuller longer than a sugary food of the same caloric value.

    I started to eat to feel full as well as eating for fuel.

    Gradual changes are a good idea.

    I have steamed green beans and cabbage with chicken breast today just now

    Way more filling and nutritious than a cheese burger.

    I am stuffed.... Now to walk a few minutes.
  • lastspen
    lastspen Posts: 106 Member
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    MrM27 wrote: »
    Sorry but going 50 calories over is still going over. Limiting bread isn't going to etc her closer to her goal because of the bread but because she is eating less.

    My statement said that she wouldn't have to worry about if she did and that is because she would truely be eating unprocessed foods (bread and pasta is processed) and because she is eating veggies they are more likely to be high fiber and more nutritious. Of course eating 50 calories is still going over, however 50 calories is not going to cause her to gain weight based on how MFP is set up.
  • theredhead77
    theredhead77 Posts: 35 Member
    edited June 2015
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    Pennypig87 wrote: »
    okay I opened it and I'm new sooo there aren't many days.... And i understand the process I was looking for tips of what has worked for other people I'm using the calorie counter but i log at the end of the day sooo I go over. I cant log throughout the day all the time.

    I try to weigh everything (especially snack food) ahead of time and portion into single serving bags so I can grab one when I'm feeling snacky. I also use smaller plates and bowls so the serving sizes don't look small. If you make a sandwich on a small salad plate instead of a dinner plate it looks like more food.

    DISCLAIMER: compared to most posters here I'm very relaxed in my plan. I don't eat clean or even super healthy (cake? yes please!) but it's been working really well for me and is sustainable (for me) long-term.

    **Edit to add - I do weigh nearly everything. Fruits and vegetables are my "freebie" items and if I'm out of calories and feel hungry I'll still eat those and not worry. I battle disordered eating and not being able to have something because I am out of calories sets off all sorts of binge triggers.

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