Do you stop while you still want more?
kommodevaran
Posts: 17,890 Member
Up until right now, I belived I was special 
But @Larissa_NY said this in a thread I'm following:
I have chosen to mostly avoid typical "treat"/"junk" food because they don't satisfy me, or, any reasonable amount doesn't satisfy me. When I start, I just want more, I get frustrated if I can't continue, and I can eat very large amounts before I start to feel sick. If I don't start, I still want it, but it's just a want, it doesn't feel like a need, or that I can't control myself.
Many of you eat treats (candy, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, chips) often. I understand that it won't impact overall nutrition or calorie goal. I'm more interested in what it feels like. Are you content after - say - 100 calories worth? Or do you have to force yourselves to stop? Does the want decrease after you've finished?
I want to hear all sides
But @Larissa_NY said this in a thread I'm following:If you want salty, fatty, high-calorie food you're going to have to learn to stop eating it while you still want more.
I have chosen to mostly avoid typical "treat"/"junk" food because they don't satisfy me, or, any reasonable amount doesn't satisfy me. When I start, I just want more, I get frustrated if I can't continue, and I can eat very large amounts before I start to feel sick. If I don't start, I still want it, but it's just a want, it doesn't feel like a need, or that I can't control myself.
Many of you eat treats (candy, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, chips) often. I understand that it won't impact overall nutrition or calorie goal. I'm more interested in what it feels like. Are you content after - say - 100 calories worth? Or do you have to force yourselves to stop? Does the want decrease after you've finished?
I want to hear all sides
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I usually will eat them where I can limit them so if I'm on a long car drive or I'm at work I'll pack chips so I can't go back and just keep eating a whole bag lol. At home watching Netflix? Not the place for me to eat junk food lol.
Edit: and I'm an ICU nurse so I usually get satisfied from them because I look forward to it and it's a nice treat at 3 am lol1 -
I plan the portions in advance, so I just measure out the portion I chose and eat until it's gone. It doesn't feel like stopping, really, so much as finishing.9
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Agree with @rankinsect. I measure before eating so to eat more requires more effort so I don't do it.1
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rankinsect wrote: »I plan the portions in advance, so I just measure out the portion I chose and eat until it's gone. It doesn't feel like stopping, really, so much as finishing.
Samesies. I feel better when I finish a "bag". I still want more though, but I don't because I don't want the last 4 years to have been a waste.4 -
With any food, not specifically treat food, I make sure I have an appropriate portion of whatever it is I'm eating on the plate/bowl, and once that's done I usually feel 'not hungry anymore' rather than stuffed, I could definitely eat a little more - I need to let my food settle for 15 minutes or so and then I'll feel totally satisfied and full. If I feel that way with food still on my plate, the stomach-ache's gonna kick in pretty soon because I've overdone it. I've always had eyes bigger than my stomach.
I've had to train myself into waiting at least 30-60 minutes before eating pudding after I've finished my evening meal, to see if I actually have space or just don't want to stop eating. I usually have a coffee to occupy my hands/mouth in the meantime.
I think I will always naturally want to eat 3 pieces of cheesecake/bowls of ice cream/bars of chocolate in one sitting, so yeah, I have to tell myself to stop when really I fancy a bit more. I have a massive sweet tooth, so if I stop eating with pudding still on the bowl, it's only cos I've already eaten way too much and feel physically sick, so that's not a reliable guide.0 -
Depends on whether you mean mentally wanting more or physically still feeling hungry. Whether I mentally want more depends on how stressed and tired and irritated and petulant I feel, most of the time. Whether I'm still hungry sometimes depends on mood (I had a phase a few weeks ago where I had wild swings between being stuffed and 20 minutes later being starving, which was probably mental but felt like actual hunger) but most of the time depends on the calorie density of the food. I try to keep veggies and such in my meals to bulk them up for that reason. Also, a little fat goes a long way - a little olive oil or a little cheese or butter can really make something satisfying.
The other thing I find helpful is portioning everything out immediately after cooking and putting it away, and then eating in a different room than the kitchen. If I think I'm still hungry after eating the portion, I would have to go to the kitchen and find something and heat it - so I have to put forth some effort. If it is worth it to me to do that, I do it, but usually it isn't.0 -
rankinsect wrote: »I plan the portions in advance, so I just measure out the portion I chose and eat until it's gone. It doesn't feel like stopping, really, so much as finishing.
This is pretty much what I do. I don't want to think in terms of deprivation, like "I can never have cake or ice cream again." Instead, I measure and weigh out portions and then count those calories. I also look for some substitutions and/or calorie controlled portions. About 2pm at work every day, I want something sweet. So, I bring a 100 calorie packs of cookies or one of those Special K pastry crisps. It satisfies my craving and prevents me from hitting the kitchen for a brownie or something.
That said, if I really want ice cream or a brownie, I make that work in my calorie goal for the day.
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rankinsect wrote: »I plan the portions in advance, so I just measure out the portion I chose and eat until it's gone. It doesn't feel like stopping, really, so much as finishing.
that's what i do now, too. when i had a whole chocolate bar in front of me, i generally ate the entire thing. now i have the half quest bar or quarter chocolate bar or 1.5 servings of ice cream, i just feel finished because i'm not struggling to stop myself - which rarely worked. also if i want more, i have more and cut the calories out somewhere else in my day, but that hasn't happened much in the last few weeks.
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rankinsect wrote: »I plan the portions in advance, so I just measure out the portion I chose and eat until it's gone. It doesn't feel like stopping, really, so much as finishing.
Lol, looks like you pinned it down
I have no trouble doing that with *food*. I plan and portion it out. Planning meals has become my primary hobby. I love to play with different combinations to get optimal taste and balance and variety. When I have eaten, I'm finished, I feel happy. Sometimes I wish there were more, but I don't feel cheated. I haven't been able to do that with *treats*. It feels counterintuitive to plan to eat just for pleasure. I don't buy "junk" foods, but I'm very clever, I will find the most calorific in fridge and cupboards and combine them into sugary fatty salty pleasure bømbs
That's not something I plan. I just do it when I want some, as long as I'm not at the high end of my weight range. Sometimes I "have to" repeat, other times I can manage to just have one portion. Once or twice, I think, I felt satisfied after one portion, and then I had the distinct feeling of "full". Usually, it's a "mini-binge". I don't feel "guilty" afterwards, but I would have preferred not to have succumbed; when I manage to not eat outside plan, I never regret that. 1 -
OP , your "often" is not the same as others and mine. I love ice cream and 8 days ago I pigged out with a big bowl and I couldn't force another bite in, and now I don't feel like having another bowl anytime soon. That's how I "often" and the amount of the stuff I enjoy. I don't see it as avoiding or forcing myself to stop.
Maybe acquiring *the right mindset* and a balanced physiological need is the key here.0 -
I AM searching for the right mindset This thread is part of that quest. My physiological needs have improved after I started to eat better and more structured. My cravings are manageable. But it would have been wonderful to feel totally relaxed around "junk". 0
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I'm still in the process of training my mind to not want to keep eating. When I am actually hungry, usually around meal times, I am very good at eating my planned, weighed portions but when it comes to bored/social/treat eating, I have a lot of trouble making myself stop. So to answer your questions, no, 100 calories/1 serving does not fulfill me at this point in time, I do have to force myself to stop, and the want does not decrease after I stop. It's a mind trap that I have to be careful not to let myself fall back into. I am reassociating boredom to do other activities, and socially I need to be on my game at all times so as not to overeat. I am not at the point where I can have treats in the house yet, though. I always always always want to keep eating and will probably struggle with that forever.1
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I plan my meal before I eat it. I log everting, then I sit and eat it. After its over, it's over. Mentally for me there is not an option to get more. I just finish my meal and feel satisfied.1
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kommodevaran wrote: »Up until right now, I belived I was special But @Larissa_NY said this in a thread I'm following:If you want salty, fatty, high-calorie food you're going to have to learn to stop eating it while you still want more.
Many of you eat treats (candy, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, chips) often. I understand that it won't impact overall nutrition or calorie goal. I'm more interested in what it feels like. Are you content after - say - 100 calories worth? Or do you have to force yourselves to stop? Does the want decrease after you've finished?
I want to hear all sides
I'm not very good at all at limiting myself. What's disturbing, and a change from the past, is sometimes I'll be aware that I've satisfied my taste buds and the chocolate, candy, cookies, etc. NEVER taste as good as I'd imagined. But I'll finish the package anyway. (In the past, I used to stop.) I do best by keeping these foods to a minimum. Unfortunately, I'm often in environments where I'm surrounded by junk food and I can't resist. Then I'm disgusted with myself.
I'm doing a three-day potato hack in which I'm eating nothing but potatoes. As with other short-term hacks I've done, the problem almost never is hunger, but boredom and the habit of eating. Apart from the boredom, it's really very easy; I feel full and the Yukon Gold potatoes I've been eating plain are quite tasty.
With junk food and high-calorie food the key is to know yourself. If you're the kind of person who can't eat just a bite or two it's best to try to avoid it.
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kommodevaran wrote: »I AM searching for the right mindset This thread is part of that quest. My physiological needs have improved after I started to eat better and more structured. My cravings are manageable. But it would have been wonderful to feel totally relaxed around "junk".
It would be nice to be relaxed, but if you're someone who's drawn to these foods there's probably always going to be a tension between the intention to eat healthily and wanting the junk food. I know there will be for me. I'm sure you're aware of all the evolutionary reasons why many people crave sugary and salty food, as well as Big Food's manipulation of those cravings. I wouldn't ask the impossible of myself.0 -
It worked for me to abstain from most "treats" for a period of time. Ice cream, peanut butter, cookies, chips...Having that discipline helped me to understand what triggers I have regarding eating, especially eating too much. Stress, boredom, anxiety, and, oddly enough, eating make me want to mindlessly eat. That last one was an interesting one to decode. I would eat my serving of whatever...and I'd want MORE. Through the process of abstaining, I had to come up with strategies for dealing with my triggers in different ways. Most often that is just wait it out. Drink water or coffee (if it's early enough in the day). And sometimes, it's just saying, "Meh. I'm stressed. I know I'm eating because of that. But I'm going to allow myself this." But it's not every time. And I'm not always successful. But I have a greater understanding of why.1
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For me it depends. Most of the time I can do moderation because I realize that it's either that or not eating it at all. I still try to avoid buying the things I tend to binge on though (like Pepperidge Farm cookies). I do portion my food too, so I'll take a bowl and put a serving (or two) of ice cream in instead of just dipping the spoon in the pint like I used to do. Sometimes I'll go back for more, but it doesn't happen that much (and if I do, I log it first to make sure that I can afford it).
Then I take small bites, try not to be distracted while I eat, so a small serving will be more satisfying... I still have bad days when I end up wanting more, but often I see the signals when I'm in that mood (typically... PMS, or lack of sleep, or too many carbs at breakfast) and then it's indeed easier not to start. And often, having one serving then making myself a cup of tea gets rid of that desire to eat more.
But there are things like chips that I just don't eat anymore because one serving doesn't satisfy me, and to be honest, I don't really miss them... but if for some reason I end up with a craving for chips, I'm sure I'll be fine just buying a single serving bag.
ETA: I still have days when I want to eat all the foodz, but if I haven't restricted myself too much, it's easier to stop.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »I AM searching for the right mindset This thread is part of that quest. My physiological needs have improved after I started to eat better and more structured. My cravings are manageable. But it would have been wonderful to feel totally relaxed around "junk".
It would be nice to be relaxed, but if you're someone who's drawn to these foods there's probably always going to be a tension between the intention to eat healthily and wanting the junk food. I know there will be for me. I'm sure you're aware of all the evolutionary reasons why many people crave sugary and salty food, as well as Big Food's manipulation of those cravings. I wouldn't ask the impossible of myself.
It's not impossible to control our own eating reasonably well. There are lots of things that we think we can't live without but we inevitably eventually move on, eg. first love, relationship, friendship, pets, etc.
kommo, I feel like I have reached a new state or perspective that I no longer feel foods and eating have an impossible irresistible quality for me. Eating can be just like any behaviors, like sleeping, taking a shower. It's quite an eye opening realization. Suddenly skipping unnecessary eating becomes very easy. One worry is if I will enjoy foods without the spellbinding "desire" in the long run, but for now it's very good for shedding pounds.0 -
I find that I'm more likely to be content with higher-quality treats vs. cheap stuff.
I could easily binge on Reese's peanut butter cups and consume 1000+ calories in a sitting, on top of my ~1600 allowance for the day.
However, if it's something better, like gelato, I'm much more likely to be content with a half serving or so. Even Dove milk chocolates taste richer, so I can more easily have one or two.
Of course I have bad days where I just overconsume anything, but keeping the cheap stuff out of the house helps quite a bit.
~Lyssa1 -
gebeziseva wrote: »I plan my meal before I eat it. I log everting, then I sit and eat it. After its over, it's over. Mentally for me there is not an option to get more. I just finish my meal and feel satisfied.
Luckily for me, I have no trouble doing this with food. Compared with those who struggle with overeating food, my problem is small.kommodevaran wrote: »I AM searching for the right mindset This thread is part of that quest. My physiological needs have improved after I started to eat better and more structured. My cravings are manageable. But it would have been wonderful to feel totally relaxed around "junk".
It would be nice to be relaxed, but if you're someone who's drawn to these foods there's probably always going to be a tension between the intention to eat healthily and wanting the junk food. I know there will be for me. I'm sure you're aware of all the evolutionary reasons why many people crave sugary and salty food, as well as Big Food's manipulation of those cravings. I wouldn't ask the impossible of myself.
Lol, I have done my research on Big Food I don't think they are evil any more, but they do take advantage of our natural drive to get sugar, salt and fat, for the least possible effort. I have to protect myself if I want to maintain weight and what's left of my health 
I got an aha-moment after I read all your replies, it occured to me how "real food" can make me satisfied and feel "finished" after I've eaten a reasonable portion, while "junk food" makes me crave more: It's difficult to know when you've had enough of something you don't need.0 -
rankinsect wrote: »I plan the portions in advance, so I just measure out the portion I chose and eat until it's gone. It doesn't feel like stopping, really, so much as finishing.
Me too.
I do have more issues with wanting to eat a lot of salty foods but don't want to exceed the sodium goal by too much. Seeing the numbers for calories and sodium helps me to set an appropriate amount for the foods I want to eat before I start. It isn't going by feeling. Planning, knowing the numbers and striving to meet my body's nutritional needs helps more.
Yes I could eat an entire sleeve of saltine crackers or a bag of salty chips and still want to eat more food I'm sure but I prefer to use most of my calories on other more filling foods (that I also like) with more nutrition. My feeling is that eating those foods isn't as satisfying or worth it anymore so a lot of times I don't choose them at all.1 -
rankinsect wrote: »I plan the portions in advance, so I just measure out the portion I chose and eat until it's gone. It doesn't feel like stopping, really, so much as finishing.
Yes, this is what I do.
If I take a serving, I am fine stopping, even if I could eat more (and think I'd enjoy eating more). I just don't think of eating as something I do until I can't eat more. And I don't eat out of a larger container or grab more than the serving I want to eat (the hardest thing for me not to overeat is something like a bowl of naan or tortilla chips at a restaurant on the table--if I really wanted to limit these I'd take my serving on my plate and decide that's it. Often I simply budget for these situations, which are somewhat rare, and decide it's a dinner where I can overeat some, because I've worked it into the week.
Other than this, where I get into trouble is if I graze--like there are small treats in the break room and I decide to grab something when passing by and then snack off and on all day. So I avoid doing this, especially if it's going to be an excuse to go eat to avoid doing something I don't want to that day.0 -
With any food, not specifically treat food, I make sure I have an appropriate portion of whatever it is I'm eating on the plate/bowl, and once that's done I usually feel 'not hungry anymore' rather than stuffed, I could definitely eat a little more - I need to let my food settle for 15 minutes or so and then I'll feel totally satisfied and full.
Yes, this is me too. It's definitely not just treat food. I used to overeat because I'd cook/take too much and finish my plate. Now I portion out the amount I want and finish it and am fine.0 -
I agree stopping vs finishing is the right mindset.
I was one of those who did the portioning and ate the portion and was finished...I got out of the habit...and it's not good.0 -
If I have a taste for something junky/treat-ish, I log it or look up the calorie count just so see how many calories it will cost me and often that is enough to make me not want it. On Sunday I was out for dinner with a friend at Le Pan Quotidian and I had a salad that I have had there many times, so I knew the calorie count, but then she cut her brownie in half and I mindlessly ate the other half and it was like 400 calories for the half or some equally outrageous amount and I was really upset at myself (not something is wrong with me, I have disordered eating upset). It was yet another A-HA moment about paying attention to how I spend my calories. The brownie was delicious, but I probably would not have chosen that for myself. So if I log something and see it's going to cost me like 1/3 of my daily amount, I am less likely to want it so badly. Or I will have less of it. There are several foods I cannot have in the house or I would eat the entire thing, no self control at all. Again, not trying to start a "no foods are bad" thread again, it's just me. Pie? I could eat the entire cherry pie, so if we need a pie for an event, I get apple because I don't like that enough to spend my calories on it. Portioning is helpful too--as lots of other folks have mentioned. With treats I have to remind myself that a) this particular food is not going to disappear from earth if I don't eat ALL of it RIGHT NOW and therefore b) I can have another normal portion tomorrow. I do that with cookies (my all time favorite binge food). Pace yourself--one a day instead of the whole package in two days.
Mindset--it helps me a lot to think of my daily calories as currency and how am I going to spend them. Also if I found the time to work out, I really don't want to cancel that out by going home and eating all those calories back. I don't have that kind of time to waste!!!0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »Up until right now, I belived I was special But @Larissa_NY said this in a thread I'm following:If you want salty, fatty, high-calorie food you're going to have to learn to stop eating it while you still want more.
I have chosen to mostly avoid typical "treat"/"junk" food because they don't satisfy me, or, any reasonable amount doesn't satisfy me. When I start, I just want more, I get frustrated if I can't continue, and I can eat very large amounts before I start to feel sick. If I don't start, I still want it, but it's just a want, it doesn't feel like a need, or that I can't control myself.
Many of you eat treats (candy, chocolate, ice cream, cookies, chips) often. I understand that it won't impact overall nutrition or calorie goal. I'm more interested in what it feels like. Are you content after - say - 100 calories worth? Or do you have to force yourselves to stop? Does the want decrease after you've finished?
I want to hear all sides
I've been at this for around 4 years now, and one thing that I've learned is that I have to remove pretty much all emotion from eating. I still eat all the foods I like, but now I eat those in the allotted portion (what fits in with my calorie goals), and then I walk away and it's done/out of my mind. I don't really ever have times now where I want something beyond what I've already planned/eaten.
Last week we were out of town and I lived out of a hotel/ate out the whole week. There were numerous times where I could have splurged, but I just didn't have a desire to. We walked to McDonalds one of the days for lunch, and that morning I figured out what I would eat, based on what I could fit into my calorie goals for that day (I had to fit in the McDonalds with the pizza we were having that night for supper, lol). When I got to Mcdonalds it didn't even cross my mind to order something extra, and when my son didn't finish his fries I threw them out without even thinking about it. It just wasn't even on my radar to eat the fries.
This definitely wasn't the case a few years ago, but it's something that I've just learned to do over time 1 -
In my experience, sometimes it is easy to stop at one portion of a treat and sometimes it is not. I usually have a pretty good idea before even eating the treat which way it will go. I like to think that each time I have one portion without going back for more, it's like practice for the next time. And you know what they say about practice.
I figure that I can't go my whole life either avoiding treats or pigging out on them, or cycling back and forth. So, I am training myself to think differently about things. Specifically, when I am having a hard time, I remind myself that whatever it is that I want more of will still exist tomorrow or next week. I don't have to eat it right this minute as if I will never eat it again.0 -
Sometimes I'm fine, sometimes I want more and I have to tell myself no more, I ate my serving size. I used to have much less willpower, and cravings more often, especially when I was anemic and I had pica cravings for ice.1
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I LOVE chips and salsa. If I'm out at a restaurant, I try not to think about restricting myself, but there is still a part of my brain that says "Okay, chick, slow down."
When I am at home, depending on how many calories I have in my budget, I will weigh out 1 or 2 ounces in a bowl, put the bag away and feel fine, content and satiated. It is the package being put away that turns it off in my brain. What I have in front of me is what I have. Period.
I also LOVE See's candy. I can only get it twice a year here, so at Christmas, I bought some and put it in the freezer. Back in the day, I would have eaten 4 or 5 or 7 pieces before I got tired of the taste. Now, I take the package out of it's freezer protection, open the box, pull out 2 for me and 2 for the S.O. and put everything back. Again, once it is back in the freezer, all bundled up, it just doesn't enter my brain to go through all that again. 2 is my serving and that is that. Content. Satiated.
Putting the rest of the item away is the key that works for me. If I break a protein bar in half and leave it on my desk, I'm GOING to eat it. If I break it in half, wrap it up, put it in a zipper baggie, put it in the drawer and close it, it's done. Gone.0 -
With treats I have to remind myself that a) this particular food is not going to disappear from earth if I don't eat ALL of it RIGHT NOW and therefore b) I can have another normal portion tomorrow. I do that with cookies (my all time favorite binge food). Pace yourself--one a day instead of the whole package in two days.
Mindset--it helps me a lot to think of my daily calories as currency and how am I going to spend them. Also if I found the time to work out, I really don't want to cancel that out by going home and eating all those calories back. I don't have that kind of time to waste!!!
The first part made me laugh! You are so right!!
Your "Mindset" is me too!! I definitely think of my calories as currency and my allotment and what I have left as my budget.
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