Smaller portions or change your diet?

When I first started counting calories I pretty much just ate like I always had but ate smaller portions. As I've lost weight and my calorie goal has gone down I've also changed some of the foods I eat. As an example, I still eat pizza but I get chicken and veggie pizza now instead of pepperoni with extra cheese. I used to barely meet my protein goal and now I really try to get close to it everyday because it does help keep me from feeling hungry when I eat more protein.

Both for me.
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My story.

I shifted more towards the latter for making healthier foods that were more filling for me. I do still partake in some of the more unhealthy foods of the pazf, but because they're normally all carbs and fat in smaller portions, I still have to fit either protein focused snacks or meals afterwards (which can't happen without exercise). Beyond that, I also decreased my salt intake (it works for me personally) and increased my protein intake. I eat with my eyes, so enjoying larger meals is better for me than a slice of pizza with a plate of salad.

schtump wrote: »

So I ask, what works better for you, eating what you love, but small portions or finding alternatives that you can live with, but eating more.

Well, a lot of the foods I love are high volume foods, like vegetables, so it isn't really one or the other.

For me it was a mix, though.

I didn't cut out anything, but I looked at my diet and lowered the things I thought I would miss least, for satiety and nutrition as well as having a satisfying diet (and I honestly think this IS what is meant when people say eat what you like, just less, since it's common sense).

I realized I was adding more fat calories than I needed to, so I cut that back -- added less oil, used cheese more sparingly, focused on lean meats more often, with bonus points for things like shrimp that are really low cal soures of protein. I also cut back on starches I was eating just because they were there (I don't care about bread that much) and decreased portions of things like pasta and potatoes since I was just as satisfied with less. Basically I cut back on fat and carbs some, not protein, but it was meal specific. I always ate lots of veg, but added more so the amount of food on my plate if anything increased.

I also realized I was eating some degree of stuff I didn't care about between meals, because it was there, largely things that were at work (if someone gave us cookies, I should eat them because they were there, if stressed, get peanut M&Ms from the bowl that was out, if stuck there late, eat some Kind bars). I stopped that. Not against including some sweets in my diet, but I want it to be things I actually love and will eat less of them in order to fit in the good things.

I also had a habit of overeating at restaurants, which I did at least weekly. I stopped being so indulgent as it is weekly and now order more mindfully and don't think I need an app or dessert and if portions are big I bring some home. Some things I LOVE and don't want to eat in small amounts (Indian food, Ethiopian) so I get them monthly or less, and often combine with a long run or other long workout. I originally tried to order carefully at my favorite Indian place (no naan, little rice, tandoori chicken) and then said forget it, I'll go less and skip lunch before or otherwise make plans to just eat what I want and fit it in.

A bit of both. Some years ago, I started working my way through the 1,000 Vegan Recipes cookbook in order. I started in snacks, moved through hot and cold appetizers, salads, etc. When I started MFP I was just about finished with the Italian pasta and ready to move on to Asian noodles. And I... really didn't want to abandon the project. And I didn't. I made those noodle dishes (and went on to the beans section, where I am now) and found lower-calorie, nutrient-dense options for the rest of my food. Instead of snacking on stuff like Terra chips, it became string cheese or veggie dogs or popcorn. A bit more fruit in my diet. Extra vegetables. And yes, some moderate high-calorie options once a week. I've also upped my exercise, which gives me more room to play.

So far, so good!

lemurcat12 wrote: »

schtump wrote: »

So I ask, what works better for you, eating what you love, but small portions or finding alternatives that you can live with, but eating more.

Well, a lot of the foods I love are high volume foods, like vegetables, so it isn't really one or the other.

For me it was a mix, though.

I didn't cut out anything, but I looked at my diet and lowered the things I thought I would miss least, for satiety and nutrition as well as having a satisfying diet (and I honestly think this IS what is meant when people say eat what you like, just less, since it's common sense).

I realized I was adding more fat calories than I needed to, so I cut that back -- added less oil, used cheese more sparingly, focused on lean meats more often, with bonus points for things like shrimp that are really low cal soures of protein. I also cut back on starches I was eating just because they were there (I don't care about bread that much) and decreased portions of things like pasta and potatoes since I was just as satisfied with less. Basically I cut back on fat and carbs some, not protein, but it was meal specific. I always ate lots of veg, but added more so the amount of food on my plate if anything increased.

I also realized I was eating some degree of stuff I didn't care about between meals, because it was there, largely things that were at work (if someone gave us cookies, I should eat them because they were there, if stressed, get peanut M&Ms from the bowl that was out, if stuck there late, eat some Kind bars). I stopped that. Not against including some sweets in my diet, but I want it to be things I actually love and will eat less of them in order to fit in the good things.

I also had a habit of overeating at restaurants, which I did at least weekly. I stopped being so indulgent as it is weekly and now order more mindfully and don't think I need an app or dessert and if portions are big I bring some home. Some things I LOVE and don't want to eat in small amounts (Indian food, Ethiopian) so I get them monthly or less, and often combine with a long run or other long workout. I originally tried to order carefully at my favorite Indian place (no naan, little rice, tandoori chicken) and then said forget it, I'll go less and skip lunch before or otherwise make plans to just eat what I want and fit it in.

All of this.

I already ate a very healthy diet before starting to lose weight. I was a 210 pound whole foods vegetarian whose carb consumption was limited to beans and vegetables. I just ate too much and had a very heavy hand with olive oil.

In fact, I've added some things back into my diet since I've started losing weight like the occasional candy or cookie depending on my calorie allowance for the day and whether I'm in a maintaining phase or losing phase.

I've always looked at this process as a life-long endeavor at looked at ways to maximize my satisfaction with my diet in terms of nutrition, satiety, and satisfaction.

I've had a weight problem for years (since I was a pre-teen). I've dieted on and off for over 40 years. I've gone the route of cutting things out completely and found that over the long haul, it doesn't work. There are some foods I only ever eat once or twice I year, mind you, but I haven't cut them out of my life completely. If something is tasty enough that I still want it in my life, I fit it in either by having it very infrequently (boardwalk caramel corn and french fries that I only have on vacation or my mother's cheesecake recipe that I only make at Christmas) or in smaller portions every now and then (a Snickers bar or Reece's Cups on days when I do a long run that I buy in a single portion going through the grocery check out line).

I do both. I now may only eat one slice of my favorite pizza with salad as a side, instead of two slices. I do typically choose healthier options but sometimes I just want a cheeseburger and I fit it into my limit.

I'd rather have a huge salad with grilled chicken, raw veggies, a tsp. of an oil with vinegar and some feta cheese than one slice of plain pizza. But for a "treat," I'm happy to have a very small cookie or even a quarter of a brownie to get the taste than have a large bowl of a tasteless, fake-sugar-filled treat. I guess it depends if I'm actually hungry (then I go for high volume & healthy) or want a little something sweet (then I'd go for what I want, but a very small amount.)

Another vote for "both". I find that as I cut portions to stay within calorie targets I then end up with macro issues (because not all food has the same nutrition value). For example, I had to find protein rich foods else lower cals would leave me too hungry (and susceptible to binging).

As noted above I also stay away from trigger foods (mostly ) but I do still eat what I like, probably less often though. Eating what I like is often a treat/reward based on major activity.

I'm still finding my balance on this. I have been eating less and counting my calories, which does force me to make choices. However i am trying to teach myself how I'm going to be eating for the rest of my life, so I am not cutting things out completely. For me, long term, that is just not sustainable. The best way to go is to teach myself what proper portions look like, and feel like once I've eaten them. My body is adjusting, slowly, but it is getting there. Yes if I make a choice to eat something that is carb heavy I end up hungry, but usually a low cal high fiber snack like carrots, or apples fix that.

I do both. Ex- I get a craving for McDonalds. I go and get the kids meal, then eat it with a couple pieces of fruit, and maybe a boiled egg.

Both...

I made it a point to address my nutrition and make that better...my diet when I started was sorely lacking in veg and fruit and I ate a lot of fattier cuts of red meat, pizza, Taco Bell, and drank a ton of soda. I didn't make wholesale changes overnight...I addressed things a bit at a time...started making it a point to eat more veggies until I was having them with most every meal...some fruit as a snack rather than my potato chips...brown bag breakfast and lunch instead of going out...more fish and chicken, etc. Like I said, this all evolved over time...I did it kinda piece meal which made things easier.

As I made these changes, other things just naturally fell by the wayside. 4.5 years later, my diet is pretty rockin' on the nutrition front (and also delicious...I'm pretty good in the kitchen)...but I still have pizza night on Friday evenings for example...the big difference between now and then is that my wife and I split a small pie, and usually there are a couple of slices left over whereas before we would get a medium or large and eat most of it.

I ended up doing both. I think most people do. Even those that go on paleo or other stricter diets typically have some foods that don't change, or have a 'cheat meal' occasionally, or something of that nature.

Given you don't really love most of what you eat now, you may be one of the few where a complete diet overhaul would be practical. I'd only recommend it if you think your current diet is nutritionally deficient or some other diet sounds interesting to you. Otherwise, I'd just sub out some high calorie/low volume items for low calorie/high volume items and experiment until you have something that you're comfortable with.

I would not completely cut out the cheese if that's the one thing you really enjoy. Unless it's something you just can't stop eating - but I didn't get that from your post.