Can you lose weight eating what you want in small portions
xx1chloe5xx
Posts: 44 Member
So my uncle who is a body weight champion and health and fitness trainer told me you can eat whatever you want just in small portions. So for the past week I have just been eating of little saucer plates rather than a normal sized plate saucer is about half the size of a normal plate. I’ve also just Been eating porridge for breakfast but for lunch and dinner eating whatever I want with loads of salad and fruit. If I have had a takeaway I have had a child’s meal rather than an adult meal. I feel healthier happier and more energetic but this morning I got on the scales and had gained 2lbs. I don’t know how I’ve gained when I have been eating less and healthier with fruit and veg at almost every meal
7
Replies
-
You still have to eat fewer calories than you use if you want to lose weight.
I can easily over-eat by hundreds of calories per day and I use small plates, bowls, and glasses.
Start logging by gram weight.21 -
For weight loss, it ultimately comes down to: did your body use more calories than you consumed? If so, you'll lose weight. If it was about the same, you maintain. If it was more, you'll gain.
The "small plates" thing I think is more of a psychological trick than actual nutrition. You can definitely just eat your calories with foods you like. Vegetables, lean meats, etc are recommended because they're good for you, and tend to fill you up more/leave you more satisfied than just eating very small quantities of things that are very high calorie. But in theory, yeah, you could absolutely lose weight just eating stuff you want, not necessarily "healthy" stuff.
Other things to consider are water retention (this always happens to me if I eat a meal with a lot of salt - a child's version of fast food or takeout would absolutely qualify here), if you're female and have a cycle, where you are there can affect your weight. You also don't mention your level of activity, which will affect how many calories you're burning.
I've been eating mostly what people would consider "healthy food" now for several years, but I'm still overweight because I was still in the habit of eating more than my body needed. For me, calorie counting (and now logging it on MFP for more precision) has been what I needed to help me realize I just need to eat less of it. I do employ some of those tricks like a smaller plate so visually I don't seem deprived, but for weight loss purposes it really does come down to "calories in < calories out."8 -
The answer is yes, in my experience. But as the last poster said, you still need to measure what you're taking in.
There's lots of ways to restrict your calorie intake, and it seems some work better than others for different people. For me, cutting anything I love out completely wouldn't work. It wouldn't be sustainable.
So I need a system that allows me some chocolate or crisps in the evening, and I create a big enough calorie deficit in the week to eat back some at the weekend. But I know some others would not be able to do that - just allowing a little bit of sweets, or chocolate, or fried food or whatever would simply lead to them having more and more of it.
So you need to work out what works for you.
But you also need to measure it. A kids takeaway meal will be better than an adult one. But it's still nearly 500 calories (going by a hamburger happy meal), and if it leaves you feeling hungry an hour later, it might not be the best choice.
What's worked for me has been measuring and tracking everything. This allows me to make good choices about portion size. I plan out my three meals and log them in advance (adjusting later to account for specific weights and measurements). Then any calories left over can be used on things I like, like chocolate. I know that I can have a more calorific dinner, but it will then leave me with fewer calories for after dinner snacks. And that's cool - sometimes I'll want the higher calorie dinner, sometimes I'll want the snacks. It's a choice.3 -
If eating small portions of whatever you want results in a calorie deficit, you will lose weight.
If eating small portions of whatever you want results in you consuming more calories than your body is using, you will gain weight.
The issue with "small portions of whatever you want" is that it's very subjective. What is small? How many different things do you want?
While some people might lose weight with this method, many of us find that we do need to measure -- in some way -- what we're eating in order to have a deficit.
For me personally, I might feel like I want twenty five different calorie dense foods in a day and even if I ate small portions of all of them, I would probably gain weight. That's why I plan to eat what I want, but not all in the same day. And even when I'm eating what I want, I measure the portions to make sure that I'm still meeting my calorie goal.7 -
Yep, it’s all about the calories. Cheesecake fits nicely on little plates.17
-
I will also point out that a week doesn't tell you much. If you are eating more fruit and veg, you are getting more fiber, which can lead to more bulk in your gut while you adjust to the change. There are so many reasons weight can go up and down a pound or two or five here and there that have nothing to do with your fat stores.7
-
Yes, I am losing weight and I eat whatever I want. I do however log everything I eat and make it fit within a calorie range. So for example I am having takeout tonight. It is not going to be as healthy as most of my meals but I have been wanting it for ages. I am going to eat lightly the rest of the day and if I have time I will do an extra exercise session as well. I know in advance I will only eat 1/2 the meal tonight and save the rest. I will also be ok if I see a jump in my weight because I know it will come back off. I find I mostly want healthy options and even tonight I will be ordering salmon, it is the sides that will be high. It works for me.5
-
Yes, it is possible but you still have to eat less than the calories you burn to maintain your weight. People have lost weight eating nothing but twinkies but that isn’t necessarily a good idea.5
-
You can lose weight eating nothing but literal sticks of butter if you eat fewer calories than your body consumes. You'd feel awful the whole time and probably develop a few nutrient deficiencies in the process, but if you ate 1500 calories' worth of butter every day for a month, you would probably weigh less at the end of that month than you did at the beginning. (Based on the "average" adult TDEE of about 2000 calories - your mileage will vary. Also, don't do this.)
Get a food scale, weigh your portions, double-check the database entries you're using to make sure they're accurate, and trust the process. If eating off of a smaller plate helps you convince your brain that you've eaten enough, keep doing that, it can't hurt. But to make sure you're actually eating enough without eating too much, you need to measure how much you are actually eating.5 -
Yes, as long as you are in a calorie deficit. That’s always how weight is lost. Eating less calories than your body burns.1
-
I lost all my required weight eating the same foods as before, but in smaller portions*. Similar to what someone else said above, I couldn't have continued if I'd been depriving myself of stuff I like / had cut a food group out etc. However, every item was weighed to make sure my portions were small enough to fit my calorie deficit.
*not strictly true - my veg intake has almost certainly increased, to visually compensate for the reduced pasta / potatoes going on my plate or into my dish. I still have pasta and potatoes (indeed I've just had a tuna pasta bake for dinner), but I'll fill up more with veg than with high calorie pasta.
I also swapped more calorie dense foods for lower ones where I wouldn't really notice the difference. I used to have a packet of crisps or wheat crunchies with my lunch, every day, whereas now I either have a pack of lentil curls or a small pack of popcorn, simply because they're lower in cals.3 -
Calories matter. I recommend getting a digital food scale. weighing and Logging everything you eat. I eat vegetables every day but also room for ice-cream 😂2
-
i eat what i want but i make it fit WITHIN MY CALORIES.
everything is weighed if I'm at home and making it myself, and if we eat out, or get takeout, i find as close an estimate as possible in the database (and will err on the high side if none seem just right)
Lost 130 pounds doing it this way.15 -
You can eat whatever kind of food you want to, but you cannot eat whatever QUANTITY you want to. If your choices of the KIND of food are not nutritionally balanced (i.e. all junk food), you could bring on other issues. That's true at any "quantity".5
-
One week and two weigh ins are NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION for you to know your starting weight, your current weight, and your long term weight trend.
Too many things influence your weight on a day to day basis. AND if you're female and have a monthly cycle you can also have water retention fluctuations that exceed any reasonable fat loss rate.
So before even worrying if what you're doing is working... worry as to whether you have measured your weight correctly!
Look at the multi week trend, not your daily weight ins!
Past that, everything said above is true. I would much rather measure what I am eating so that I can maximize the combination of calories and goodness I intake while still achieving my weight management goals than try to guess and gimmick with various plates and spoons.
Sure, the psychological trick of eating a full small plate as opposed to a half empty huge plate is much more satisfying. But long term i can guarantee you I can pack my ice cream real well into a relatively small plate and I can eat way more small candies than I would eat full sized chocolate bars...
Beyond that... most people find that a more simple diet of whole food ingredients that is heavy on vegetables and fruits tends to be more satiating to them. MOST, not all. Individual satiation varies... and experimentation is the only way to know. And of course logging helps with the experiment! <this is a logging web site...>
Is logging REQUIRED to lose weight? ANYTHING that creates a reasonably sized caloric deficit for long enough will result in reasonable weight loss over time. Including just eating anything and everything from very small plates, if it creates the above mentioned deficit! So logging is NOT required.
So logging is NOT required. Logging CAN be misused. BUT, ultimately, logging CAN be used to make informed and reasonable and healthy choices.
3 -
xx1chloe5xx wrote: »So my uncle who is a body weight champion and health and fitness trainer told me you can eat whatever you want just in small portions. So for the past week I have just been eating of little saucer plates rather than a normal sized plate saucer is about half the size of a normal plate. I’ve also just Been eating porridge for breakfast but for lunch and dinner eating whatever I want with loads of salad and fruit. If I have had a takeaway I have had a child’s meal rather than an adult meal. I feel healthier happier and more energetic but this morning I got on the scales and had gained 2lbs. I don’t know how I’ve gained when I have been eating less and healthier with fruit and veg at almost every meal
One week and a couple of weigh ins isn't remotely enough data points to work with to know anything about what's going on.4 -
Yes. I had cake for breakfast yesterday, just make sure you log relatively accurately. I tend to over estimate if I’m not sure2
-
Two different questions here.
1. Can you lose weight by eating controlled portions of things you actually like, which may tend toward higher calorie fare, instead of trying to lose weight by eating lower-calorie foods?
The answer to that is emphatically yes. Many thousands of people here diet by portion control, and plenty, including myself, pay no attention to anything else. I've had plenty of days where my 1850 calories went into hot dogs, pizza, and candy bars, and guess what, I lose exactly the same amount of weight as days when I eat poached salmon salad and such.
I don't use any diet products. Always full-fat mayo, full fat cheese, real salad dressing, etc. I just use limited portions of them, carefully measured out. I've lost plenty of weight doing this.
2. Can using small plates help you control portions enough that you don't need to calorie-count?
Eh. For some people perhaps, for but most, calorie counting remains a far more precise and effective way to do it. The problem with plates is, no matter how small you make your plates, there is always a way to overload them with calories. I can put a thousand calories worth of almond m&m's in a teacup. You're better off focusing on calories and letting the plates take care of themselves.6 -
Yes l think its possible but probably best to mind your calories too0
-
Yes but it depends on how big your portions were before.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
3 -
-
i did just that. i ate anything as long as it fits my calories and macros. came down from 200+lbs down to 136lbs in 9 months. it kept me going because i knew nothing is off the table as long as i know when and how to put it in. now that i'm at my goal weight, i had to re-up my calories because lifting drains calories so fast. and i'm happier than ever because that means i can eat more4
-
Yep.
Track calories to see but yes. There are days I eat a lot of healthy food. There are days I spend all my calories on a whopper with onion rings and a reeses cup.2 -
One of the other problems of "just eat smaller portions" is that there are many foods that are high bulk and low on calories and high on nutrition. There's probably no real reason to reduce the amount of broccoli you would eat, for example.
Plus, losing weight is important. But nutrition is as important, and maybe more important long term. You can eat crappy gas station foods in smaller portions and not gain weight. But if you don't have some veggies and fruit in your diet, that's not good.4 -
Yes I use small plate to reduce my calories and I eat almost everything I want in reason. I make sure I drink plenty of water and as for exercise I walk around the church park lot near me several times and I am losing. But keeping track of calories is a big must.0
-
It's one piece of the puzzle.
Some people can take the average dinner plate and adjust the amount of items on it; more vegetables, less fatty sauces, leaner meat, smaller piece of meat, etc. while eating the same amount of food off the plate overall. I can't do this because I have IBS and it hates most vegetables and legumes.
So I have to reduce my portion sizes, and that is aided by smaller plates and bowls. A smaller portion on a dinner plate looks tiny. Same portion on a luncheon plate looks like a full meal. But I weigh my food and count calories too. I don't just rely on a small plate, because I can load that small plate way past my calorie budget.1 -
This content has been removed.
-
Mine has always been a simple saying "Push ups and Push aways" ..... pretty simple1
-
xx1chloe5xx wrote: »So my uncle who is a body weight champion and health and fitness trainer told me you can eat whatever you want just in small portions. So for the past week I have just been eating of little saucer plates rather than a normal sized plate saucer is about half the size of a normal plate. I’ve also just Been eating porridge for breakfast but for lunch and dinner eating whatever I want with loads of salad and fruit. If I have had a takeaway I have had a child’s meal rather than an adult meal. I feel healthier happier and more energetic but this morning I got on the scales and had gained 2lbs. I don’t know how I’ve gained when I have been eating less and healthier with fruit and veg at almost every meal
I retain pounds of water when I ovulate, premenstrually, after high sodium meals, and after starting a new exercise program, so if any of that is happening for you, that would be one explanation.
However, it would be safest to weight your food. Cheese cake does indeed fit on small plates
3
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 393.3K Introduce Yourself
- 43.8K Getting Started
- 260.2K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.9K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.5K Fitness and Exercise
- 424 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153K Motivation and Support
- 8K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.7K MyFitnessPal Information
- 24 News and Announcements
- 1.1K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.6K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions