looking for some others to add for support. Portion control

Gribbish · January 2012

Hi, all, new here, joined up at the 1st of the year, for a resolution, like so many others. I'm one of the minority males on here,

I just turned 40 a couple months ago, and between that, and seeing the scale hit 325, decided I needed to do something about it.

Talked to my doc, and he suggested losing 60 lbs. as a start, at which time he will make a better assessment as to what my ideal weight should be. (He says that BMI isn't a good measurement at 6'3" and my build)

My main issue seems to be portion control. I've always been a big eater, and the way I was raised, a portion was "Fill up the plate until you can't get anymore food on it".

Looking at what portions are SUPPOSED to be has been a real eye-opener... for an example, the typical spaghetti and meatballs dinner I normally would have eaten clocked in somewhere between 12-16 servings, and over 3000 calories for just that one meal.

To try to control my portions, I've shifted to eating off a saucer (can't get 12 servings on a saucer)

Just seeing if there's any others with big portion issues (or just want to be supportive of someone with them)

--Gribbish

Ambamm77 · January 2012

I've always enjoyed large portions and I too still struggle with that. It doesn't seem like enough if the plate isnt full. I now do a lot of measuring because my eyes to my brain do not calculate properly. LOL Good luck!

butterflyqueen1984 · January 2012

I know exactly how you feel! My parents always brought me up on big sized meals and it was a shock to me when I moved out in my early 20's and realised how much I was eating. I have one of the Jamie Oliver spaghetti portion instruments which helps, you can then cook pasta just for one person or two etc. I also think that cooking something from a cookbook is great but if it says it serves 4 just freeze the other 3 portions. I also found that when I was living on my own was when I would eat more as I would cook for two as that was what I was used to! So always half the portion if your cooking for one. Good luck to you!!

BobbyDaniel · January 2012

I turn 41 in 2 months and it was being on the verge of turning 40 that led me to begin trying to get healthy. Portion control was a hard, but very necessary lesson for me! The amount in a serving, as well as what went into those portions makes a huge difference. I was one of those guys who would get a little bit of veggies, maybe a bagged pasta meal on the side and a huge serving of meat...and then get 2nd on the meats and pasta only.
What I learned was to cut the meat back to a serving, usually 4 oz, increase the veggies and cut out the bagged pasta. I didn't think I would get filled up, but surprisingly did, especially when I began going back for 2nds on only the veggies.
This is possible! It can be done! If I can do it, I'm convinced anyone can! Feel free to add me!

dragonfly1570 · January 2012

I can relate. My Mom would always say, "You didn't finish", if I left something on my plate. So this can lead to overeating in a hurry. I do like to eat...can't lie about that! I find on this site, just seeing what others are doing really helps. I hope you find that too. Please feel free to add me is you like. Laurie

chevy88grl · January 2012

I used to have a very screwed up view of portion sizes. I started measuring everything and wow, was it an eye opener. I've come a long way and now I rarely have to measure anything because as a rule I can simply eye ball things.

Good Luck!

MB_Positif · January 2012

I had to work hard to be able to control portions because I seriously love food. If you look at my diary you will see that I still eat a ton of food every day, but I have learned to eat smaller portions. One of the biggest things that has helped me is to center meals around the vegetables instead of the meat or grain. We still make spaghetti with meat sauce, but I only use about a 1/2 lb. of meat for about 6 servings of sauce, but to make it heartier I usually chop up an onion and a red bell pepper and add that to the sauce. And just stick with the 2 ounce serving of pasta. Feel free to send me a friend request!

fpgessel · January 2012

I'm not good at measuring and weighing so I use the bowls and plates as a way to control my portions.

I have replaced all the plates and bowls in my house to go with nothing but the smallest I can find. Corelle makes a nice small bowl that does not allow you to get more than 1 cup of cereal. For ice cream, I use ramekins - can 't get much mor than 1/2-3/4 cup in it.

Corelle also makes small square plates that have about a 7 inch circle inside the square and I use those. It goes against my type A personality to put food on the outside of a square so it keeps my overall portions smaller and I don't get seconds unless it of the vegetables.

It hasn't been easy to adjust to the smaller portions, but the longer I do it, the less drastic it feels.

wtexanw · January 2012

Hi Gribbish. I'm a 47 yo male myself. One thing that greatly helps me is eating 5 - 6 smaller meals throughout the day staying within my diet plan, which for me is low carb. Breakfast, snack, Lunch, snack and dinner sometims with a snack before bedtime. The high protein high fat seems to fill to the point I sometimes have trouble gettin in 1800 cals. Just a thought.

katiebythebay · January 2012

Hey there -

I just turned 40 last Friday and relate to you on both levels - age and portion control.

Feel free to Add me and anyone else on my list, as we're all eager to change our eating and exercise levels a bit.

Kate

jbootman · January 2012

well done for trying,

I can sympathize with the portion control issue,

if I could I would like to recommend the book The End of Overeating by Dr. Kessler, he is the former Commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration. He served as Commissioner from November 1990 until March 1997. Dr. Kessler was appointed by President Bush and reappointed by President Clinton. He has also served as the Dean of the medical schools at Yale and the University of California, San Francisco. He is a Professor of Pediatrics and Epidemiology and Biostatistics at UCSF.,

http://www.theendofovereatingbook.com/

get it from the library like I did,

it is not a 'diet' book at all, it is a clear, although complex, look at WHY we have gotten this way,

there is a terrible connection between fat, salt and sugar and the way it changes our brain chemistry is wicked,

last year I started my diet, I was so overwhelmed with the idea the portion control and my appetite would never be normal,

would I never feel full? would I always have such horrid cravings?

very depressing, as if I needed depressing,

but Dr. Kessler helped me understand how addicted I was and how hard this was going to be,

what I did:

I googled lists of low fat, low calorie, high fiber foods,

I made lists I could live with, BUT FOODS I LIKED, foods with maximum volume like tomatoes and ricecakes, fiber one cereal and almond milk,

I created breakfasts and lunches that were maximum nutrition, maximum food, minimum sodium, sugar and fat,

I changed my other habits, I told my family that for a while I was going to spend as little time in the kitchen as possible,

I told them I was not going to cook for the family,

I forced myself to start a new hobby,

it took some months, I am not going to lie, but the cravings did lessen, I have been able to see some portion control,

am I normal now?, NOT YET and maybe never but it is better,

I still weigh every morsel of everything on my magic high tech food scale, in grams and record everything,

my MFP site is kept open on my computer from 6am to 10pm,

I have my master list of MY FOODS, but I can go out to dinner now and then, especially when I can google the menu and plan some choices,

I still do not exercise but am more active, and I love my new clothes,

the best of luck to you

looking for some others to add for support. Portion control

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