reducing portion vs changing what you eat

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  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
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    i reduced my portions, as opposed to changing what i ate. easier to change certain habits then to develop new ones i guess. started measruing servings and weighing cold cuts, etc.

    but now i have changed what i eat. more veggies, more chicken breast, whole wheat bread/wraps.
  • MJ7910
    MJ7910 Posts: 1,280 Member
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    at first i ate smaller portions. then i started eating healthier foods. i realized i coudl eat a ton of fruit and veggise and feel full instead of one thing that was sugar or carb loaded and feel hungry and have a sugar high/low. now i just eat healthier.
  • russellma
    russellma Posts: 284 Member
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    For me, eating less of the same foods is more sustainable for the rest of my life.

    It allows me to eat normal foods at gatherings and at mealtimes with my families, but still lose weight. I don't feel like I'm on a diet or deprived of what I enjoy.

    It boils down to calories in, calories out, so whatever works for you is what's best!
  • romping
    romping Posts: 64 Member
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    I have lost 45 pounds by changing what I eat and not concerning myself with volume.

    I eat protein(eggs, beef, chicken, fish, seafood, ect..) , lots of good veggies, cheeses, nuts, good oils, berries, dark chocolate for the sweettooth, some whole grain pasta, cereal.

    I don´t eat any processed foods, white starch of any kind(bread, potatoe, rice, corn, ect) , high sugar fruit, sugar, ect..
    I walk 4 times a week.

    When I get hungry, I eat. I just choose what I eat differently now.
  • ritaplante
    ritaplante Posts: 4
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    I actually starting the "Eating Clean" lifestyle. I eat 6 smaller meals per day and it is a program that is considered a lifestyle change. Tosa Reno is the author and the food is awesome...no sugar or white flour and it's all measured but as healthy as you can get....just a thought but I love that program..:smile:
  • SARgirl
    SARgirl Posts: 572 Member
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    I generally eat what I want but use portion control. So far that has worked for me. However, I have started to think more about what I eat based on their calories so that I'm getting the most bang for my buck (i.e. broiled salmon, steamed asparagus, and roasted red potatoes for 400 calories vs. 1 piece of pizza for the same amount of calories).
  • felice03
    felice03 Posts: 2,732 Member
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    I think many people started out simply eating less food, and then changed to "cleaner" eating over time.....

    I started eating smaller portions, and then my body needed more nutrients to keep me going. I ended up eating a bit healthier, but it was done over time (with many slip ups). It was gradual over the course of a year.

    this is me...as I learned more about what kind of lifestyle I wanted, I make better choices. But if I want something I will eat it, just within reason.
  • sarah829522
    sarah829522 Posts: 139
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    I do a little of both. I was generally eating healthy 80-90% of the time but thought I could eat as many fruits and veggies as I wanted. I learned this is not true.

    MFP for me started just tracking calories. Now I track the nutrients as well. When you begin to view food as a means to fuel your body and not as anything else, the healthy part just comes naturally. I'm still not perfect and I'm definitely a work in progress and if I want a cheeseburger I'm going to have one. But I track it now.
  • CuteAndCurvy83
    CuteAndCurvy83 Posts: 570 Member
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    For me it was and still is a mix of both. I don't ever deny myself anything however if there is a higher cal food, I usually take a smaller portion and fill up the rest with veggies. I love LOVE LOVEEE Macaroni & cheese, but instead of having like 2 cups of it and a piece of chicken and a spoon of broccoli, I will only take 1/2 cup of mac & cheese and have it with the chicken, and a few spoons of broccoli.
  • mtgeorgefan
    mtgeorgefan Posts: 3
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    I think many people started out simply eating less food, and then changed to "cleaner" eating over time.....

    I started eating smaller portions, and then my body needed more nutrients to keep me going. I ended up eating a bit healthier, but it was done over time (with many slip ups). It was gradual over the course of a year.


    I agree with this~
  • MissFit0101
    MissFit0101 Posts: 2,382
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    All you need is a calorie deficit to drop the weight... and those calories can come from anything to simply drop the weight as long as you are at a deficit. Of course, for your overall health it is best to make the healthiest choices possible, but that doesn't mean you can't still eat the things you love in smaller portions, and less often.

    ETA: If you try to restrict yourself from all the things you love then you're highly likely to just revert completely back to old ways.
  • cessnaholly
    cessnaholly Posts: 780 Member
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    Both. When I started I took a couple of weeks to just log what I ate and BOY was I surprised. I didn't change anything at first. Things I thought were good, weren't and vice versa. Then in time I started choosing healthier choices and reducing portions. I measure many things I eat but not everything. I drink a lot more water now. And now that I'm exercising, I need to eat more protein and drink more water.

    I think it is really a re-learning experience. Learning what to eat, how to eat, what to drink and what works for you personally because it isn't the same for everyone. You have to find your own balance.

    Do I still have slips? Sure. But it is a lot easier after I've been doing it for a year. I am craving the good stuff more often and get sick when I eat the bad stuff (because it still smells good, but makes me feel icky afterwards). And I've noticed that I actually prefer to eat at home where I can control portions, eat healthier ingredients. I don't like eating out anymore.

    Of course, if someone gets a pizza I'm in trouble. LOL
  • Bentley2718
    Bentley2718 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    It is possible to lose weight just cutting portion sizes, and it's possible to not lose weight eating nothing but whole, "clean," foods.

    Personally, I do some of both. Before I lost weight, I ate a lot of healthy things, but I ate too much of them, and I ate a lot of unhealthy things on top of that. I cut out a lot of the sweets and other junk I used to eat, and reduced my portion sizes of certain things (e.g. I really didn't need to be eating two cups of brown rice, one is plenty). I don't eat perfectly by any means, but I do focus on trying to eat things that make me feel healthy, which for me is fruits, veggies, legumes, etc.. Even if I don't eat too much in terms of calories, eating a lot of junk food leaves me feeling not-so-good.
  • Emancipated_Tai
    Emancipated_Tai Posts: 756 Member
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    I do a mix of both. It would be hard to cut out EVERYTHING that I like, but I understand now what "in moderation" means. When I'm eating not so healthy, my method is to eat from a smaller plate and not try to pack it full of food. I'm also a part of Team Leave Some Behind, so I don't clear everything that I serviced myself. This is a way to leave some calories behind.
  • vvanm
    vvanm Posts: 157
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    You can lose weight by just reducing portion size on what you normally eat. However, if you are eating 1200 calories a day and eating 400 calories in fun snacks you are not getting basic nutrition and will be malnourished. Your brain isn't getting the healthy calories it needs to think straight and it will set you up to fail. I am aiming for maximum nutrition right now to lose the last 7 lbs so I may have a 50 cal treat, but my focus is reaching the nutritional goals and staying at 1200. Organic carrots, apples, spinach salads, yogurt and cottage cheese have found their way to my fridge.
  • kcmg0730
    kcmg0730 Posts: 96
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    I think a little bit of both works; we eat reasonably clean here...so though we will very occasionally indulge in a Chinese takeaway, that's about as bad as it gets. I eat everything I used to before I started this, I just eat a smaller amount than I used to, and I use the food scales to check myself. I find that if I don't forbid any food, I can control my intake a bit better, and I make better choices.
  • Okuconn
    Okuconn Posts: 5
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    I started pay attention to what I was eating. It is amazing when you read labels just how bad some foods are. I started making smarter choices. Instead of a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit for breakfast I now eat whole grain cerial with yogurt. I have a ways to go but I am determined to do it this time. I would not recommending changing everything right a way. This is not a diet but a lifestyle change.
  • iplayoutside19
    iplayoutside19 Posts: 2,304 Member
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    Both.

    I started out just reducing what I ate. And yes, a food scale is key to this. I broadened my food horizons as I constantly sought lower calorie foods that I would eat....I slowly changed what I ate. It's a never ending process. I still have not quit eating anything I ate before.
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    I made a point to start eating better. I get to eat more food if I eat healthier, so that's awesome. I don't completely cut out unhealthy food though, it's a treat.
  • drop30lbs
    drop30lbs Posts: 12 Member
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    In the past I have always lost weight by going low carb. I have decided that if this is going to be lasting, I would rather reduce my portion size and cut down the junk food. If I have tortillas with cheese sauce, then I have only 10 and put it away. I am trying to develop self control rather than quick weight loss.:smile:
    Good luck,

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