Portion size/control - any tips!

[Harambe]

Just finished my first week back on program. Disappointed because I only lost one pound - and just barely lost that

I know one big problem I have is portion control. Does anyone have any tricks that you use to convince yourself that you're really not eating a tiny amount!

At WW, they call us "volume eaters". I don't splurge on desserts and junk food at all, but even good food has a limit!

Help!

 

[TigH]

Do you have a food scale? I have two! One is not very good, but the other one my sister found in her kitchen and she wasn't using it, so we have it and it's GREAT! I use it to weigh chicken breasts ALL THE TIME! And I use my measuring scoops and tablespoons/teaspoons religiously! That is the best way for me to be able to really monitor my portions.

I am having oatmeal for breakfast and it's keeping me very full through the morning. We ALWAYS have a salad with dinner, usually mixed greens (Earthbound Organic has a GREAT prewashed/bagged variety of salad greens). We also have grape tomatoes, cucumber, red or green pepper and carrots on our salad. I even use those cocktail onions to pep my salad up, and sometimes I'll have 6 black olives on the salad. Kraft has some GREAT light dressings, "Light Done Right", and we measure out two tablespoons per salad. It really does the trick, that is more than enough to cover our salad and make them taste yummy!

We almost always have steamed broccoli for dinner too. If I cook up chicken breasts and broccoli, we'll either have broccoli with a small shake of parms. cheese (Kraft brand) on it and the chicken will have a measured amount of BBQ sauce OR we'll mix the chicken and broccoli together and use a measured amount (tablespoon or two) of Lawrys Teriyaki & Ginger marinade to flavor it.

You can do it! If you get hungry between meals, try to spread your points out through the day into 5 smaller meals instead of just the traditional B L D.

For us, eating that salad before dinner was the key. It really fills us up. I thought my husband would get sick of salad every night before dinner, but he LOVES it! By the time we finish our salad, we're almost full, so eating the chicken and broccoli (or cauliflower depending on what I cook) just tops us off! Also keep drinking that water!

Last night I was watching some show on the Style network and they had WW representative on. She said to divide your plate in half and fill one half with veggies (they showed a mix of cauliflower, broccoli, red peppers, etc. I think) Then the other half was divided in half, and each of those was filled with a protein and carb (chicken breast and potato). Good luck!

 

[Kabuli1]

I was going to say what TigH said about dividing your plate. I just wanted to add - make sure the plate you are using is a reasonable size!!! I am a volume eater as well - and I think it's one of the reasons I'm having problems losing on Atkins. I'd choose a small plate before I start dividing it! Tho on Atkin's I don't have to worry about plates and stuff! I actually have to count calories to lose on any plan. Oh, I wouldn't survive w/o my food scale - I use it for everything I eat.

Karyn

 

[PartyofSix]

I agree with the eating a salad before each meal. We love our salad and we don't use lowfat cheese either! I like the greens mix in the bag w/cheese remember to becareful though and don't grate up a 1/4 of the block!!!! Now cut your 1/2 or oz off and grateful that. Find you some yummy crutons with kick that are .5 to 2 grms fat per 10-15 and go for it! Drink a glass of water min while you eat it. We are hooked on the Kraft ff ZESTY Itlatain dressing. Hardly anything in it but very kicked up dressing. Okay measure you HAVE to just accept the fact that you are a volume eater. My husband suffered with this but we found the more flavorful we could make the things we did eat the more satisfied and less deprived we felt and as the weight came off we WANTED less and less food and the volume issue was mute then. Together he has lost 95 lbs to my 63 lbs so this works for us. Also remember what a portion is. For meats it's 4 oz. about the size of a deck of cards so invising that and remember you can cut you meat in portions refrig the rest and BOOM supper tomorrow night is done! I can't believe it takes us two nights to eat 3 chicken breast!! We use to consume that easily in one meal. Now food last so much longer it's sort of neat really. Good Luck and best wishes on your new week!!!!!!!

 

[Harambe]

Thanks everyone! Some great ideas! I had forgotten all about the diving the plate up thing.

I think I need to drag out my WW stuff again from last winter and read through it.

I dug around my kitchen and found the 1/2 and 1 cup ladles that I bought at WW. I'll start using those more also.

Okay - I'm armed and ready!

 

[imgoingtodisney]

Besides the support from the WISH, I honestly believe one of the major things thats helping me this time is my measuring cups. Im sitting here right now eating my cherries from the 1cup. I measure all my fruit every day, my morning raisin bran, salads, etc. I guesstimate salad drsg, milk for cereal.
I bought a 2nd set of measuring cups and brought them on our mini-vaca July 3-6. They are already packed for this Fri 18-24 vacation.
I dont measure what I eat at restaurants, I guesstimate. But the foods I eat at home and in hotel rooms is measured.

 

[lmhall2000]

I totally agree it's hard being a volume eater- boy that's me if there ever was one! It was fine when I was very active but when I started slowing down the pounds packed on!

Go splurge and buy some really nice plates (salad plates) that suit your fancy- I put my meals on those and it looks like it's overflowing the plate but it makes me control my portions- I don't ever use the big dinner plates anymore.

And for fruit- I just eat a handful- whatever can fit in my hand- 10 grapes- 20 raisins, 3 slices of apple, 1/2 a banana, and that works- always eat a snack between meals it keeps you from wanting to eat too much at meals- I'll keep wheat crackers and slice cheese really thinly so I get 5 crackers and 5 slices of cheese in between meals to help me through.

You'll soon realize you're full before you've finished your plate and be AMAZED!! I usually never leave a restaurant plate empty but lately I can only eat 1/2 to 2/3 of it! Great feeling!
Tara

 

[ohiominnie]

I do a radically different plan than everyone on this board (Weigh Down Workshop) but I want to share my thoughts on this, even if they aren't the "norm" because you may find they are helpful.

On my plan you do not eat unless you are hungry....that means physiologically hungry which, once you've tried it, you'll realize you haven't been physiologically hungry in a long time. This is the hunger you experience when your stomach growls. Typically we all eat when it's meal time, or when we're bored, or depressed, or socializing, or because the food is there by us. Not many wait until their stomach growls to eat. (the stomach growl is actually caused by decreased blood sugar and the physiological need for food)

How much to eat?? Until you are just satisfied. Eat your best bites first because you'll find you are satisfied when you've eaten typically 1/2 to 1/3 of what you are used to eating. No point in saving the best for last when you'll be stuffing those bites into a already full stomach!!! You'll have to learn your signs for satisfied. One of my big ones is that the food just doesn't taste as good as the first bite (your taste sensation decreases once you are satisfied) Of course, eat slowly, take sips between bites, put your fork down and talk to the family.

3 years ago I lost 20 pounds in 12 weeks doing this. I've restarted and have lost enough to have ppl tell me "you look thinner" but cannot give you a number yet as I'm ONLY weighing on Thursdays.

Hope this helps!
God bless,

 

[AlreadyexcitedGrammy]

I found that I was not drinking as much H20 as I should be, so I have a large measuring bowl (tupperware) that I fill in the AM and then pour my water from it, knowing that before I hit the sack at night that water has to be gone! There have been times I have been water logged at night - but it is a good visual and a prompting to me - of "drink all this" water before any other beverage is enjoyed (diet soda drinks, ice tea, etc.)

Agree with others, that I must measure and then journal, too so I am not wasting time on remembering what I have had during the day - or playing a guessing game - when it's written I know. So if I cheat - then I know it's really cheating and have to choose to cheat or choose to be OP and most times I choose to be OP, cause I have that buddy circle I report too and really they help me keep my portions in control, because they are going to know if I am not losing - I am cheating!!!