[CandyKisses0204]

Of the Clean Plate Club! Ugh. I can usually gauge how much food will satisfy me. But there are those times where you just put too much on your plate. I cant do seconds cause then i will for SURE eat too much. But my problem is when im full and there is still food on my plate I cant stop eating. Even if i am satisfied, full, stuffed to the point of nausea even. Its like someone has a voodoo doll and wont let me put the darn thing down. Any suggestions? i need help. Also I dont know if this is true for everyone, but for me when i overindulge and eat too much it leads to being hungrier the rest of the day. As opposed to if i ate the right amount i could go 4hrs w/o thinking about food or being hungry. Those days I eat a meal way too big i just want to eat all day long. Not because i feel like i already screwed up. But because i just feel physically hungrier all day. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks Ladies & Gents

[Spoz]

Okay I need to know this - do you cook for yourself/ does somebody else cook for you/and other people?

To lower portions try eating from a smaller child size plate with a smaller spoon, and eat slowly. Enjoy the food in your mouth and savour it. If you want seconds, make yourself wait for at least 15 minutes because this is how long it takes your body to recognize if it's satisfied or not. You could also try having smaller but more regular meals.

[CandyKisses0204]

I cook for myself. If im just cooking for me its usually not that big of a problem.. BUT when im cooking for my boyfriend and myself is usually when it gets bad. He eats A LOT! I mean like if i make burgers lets say. I will only make one for me (i found there laura burgers that are 8%fat and 160cal a patti) but he will want me to make 3 or 4 for him! and if i make 4 and he only eats 3 then that other one is staring back at me calling my name. Or for lunch the other day i made myself a burger w/no bun, steamed brocolli and pierogi's. Usually this is a good amount to fill me up, but that day i was completely stuffed and i had 1 pierogi left, about 1/4 of my burger and i was so full, but i kept eating. I wanted to stop, but for some stupid reason i didnt.

[Spoz]

The only thing I can think of right now (but I'll keep at it) is talking this out with your boyfriend. I think the only way you can not eat seconds is buy not making enough. If your boyfriend loves and supports you in your weight loss goals he'll surely understand that by making him those extra burgers hes putting you in a very compromising situation. You could also try putting out the food and binning left overs so you cant go back and eat them.

[Glory87]

You have to read the book Mindless Eating - it really changed how I think about my plate. According to the author, how do MOST of us know when we're full? When our plate is empty.

Wow, it was like a million churchbells started ringing for me.

If I already know, that I'm wired in some way to clean my plate, why don't I put on the plate ONLY what I want to eat?

Seriously, this has CHANGED my life!

Like your hamburger lunch - let that be a learning experience, next time, no pierogis!!

[retiredone]

I'm the same way. I just have to eat everything. It's like it's one of the seven deadly sins to leave food on my plate. And I pick at anything left over on the table or in the pots and pans and can eat another meal just picking at left-overs. One thing I've done is severely control my portion size, try to eat slower (I'm a bolter), cook smaller amounts (except watery vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower) and make sure the food tastes really good. I often don't feel real full after a meal but I know I've eaten sufficient. It's a hard habit to form, that is to walk away after you've eaten enough. And I try to put away the left-overs right away.

I feel your frustration.

[WarMaiden]

I just finished reading In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. (Awesome book, btw.) In one section he's discussing portion sizes. When asked how they know when to stop eating, French respondents said, "When I'm full." (Duh, right?) The American respondents said, "When the food is gone."

And there was a footnote about an experiment. A researcher arranged to have soup bowls at a restaurant automatically refill from the bottom in order to gauge how much people would eat. The diners with refilling bowls, on average, ate 73% more soup than the diners with non-refilling bowls; some of them ate up to a quart of soup. One diner commented about the soup, "It was very filling."

So, Pollan's conclusion was that Americans need to learn how to pay attention to the fact that they're full.

[Darkblue]

For me, this dates back to childhood, when I would be told to clean my plate or no dessert.

*sighs* Dessert = reward. Clean plate = good.

[PhotoChick]

I will (cordially! ) disagree with the person who said you need to talk to your b/f about this.

It sounds to me like you're making enough for both of you, fixing a plate for yourself, and then when you walk back into the kitchen and see that there's a burger leftover (or whatever) you feel like you HAVE to eat it. (Correct me if that's not what's happening.)

That's not your boyfriend's fault or issue and making less food would basically be penalizing him for having the ability to know when he's full and quit eating.

This is about your relationship to cleaning your plate and to leftovers. And believe me ... I *know* exactly where you are and have complete sympathy. I've been there.

One thing that I can suggest is that you start eating off of your salad plates rather than your dinner plates. I haven't eaten off of dinner plates in over 3 years. It forces me to put smaller quantities on my plate and to be aware of how much you're eating.

Another thing that might help you is to make a plan before hand. I've said this a lot - for me planning is KEY to eating healthy. Plan that you're going to eat one hamburger and then when you see the other, you can say "well, that wasn't on my plan".

Another thing you can do is try putting the burger away. Tell yourself that if you still want it in an hour, you can have it. That way you're not denying yourself anything .. you're just delaying it. Chances are once it's put away and you've moved on to something else, you won't really want it any more.

Just a few thoughts for you!

.

[CandyKisses0204]

Thanks everyone for all the advice.

Glory87~ you convinced me to read it so i went to b&n.com and ordered it.

PhotoChic~ you are so right. I feel like making less food and having him be hungry just isnt the solution. And when ther is left overs im like drawn to it. He has a very physially demanding job so sometimes he works 12 hours w/o a break, so i know he needs food, nutrients, and lots of it. I like the salad plate idea. I think i need to invest in some. I only have dinner plates and tiny ummm i suppose like a dessert plate. They are smaller than a childs plate. I think one of my problems is that i dont put the food away right after i eat and it just sits there and calls me. Dinner tonight leftovers are going right into the fridge! My relationship with the clean plate club needs to change.

[Hat Trick]

Smaller plates really do work. I've done experiments where I"ll dish out ice cream for my kids (or myself ) and if it's in a cereal dish vs. say a custard cup, absolutely I fill the cereal bowl up waay too much because it looks 'empty' if I don't. Now keep in mind, I can cram a TON of ice cream into a custard cup but you get my point. I've tried eating off of regular sized plates vs. smaller plates and you simply eat less because less fits on the plate. Also, when I make dinner I take the protein first then fill 1/2 my plate w/veggies (unless its something like corn or peas) then only take a small amt. of starch (potatoes or rice or whatever else we're having).

I love leftovers. Of course, I'm cooking for 5 so for me it's another night's dinner or tomorrow's lunch. My kids clean up the kitchen (well, they clear the table, scrape and put the dishes in the dish washer and put away all the food). This helps me alot because I walk out of the kitchen till they're done and when I go back in to clean up the pans and stuff the food is already put away. Maybe you could make a deal w/your bf -- you cook, he cleans up. (I think the cook shouldn't have to clean up! )

[JayEll]

Hey! Seems like everyone's covered the question--I'd just add that it's helpful to rid your mind of the idea that you have to eat the leftover food. Ask youself, "Am I the garbage can?"

Put the food away! Wrap it up and put it in the fridge, or if you're not saving it, toss it out! Don't put it in your mouth so you can "wear" it on your hips...

Jay

[onesullengurl]

Originally Posted by PhotoChick

One thing that I can suggest is that you start eating off of your salad plates rather than your dinner plates.
.

This REALLY works for me I LOVE it ... I used to be exactly measuring my food with measuring cups and everything ( madness) .... and then I decided to start using my salad plates and now I can control my portions without being obsessive about it ...

at first I thought this wouldn't work and Id just get seconds lol.. but it does.. I'm full after ..I tricked myself I always use the small plates now ....

Sometimes I forget and give my hubby one too because they just look "normal size" to me now & I use them for me and both my sons so I just grab 4 .
My hubby always says " why do I have to have a baby plate?"

oh yeh and I ALWAYS put any leftovers away asap ... If im feeling pretty full I put it away as I'm cleaning up the kitchen .. if Im still eye balling the leftovers I quick like a bunny throw em in a tupperware and hide them in the back of the fridge ( so I don't see it everytime I open it up ) it works for me for a few reasons .

1. I don't want to pull them out and nuke them ( I'm to lazy)
2. I absolutley detest any dish or counter getting dirty after I've cleaned it for the night
3.My hubby takes left overs to work for lunch and I don't want to eat his lunch LOL
( I Know this one counts you out as you said your hubby has no break) btw that is horrid! poor guy
4. usually If I give myself ample amount of time the desire for seconds go away and getting them out of my face really helps with that! .
5. I am terrified I will wind up over eating and vomiting .. I don't know about you ... maybe you are not this way .. but I was for a year until a year ago .. I would literally eat myself sick .. and hence why I am overweight now LOL

[onesullengurl]

Originally Posted by Hat Trick

(I think the cook shouldn't have to clean up! )

I wish someone would tell that to my husband !!!