I can't seem to get into the groove of measure && weighing everything i eat. Also, i'm having trouble with portion sizing because i keep telling myself/thinking that they're too small and wont fill me up. I know it's important to help me watch my portions but i forget, or i'm too tired && i make up excuses. :S Blah.. I'm going to try really hard to, but i have a feeling it's going to take awhile..any tips?
Keep your scale, measuring cups and measuring spoons on the counter. Once you start eating proper portions, it will help with weight loss. You don't have to do it forever, just 3-4 weeks and then you can estimate again. I always weigh and measure and have done it for years.
As far as the portions looking to small, that is eating with your eyes and not stomach capacity. Eat the portion and then if you are still hungry, eat more vegetables. That is my supreme test for hunger - if I don't want vegetables but something else, I'm not really hungry, I'm wanting for the sake of eating.
Throw the word "try" out of you vocabulary. Its wishy-washy. Tell yourself you will weigh and measure portions.
My trick? Use smaller bowls and plates. Get some modeling clay and measure out half a cup, then press it into your bowl and write "1/2" on it. Let it dry. Do the same with one cup, writing "1" on it. That way, you have visual reminders, molded to YOUR bowl, of what half a cup and one cup look like. If you drink juice or milk, you may want to do the same with a 8 oz juice/milk glass. It's easy to over-pour.
As for feeling like I won't be satisfied by that much, when I cram half my plate with veggies and the rest with protein and maybe a little carb, it looks like a lot!
I also find that when I cut down on carbs, I need to add in a bit more fat. It keeps my calories up in the 1600-1800 range, and adds a lot of satiety. When I was eating higher-carb, even when focusing on whole grains, I was hungrier faster. But then, I'm insulin resistant, so carb intolerance is just part of my metabolism.
It does get easier! I with Quilter and Synger that vegetables help a lot.
Let me give you an example. Last night I made some chicken tacos. I used 3 ounces of chicken and one whole wheat tortilla with a lot of vegetables. If I just had the chicken and tortilla it would have been a small, miserable meal.
But I took onion, fresh jalapeno, red bell pepper, and broccoli and steam stir fried (no oil) it with the chicken. When that was done I made one huge taco with a whole side of filling on the side. I topped both with chopped avocado, a chopped tomato, and fresh salsa. It made a generous portion (a little too big) for only 350 calories. It was so good and satisfying!
I weigh EVERYTHING. Measuring always seem less accurate and a PITA. Do you know about the z/t function on the scale? Some people do not. You put a bowl on the scale, hit z/t, it goes to zero. Pour cereal in the bowl, note the gram weight, hit z/t, it goes to zero. Pour milk in the bowl, note the gram weight. No muss, no fuss, no extra dirty dishes.
Measure, measure, measure...
I'm going to try really hard to, but i have a feeling it's going to take awhile..any tips?
