How do you get full without over eating? My brother has said in order for my stomach to shrink I need to eat just one Smart one at a time instead of 2 or 3 one after another until I'm full cause 1 doesnt fill me up. So back to my question how do you get full when what your eating isnt making you full.
Hunger is a complex set of cues. One contributing cue is the fullnes of your stomach.
You've heard advice on two different approaches to addressing that cue. One is that your stomach seems to physically get used to the size/frequency of your meals. Eating smaller meals or less often *after a while* (in my experience, at least several days if not weeks) will allow you to feel full with less volume of food in your stomach.
For whatever point you're at in terms of what your stomach physically expects in terms of volume, you can reduce calories by reducing the nutritional density of what you eat (read about Volumetrics) to get the same level of physical stomach fullness. Drinking water along with your meal will do that temporarily, but water empties from the stomach quickly and can even help the food empty faster with it. Soup lasts longer. The salad idea is also a good one, if you like salad.
Satiation is part of a different set of cues. People tend to find protein and fats more satisfying than carbs and the satiation tends to last longer with those macronutrients than carbs. But fats are particularly calorie dense, so unless you are trying something like high-fat-low-carb, you have to be very careful about how much of that you eat or the calories rack up very quickly.
Personally, I only eat once a day and even then I start each meal with low-calorie-density first course (usually fresh veggies or low-sugar fruit), paired with a healthy fat. My favorites are red pepper strips with goat cheese, melon or Asian pear with nuts, and grape tomatoes with guacamole. I also like salad with EVOO and parm, but haven't been in the mood for salad lately.
I limit the healthy fat portion to about 150 calories, and eat as much as I want of the fruit/veg. Then I move on to my main meal, which is smaller in volume because of the first course. My meal will focus on protein and veg but usually I will include a *small* serving of whole starchy carb (like squash. lentils, or brown rice). Despite what I said about carbs being satisfying for less long, I personally find the meal more satisfying if I include some. I also usually have a small dessert (150 calories or less). Since I'm only eating one meal a day, I can eat all these things in the same meal without busting a calorie budget.
I took this approach in my WOE because I wanted to be able to eat very satisfying meals, even if that meant eating them less often (BTW, I did not drop to one meal a day cold turkey. Instead I kept shrinking my eating window). It also allows me to put food out of my mind for most of the day. Anyway, this approach worked for me and I've been pretty content with it (though recently I've made adjustments to try to drop a few more pounds),
Stop with the frozen meals. Have four ounces of chicken or turkey and have steamed non starchy vegetables with it. If you eat salad, have a salad but watch the dressing (no croutons etc). You could also try vegetable soup before or minestrone, something clear without lots of pasta added.
I eat every few hours, about 200 calories at a time, protein plus healthy fat or fruit/vegetable.
I don't eat "organized" meals and if we eat out, I still only eat 200-300 calories. You won't be hungry this way. I'm never hungry. If I am hungry, I eat, but not junk.
I just tried my first two Lean Cuisines this past week. I got tired of my usuals and wanted something new that was a whole meal instead of just a sandwich. I admit I wish the portion size was a bit bigger. A 300 calorie meal seems more healthy than a 250 calorie one. I'm really curious what your thoughts are on the frozen meals, Jen.
You'll get a lot of people that rail against frozen meals, and I understand why. Are they the healthiest thing in the world? No, they're full of salt and processed foods. A salad with grilled chicken will always be healthier.
That said, I feel they have a particular value, especially with those people substantially overweight by 50+ lbs. because they teach portion size. Many of us who are or have been severely obese have a warped sense of what correct portion size it. Using those meals can help to correct that sense. A lot of those same people are also into convenience and don't cook. Making a big change in two areas at one time, cooking and size, is sometimes too much for people.
I used those frozen meals almost exclusively when starting out and it worked well for me. Will I change to more healthy and whole foods as time progresses? I don't know, but I just do what works for me.
I understand they are not exactly the healthiest. Unfortunately, like Vex mentioned, I still have a lot of weight to lose and I'm not a cooker. This is also the first time I ever used calorie counting to help lose weight. Pre-packaged salads, dinners and sandwiches are the easiest way to keep track of them. I also tend to eat the same things over and over and only recently have I ventured out to try new foods like the Lean Cuisines. I would get more pre-packaged salads if I weren't limited by the 'Eat by' due dates and the low availability at the store.
I think frozen meals are perfectly fine if you don't cook, just do it wisely. There are tons of ways to doctor them. You can add a salad as mentioned already, or some frozen veggies. For example, let's say you got some sort of lasagna dish. You can add a few handfuls of fresh (or frozen) spinach. Meat w/potatoes, gray and corn? Add some additional frozen peas. You get the point. Sure they're not ideal, but if the alternative is some other form of unhealthy, high calorie, fattening food, stick with the lower calorie frozen meals!
Terra, lots of good tips here already. I just wanted to chime in that you shouldn't feel guilty about eating frozen meals, but also encourage you to branch out as time and money allows. There are tons of easy recipes all over this forum and the internet if you're ever interested.
Jesslan - I really can't say enough good things about frozen veggies for someone like you who can't keep fresh veggies on hand. They are so cheap, keep well, and most don't have additives (assuming you're not buying the kind already seasoned or covered in sauce).
Last edited by nonameslob; 12-02-2014 at 02:33 PM.
Honestly, I don't see being "full" as a good goal anymore.
I'm trying to teach myself to learn the "satiated" feeling and so far that's going pretty well. It's tough to tell myself I don't need to be "full" because I think it will last me longer than "satiated" - but it simply isn't true. "Full" often ends very quickly, and I'm left with "empty" 20 minutes later. Whereas now that I'm eating foods that keep me feeling satiated for longer, I can eat less overall. It's not about having food in my stomach; it's about my body knowing it has the stuff it needs to keep running.
It doesn't come naturally for me. It's taking some training. I mean, after all, "Full" can be a good feeling.
I still fill myself up from time to time, don't get me wrong. It's just not the focus of every meal anymore.
How Do You Get Full???
