Does anyone have any suggestions for portion control? I only eat 3-4 times a day, but I tend to binge when I eat. I have a hard time finding the will power to just walk away from the table.
At breakfast I try to limit myself to one bowl of cereal, even though I try to fill it up as much as possible. There is only so much I can put in a bowl, so that's one way I try to control the amount I eat. And at night, just before bed, I usually have some saltines or pretzels, and I do the same thing. I limit myself to one bowl.
I'm a vegetarian, and I usually eat fairly health. I just a lot.
Have you thought about switching up your food choices to fiber-rich, healthy foods? Pretzels and saltines don't contribute to your health in any way. try replacing hem with nutrient-dense foods like fruits, veggies, legumes and beans. Also, not eating after dinner may help you As far as portion control specifically, I say go for balanced, high fiber and nutrient meals; they will leave you more satisfied. So nice to see another veggie on board!
I use the food prymid as a guide as to what I should be eating. I believe that they have a speific one designed for vegetarians (where to get what) on line. Might be a good resource to check out.
Then how about cutting it down to one meal a day. Instead of a bowl of pasta, have 1/2 a bowl and throw in a ton of veggies to bulk it up.
I have a huge watermelon cut up in my fridg and when I get home at night the first thing I wanna do is snarf down anything in my path. So I pull out the watermelon, and munch on that as I am cooking dinner. By the time I sit down to eat, I'm kinda full and don't eat as much. You can do this with veggies and fat free dips too.
Shaffer, do you eat a high fiber cereal? If you're so hooked on the cereal (which I can TOTALLY relate to!), why don't you try adding a bunch of fruit to it and maybe a few nuts?
My favourite is granola (no milk) with plain yogurt and berries. It's SO yummy and filling.
I keep frozen berries in my freezer (the blueberries are great for that) for when I'm not able to get fresh ones.
I used to be a total cereal addict too, but now I've been able to cut back on how much I eat. Try adding fruit to your cereal, like a banana or sliced strawberries to "fill" the bowl with something more than just cereal and milk. Also, a *great* tip I picked up from Dr. Phil, is to put your spoon down between each bite, and don't take another one until the first bite is completely out of your mouth. I know for some cereals that'll make them be soggy by the end, but for cereals like Cheerios or wheat Chex they'll still be okay. It gives your body time to recognize that it's "full" when you've finished off the bowl. When I eat fast I'll still feel hungry when I'm done, but will feel full 10-15 minutes later whether I ate something else or not, so I try to fill those 10 minutes with eating my allowed portion.
Also, I'd try to cut out the saltines and pretzels. Those always make me feel MORE hungry because they don't fill you up at all. Try a peach or a Luna bar so that you're getting vitamins and fiber into you, and again eat it slowly and enjoy it while it lasts.
ShafferNY, you've received some good suggestions from the other posters. Let me just add that I ALWAYS have a big lettuce & salad veggie salad before my dinner. It practically fills me up before I get to the rest of the meal -- which by the way, I put on my plate after I've portioned out servings into containers that go right into the fridge for lunch or dinner the next day. That way it's out of sight and out of mind.
I like a suggestion I learned from the Carbohydrate Addicts diet (although I do Atkins, not CA). It lets you have seconds -- but ONLY if you have equal amounts of veggies, protein, carbs and fat. That way you don't overdo the carbs, but also get a little extra fat and protein to keep you satisfied longer. The idea is also that you will have a little of each so everything is kept in balance.
I also suggest that you substitute whole foods as much as possible for the pretzels -- which get absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly producing cravings for more. An apple, a cup of berries, or 1/4 c almonds are much healthier and have fiber which will also keep you fuller longer.
I lost 50 pounds eating healthy but, I reached a point when I didn't loose anything else because of my portion sizes. I started doing WW online to help learn normal portion sizes. I tell you, I was never taught about the food groups or what a normal portion is. I struggle everyday too. When I get hungry between meals I eat carrots and 1 or 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Peanut butter fills me up. Keep up the good work!
Hi. I'm so glad I had the pleasure of reading these tips for portion control. One thing that worked for me was purchasing some WW or LC meals and using the containers for my own homemade meals. I use the 2-part containers for protein/carb meals and use the larger section for my protein. I have learned that I am full when I am done eating . . . before I was finished after eating too large a portion. I am one of those who was raised with the "Clear your plate" mentality. It's much easier to live with myself when working with a smaller plate! Good luck!
I weigh and measure EVERYTHING with both a food scale or measuring cups/spoons, or read the portion size on the package. It's not the easiest thing to do, but it cuts down on the prospect of overindulging considerably.
A nice thing I like to keep around in case I get a "munchy" attack are either the Special K bars (90 calories each, no fat) or those little 100-calorie, prepackaged snacks.
Snacks such as saltines and pretzels, though innocent-appearing enough, tend to defeat the weight loss purpose by retaining water with their salt content.
Portion control?
As far as portion control specifically, I say go for balanced, high fiber and nutrient meals; they will leave you more satisfied. So nice to see another veggie on board!
