can i still eat big portions without feeling like i cheated? i have stayed on plan but i do like to have a nice big meal. is that really so wrong?

I love a big dinner - I can do ok with a moderate breakfast and lunch.

It is ok, but you just need to make sure you are filling up on healthy, low fat, and not high calorie foods. I just finished eating - I had a 4 egg white omelet with sauteed onions and a slice of reduced fat cheddar cheese melted inside. I had left over roasted potatoes and onions -- I chopped them up and sauteed them as hashbrowns -- on the side. I only ate about a cup of potatoes. I also had a salad with Newman's Own Light Balsamic vinegriette. I am FULL. I will probably have a snack before bed, but I am full.

Vegetables are great for filling you up! Green beans are one of my favorites. I also like salads with lots of different kinds of lettuce (and easy on the dressing!). Broccoli is good--celery--beets--any vegetable that you enjoy. Watch out for the corn, though...

If by "big portions" you mean lots of pasta and potatoes--well, that can be problematic because there are so many calories in carbs like that.

Jay

Try Volumetrics. The book is for sale just about everywhere. It's food with high volume, but low calories

I am definitely know for downing a ridiculous amount of broccoli in one sitting because i love to feel completely satiated... but at least i am trying to do it with better foods!

well, for example, my favorite chinese dinner is around 900 calories... YIKES i know... but if i eat light before and after it, it fits in my plan and i like it. it's a meal with rice, green beans, and shrimp.

Ah yes. Well, with Chinese food it's often the sauces that contain many calories, rather than the main ingredients.

Nice for you that you can eat a 900 calorie meal and still have room for other food! I'd have about 400 calories left after that, to just toss around on anything I wanted!

Jay

well right now i eat 1500-1800 per day, though i can eat up to 2100 and still lose weight. for example though today i haven't even hit 1000 yet and i will be full for a while

i guess i also confuse being full with cheating, cause surely i can't be on plan if i am not constantly hungry!

I like the Volumetrics book, too. I first got it out of the library, and then purchased it.

I make a sort of Chinese stir fry at home. It has lots and lots of veggies and tastes yummy.

One great way to have a great big plate of food - make "pasta" with spaghetti squash. 1/2 squash is a GINORMOUS portion that tastes great with a spicy pasta sauce (load the pasta sauce up with lots of vegetables too -shredded zucchini, carrots, mushrooms) with a little sprinkle of parmesan on top - DELISH and HUGE and HEALTHY and GOOD!

I wish you lots of luck. If you are eating 900 calories in one sitting and starving part of the day I'm afraid you may be setting yourself up for failure. Your calories should be divided somewhat evenly throughout the day. A full plate is great if it is say for example 30% protein, 50% good for you carbs like greens and fruit and 30% fat. Why not eat every 3 hours small portions and don't let yourself get so hungry that you want to eat such huge portions.
Just my opinion.

The title of your thread reminds me of that MC hammer song...you know the one that goes "I like big buts and I can not lie," but instead "I like big portions and I can not lie. You other brother's can not lie." This song applie to me but with the food instead lol. Sorry lol I get off topic and can be so random...*cough*

To the point: Oh yes it's very possible to have big portions without feeling like you cheated. Like when it comes to fruits and vegetables I know you can eat big amounts of those without feeling too bad because it fills you up to satisfaction. I used to wonder the same thing to then someone told me "it's about quality and quantity," when it comes to food. I hope this helps.

the thing is i don't feel like i am starving through the rest of the day when i want to wait and eat a huge meal.

when i eat several small meals i never feel satisfied and always want more. if i eat a little here and there and then a big meal, i tend to not over-eat.

for example here's a one of those days for me:

2 hard boiled eggs in the morning (10ish) - 140 cals
string cheese and 100cal pack of some sort by noon-2ish - 150 cals
rice cakes or something of that sort around 3-5ish - 120 cals
big chinese dinner around 6-7ish - 900 cals
snack around 9-10ish - 200 cals

and this = 1610... so still lots of room according to my set plan, though as i lose weight that number will be gradually going lower

is that not a sensible plan?

Sometimes I eat 900-1000 calories at dinner. At times, I like a big meal, or I'm going out, and I plan my day around it.

Other days, I eat smaller meals more often.

I also like volume sometimes, so will eat an enormous amount of vegetables.

My feeling is that as long as I'm coming in within my calorie range, it's all ok. I also have to be careful not to get too hungry, so the days of big meals and eating light the rest of the day have to be managed well. It's not always easy.

In many European countries they still eat quite large lunches, the idea being they'll burn calories throughout the rest of the day. As I'm losing weight I'm afraid of large dinners, I've been eating a little heavier at lunch, cutting the bread and starches if possible at dinner.