Originally Posted by LLV:
Great rules, and may I add one?

Don't eat until you're full; eat until you're no longer hungry.

I agree with Heidi, trying to cut portions is rough. Pushing away that plate with food still left on it was one of the hardest things I had to conquer. But I did it eventually, Heidi. I would talk to myself, sometimes in my head, sometimes out loud, and say, "Okay, you're full, now push it away... PUSH IT AWAY... PUSH IT AWAY."

Boy that first time was hard, but I did it. And after that it got easier. I realized that I DIDN'T have to eat everything that was on my plate and I felt so much better about myself for gaining that self control :)

Boy, I can't wait till it gets easier for me too. I want so badly to be the type of person who says things like "oh, I can't eat the whole thing!" or "really, one will be plenty". I hate being the one eyeing the last piece and hoping someone will let me have it so I can take it home, but not getting so far as the end of the block before tearing into to aluminum foil and eating it like a starved animal! We've all been there, right? And it doesn't come from hunger, it's some beast within, saying "eat it! eat it! eat it!" I can't wait till I get the courage to say NO!

I hate that beast. He is so mean.

It's not easy, but you can do it. If I'm standing there looking at something that I REALLY want to eat but shouldn't, I think to myself, do I really want that? Do I really wanna feel guilty and kick myself the rest of the night for eating it? Do I really wanna start the downward spiral again and put back on the weight I've worked so hard to lose?

The answer is usually no. So I push it away. Or what I've done is I've 'trained' myself to take one or two small bites, just to get that flavor in my mouth, then put the rest away. That wasn't easy, either, without stuffing the whole thing in my mouth. But I finally conquered that one, too. Like even with ice cream - I pull it out of the freezer, take 2 or little bites, then put it back.

Because I have it branded into my brain now that NO food, not one, is worth going back to where I was before.

It bugs the heck out of me when people don't get how hard it really is to push the food away. This is only the start for me, the worse it's going to get, right? It doesn't help to hear comments from others like "just eat less and exercise. What can be more simple?" or "you can eat less if you really wanted to". Some people can see food as simply fuel for the body. I see it as a drug that I can't get enough of.

Originally Posted by doIlookfat?:
It bugs the heck out of me when people don't get how hard it really is to push the food away.

It IS hard. It's VERY hard. And I agree, some people don't understand just how hard it is. I grew up in one of those eat everything on your plate or you don't get up from the table families. So for years I ate everything - and I mean everything - whether I was full or not.

So conquering this was one of the hardest things I did.

You can help control your eating by drinking a large glass of water before you eat and by using smaller plates.

It will be the hardest thing for me too. It always is. My parents made me clean my plate too. One of the reasons I came up with why I didn't gain the weight till college is because I had an overweight big brother. There wasn't much left for seconds for us scrawny little girls. I always loved good food, too. My nickname was Yummers. I still look forward to great tasting foods where ever I go. When I'm working, it's hard not to come home and reward myself with something good to eat, and lots of it. (stuff down those emotions). I'm a work in progress to get over this. I'm thinking of getting some relaxing music. I'll hide in my room and relax after I feed the kids. Hopefully this will be a workable replacement for food. Something else to look forward to that gives me equal results. Calm and comfort.

I wish you luck, hon, and just keep telling yourself that it CAN be done. It's about finding your willpower and your self control. And it's in there. And you'll find it, if you look hard enough ;)

Thanks, LLV. You have been very inspiring.:hug:

Heidi

Originally Posted by doIlookfat?:
Thanks, LLV. You have been very inspiring.:hug:

Heidi

I hope so :)

When I can inspire just one person, I'm happy. Because I've been there and know how it feels.

I just had a tiny suggestion. I noticed that you mentioned that Lean Cuisines are a little pricey for you right now. I like to buy Michelina's Lean Gourmet meals at Walmart. They are about .88 to $1 per meal and very tasty, in my opinion. Just a thought!

rebel- I decided to do a lot of checking around for good bargain Lean Cuisine type meals. I've seen those at the store, so those will be one of the first I try out. And ones that just happen to be on sale. Thanks for the heads up!

Heidi

Originally Posted by rebelridergirl:
I just had a tiny suggestion. I noticed that you mentioned that Lean Cuisines are a little pricey for you right now. I like to buy Michelina's Lean Gourmet meals at Walmart. They are about .88 to $1 per meal and very tasty, in my opinion. Just a thought!

Oh yep! I eat those too. My faves are the salisbury steak and mashed potatoes and the shrimp with pasta and vegetables. I usually pair them with another veggie side and I've got a complete meal.

Great suggestion :)

I found a cool way to eat mindfully, (for me anyways). I'm sitting here eating a kid's tub of cherry flavored apple sauce and I'm chewing it very, very slowly. I have to stop and put down the spoon to click the mouse, and I noticed I eat more slowly while I'm reading! I'm going to have to try this more often, especially at meal time!

Go me!

Heidi
180/180 (still)/135

Portion control is my problem as well; the main way I control myself it is by measuring everything. I never trust myself to eyeball a portion because I know--I KNOW--I will fudge it in my favor. Everything I make for dinner has to be at least four servings so we can eat it for two nights (gives me a break from cooking every other night). I'm very careful to divide the total dish into 4 equal portions. Like Andoreth, I put one portion on my plate and that's what I eat. No seconds (or there won't be anything for dinner the next night!)

The only lean cuisines that have worked for me are the Panini sandwiches and some of the pizzas. All the other entres leave me feeling hungry and disatisfied. I personally suspect that they use lower quality, higher calorie meats, and more oil than I use myself, so that the portions have to be a little smaller than what I would make for myself to be low calorie. Maybe it's all in my head, but I know if I have lean cuisine for dinner, I'm going to have a hunger problem later that evening.

Rather than trying to reduce my portion sizes, I look for foods that are high in volume and low in calories. Lettuce is my best friend. I eat a green salad (lettuce, a couple of veggies for crunch, and 1/2 serving of low cal dressing)with my dinner almost every night. It gives me the volume of food I crave without the calories. Sometimes I also eat a salad with my lunch. So the meat portion of my meal might be smaller than it would have been in the past, but I am supplementing it with the salad and the end result is the same amount of food.

If I am making a stew, stir fry, or casserole, I often double up on the veggies or add other veggies (and adjust the calories accordingly). This increases the volume of food, so I feel satisfied, without significantly increasing the calories.

I read somewhere about a study that showed that eating foods that are higher in volume and lower in calories is a strategy that a lot of successful dieters use. I just googled it and apparently it's a whole theory called "volumetrics"; here is a link to one article on it: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/97/104265.htm. It definitely works for me.

I also stick to lean meats: chicken, turkey, lean pork, fish, and sometimes very lean ground beef because I can eat bigger portions yet they are lower in calories than fattier meats.

Finally, I drink at least an 8 oz, no calorie beverage with lunch and dinner. If I finish the beverage while I still have some of my meal left, I refill it and drink another 8 oz. This also helps me to feel full. I'm not a big fan of water but I know it's good for me so I alternate between flavored beverages (iced tea, diet soda, Crystal Light) and water.

- Barbara

Quick ways to learn to manage portions:

1. Eat off a child's plate
2. Eat small "snacks/mini meals" 6 times a day so you feel constantly satisfied
3. Put what you would on your plate (without heaping it on) and eat ONLY half. THen put the rest in the microwave. Wait 1 hour. If you are still thinking about it and want it, go ahead and eat it. Likely you would have felt satisfied before then and started doing something else (then it becomes a mini meal later).
4. Eat foods that will make you full. I ate a can of beans..lol.
5. Use veggies when you feel like eating to eat.