My biggest challenge is large portions of food. Any of you raised with a "buffet-portion" mentality? How have you all dealt with this issue?
I know the rules of portion size )the palm of your hand). I try to deal with my portion issues by loading up on the veggies. but then what about large portions of carbs and meat? a toughie for me.
Goals: 1. Stop thinking like a chronic dieter and start living to inspire. 2. HALT (hungry, anxious, lonely, tired) I will stop and tune in with myself should I experience these things, and respond with something healthy. 3. One word 2008: courage 4. Eat slow and mindfully.
I measure portions out, and before I sit down to eat, I put away all the extra food. That way I'm less tempted to eat way more than I need or to pick at the leftovers while I clean up.
Sometimes I need to ask DH to put away pasta, because it's just too tempting.
Life is like a roller coaster, with lots of ups and downs, but the curves, spirals, loops and corkscrews are what make life interesting.
thanks denise, i ordered volumetrics. I will remember "it takes time". (breathing) isabel
Goals: 1. Stop thinking like a chronic dieter and start living to inspire. 2. HALT (hungry, anxious, lonely, tired) I will stop and tune in with myself should I experience these things, and respond with something healthy. 3. One word 2008: courage 4. Eat slow and mindfully.
Too bad Kathleen's show isn't still on, she had some good ideas for this one. If you don't already have her cookbooks, check them out, especially the first one.
The biggest idea for me is the "biggest bang for your buck" idea. If a larger portion of pasta is what you need to feel satisfied, cut back somewhere else. Or if you want real cream in your coffee, find a tradeoff you don't care as much about. Cut out the easy calories first and get used to that, then start in on the harder stuff. The easiest thing for me to start with was eliminating high-calorie beverages like Coke -- I didn't mind having iced tea (unsweetened) or water or coffee instead.
It sounds like you're doing great, so keep up the good work.
----------- Jen
Posts: 2868 | Location: Ohio | Registered: March 11, 2004
I remember when I first joined eDiets and "one serving" was ONE enchilada. It seemed so small and insignificant. I was very bummed.
A lot of people get around the dessert "tiny portion" thing by switching to non-fat and sugar free desserts. Somebody on the WW board was posting about Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt and he could eat a whole pint for 4 points or some crazy thing. He can eat a whole pint... for less calories than my 1/2 cup of "lite" Ben & Jerrys. (B&J "lite" is still a whopping amount of calories. )
This IS one way to cope... but personally, I've found that I'd (usually) have a smaller portion of a dessert that isn't non-fat. But a lot of people start out by eating bigger portions of low/non fat and sugar free ice creams or desserts. (Although watch calories, too. Snackwells FF cookies aren't such a calorie bargain.
The Volumetrics Book has a LOT of great ideas for eating foods that are filling and look larger, but have less calories.
Basically, 150 calories worth of bean and veg soup is going to look and feel more filling than 150 calories worth of pretzels.
Also, just because somebody says that a person is supposed to eat ½ c. of rice… doesn’t mean that you have to. There have been a LOT of times were I felt like, “I don’t care… I’m eating 1 cup of rice” or “I’m putting 2 oz of half and half in my coffee and I’m not ready to cut back”. Of course, you have to accept the weight consequences and you may lose slowly or plateau… But, that IS an option and to cut back slowly.
When I first started losing weight… my family of three used to split a half gallon of ice cream (2.6666 cups per person). If I had gone from that to ½ cup servings… we would have felt deprived and I probably would have quit. I cut back slowly over weeks and months.
A lot of people make changes slowly… we didn’t all wake up one morning happy with ½ cup of oatmeal and 1.5 slices of pizza and 3 oz of meat.
Use some “stretching” techniques to make the food seem bigger or like more. And decide where it is easy for you to cut back and decide where you are resistant to change.
Denise
Posts: 8691 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
The small plates are a help; so is only making a certain amount and portioning it out ahead of time. If I cook three pork chops, then one each goes on our plates and the third goes right into a container and into the fridge for his lunch tomorrow. Out of sight, out of mind.
If a meat portion "looks" small, I like to put it on top of a salad, sliced all pretty like
Challenge Goals: *10 minutes of unplanned exercise five times a week *Gym time twice a week *Socialize at least once every two weeks.
thanks Brie. I do use small plates. in fact, that is how i ended up having a reasonable thanksgiving. I consumed only 2 small plates of food. measuring the protein and carbs is a good idea. i will give it a try!
Goals: 1. Stop thinking like a chronic dieter and start living to inspire. 2. HALT (hungry, anxious, lonely, tired) I will stop and tune in with myself should I experience these things, and respond with something healthy. 3. One word 2008: courage 4. Eat slow and mindfully.
He can eat a whole pint... for less calories than my 1/2 cup of "lite" Ben & Jerrys. (B&J "lite" is still a whopping amount of calories. 
