You know you've achieved portion control when you....

When you are very hungry and decide to get an egg sandwich from Einstein Bagels on the way home.  I'd planned to eat half, but could only eat 1/4 of the sandwich.  And I really was hungry too.  The 1/4 sandwich really filled me up until lunchtime. 

I'm feeling really good about this, since one of my goals was to control my food portions so that I can maintain my lower weight forever.

Does anyone else have portion control tips or stories?

Even when I'm sloppy drunk, I rarely want to eat if I'm not hungry, and when I do, I don't have any desire to binge. I don't think it gets much more controlled than that.

You add up all you cals at the end of the day, Ýou were satisfied all day and not overly stuffed or hungry only to find that you were within your desired calorie range. Amazing isn't it?

i went out for a curry yesterday ..... nornally i would order, and polish off a friend rice to myself, but i shared with a friend and we didn't finish it.

i'm actually stunned!!!

something is working thats for sure!!

 

in the days of regular mindless eating, I would have consumed two of things like Italian sausage sandwiches. We are having that tonight and when I set out the sausage to thaw, I set one out for me, two for the Spousal Unit, one for the Daughter - and found myself thinking that was a lot of meat! My portion was 1/2 what I would have previously consumed. Now I know I'll be very full when I'm done and have that satiated feeling when done not wishing I could eat more "if only"...

Wonderful change of thinking that just seemed to naturally follow the act of deliberately eating less.

Last night my boyfriend and I went to karaoke (which we do most Friday nights) at a local restaurant/bar. He is always insisting I eat (but that is another story) so i ordered my favorite thing. I love their fried zucchinis. I also had a diet coke instead of my favorite beer on tap. As it turned out, he ate a lot of the zucchinis, and I had quite a few of them. Although I ate more than I intended (as I had gone in not wanting to eat at all), I didnt eat very many and I did not gorge myself like I normally would. It felt good to not have to try to control myself, and to discover that my body is controlling itself so to speak. I don't remember the last time I was on a diet and I dod not have to force myself not to eat something. This came almost naturally to me.

I am finding that even if I am really hungry,  I am satisfied with the moderate portions I weigh out for myself now (after 8 months of trying to make better choices).  So, being really hungry doesn't lead to overeating anymore.  This in convenient, because now I have no fear of getting really hungry, which, between work and exercise can happen fairly frequently.  Also, food tastes so good when I am really hungry -- the Chinese say that hunger is the best seasoning, and I am finding that to be true.  I now eat 3 moderate meals a day, and seldom find myself in need of a snack, because if it is within an hour of my next meal time I can wait.  I only snack if I find myself hungry more than an hour before my next meal, and I crave "healthy" things like fruit or yogurt when I do find myself needing a snack.

I feel like one of Pavlov's dogs!

I realised quite quickly that portion-control rather than necessarily poor food choices was why I'd got so fat.  So religiously weighing portions became part and parcel of my new regime and it was very effective.  I got so used to how much should appear on the plate that when I get into a situation such as a restaurant meal or eating at a friend's house I automatically serve myself my 'usual'.  

I used to get a large sandwhich from Quiznos and eat it in under 7 mins average. Now, I feel satisfied with a small. I had a regular the other day and realized how huge it was.

Healthy Choice meals feel like the perfect amount now. I used to feel cheated after eating them. Or add something to them...

I am working on the same thing. when I eat out, I move over to one side of the plate what a portion should be. Then I eat it (more slow than normal), and if I still feel hungry, I drink a glass of water and wait. typically, the hunger feeling subsides in about 20 minutes. Also, at home a give myself what a portion should look like and that is all I eat. if I still feel hungry, I am eating some low cal options such as celery, or a piece of fruit. it seems to be doing okay. I let my eating get out of control and instead of losing 20 pounds this summer, I gained 15. YIKES! so i am back to counting calories, eating snacks in between meals, and avoiding the candy jar at work...

It is amazing Chrissy, I did exactly that today. And I even had Papa John's. I was completely amazed.