I have a microwave popcorn problem

So, I generally eat very healthy foods: lots of whole grains fresh veggies, fish once a week or so, very little fried food, very little cheese. I have one major weakness, though, microwave popcorn. I will pop it and eat the whole bag in a sitting. I asked my roomie to stop buying it, and she just keeps right on.

I have tried the light kind...gross...and I have tried to make my own popcorn(better, but doesn't help me avoid the snack machine at work).

Does anyone else have tips to help me lay off the microwave popcorn?

I know it's gross, and I know it's bad for me. Maybe if someone can talk about how gross or how bad, that would help.

Also, any general strategies to avoid foods that you aren't good at eating in moderation would help.

Thanks!

since I am also additcted to pop corn...although I don't like microwave popcorn...the real thing for me...

What if you buy your own mini bags.  They are just about 100 or so calories. 

If you love it sooo much you might find it hard to just stop eating it. I'm the same way with chips, so what I do is count out 9 chips and then put the chips up were I can't see them or reach them. This helps me limit alot, and I know 9 of my reduced fat pringles are 74 calories. Try poping some popcorn in the morning before you go to work (this way you want have time to sit and eat it), and then put a resonable amount into baggies. This way maybe you can just limit the amount you eat, but control your cravings.

 

don't know if it's as helpful with popcorn, but works for me.

i saw an article once about a lady who would poor salt on a piece of cake after she had 2 or 3 bites.  Thats all she would allow then immediatly pour salt on whatever treat she was eating that day.  She did that to keep the sweets in moderation.  I know salt on popcorn, might not work.  But what about too much peper or cayenne pepper or even pouring water on it...thats free?  That way you won't try and go back later and eat it.  I don't know just a thought.

i have a microwave popcorn problem, too.  also a butter, salt, and occasionally sugar problem.  i bought the 100 calorie packs and that helped; i add extra butter, bringing it to 200 cals or so.

when i have the regular-size packs, i've gotten pretty good about eating about 1/2 and throwing out the leftovers.

Bad things about microwave popcorn... Well, it isn't usually healthy fats in it, lots of chemicals in the "butter" and it can give you lung problems, if you eat plain salted popcorn it is okay but not the butter flavoured stuff.  Popcorn addicts risk lethal lung condition, doctors warn

As for advise, I would make sure than I had healthy snacks around, that is how I avoid my worst weaknesses. I keep fruit around for when I want sweet stuff and pretzels for when I want something salty and wasabi peas when I want something spicy.

I buy pop secret 94% fat free butter flavored. I try and share with someone which helps a lot. For the most part, I just plan for that many snack calories. Sometimes just knowing that I'll use all my snack cals on popcorn is enough to slow me down --I want something else too!

I also prefer the full-fatty stuff but I do not buy it. After a few bags of the lighter stuff, I get used to it. I think it is a little easier to eat in moderation too -- not so much greasy yellow wonderfulness calling my name...

his brings about another question (I eat the whole bag too ...)

how do you measure the cals in one regular sized bag of popcorn?  It only tells you how many cals in a tbsp of unpopped kernels... I've always wondered.

Ive always thought since this was screwy since in order to prepare the popcorn, you cant open the bag in advance to know the measurement of kernals.

Smart Balance, the company known for healthier margarine, makes popcorn that has no trans fats or hydrogenated fats plus it does have the oil that is helps your cholesterol.  Im not aware of individual pack but pouring out half, clipping close the bag and putting it away might help with quanitity.

Original Post by danilk:

his brings about another question (I eat the whole bag too ...)

how do you measure the cals in one regular sized bag of popcorn?  It only tells you how many cals in a tbsp of unpopped kernels... I've always wondered.

 Usually the box will tell you how many cups a tbsp will make once it's popped.  Then it will tell you how many popped cups are in a serving.  Then you have to figure out how many servings are in a bag.  I *think* there are about two and a half servings in a regular size bag of popcorn.  Calorie count will depend on what kind you get - butter, kettle, low-fat, etc..  Take the guess-work out and just buy the 100 calorie bags. 

Original Post by sconry81:

i saw an article once about a lady who would poor salt on a piece of cake after she had 2 or 3 bites.  Thats all she would allow then immediatly pour salt on whatever treat she was eating that day.  She did that to keep the sweets in moderation.  I know salt on popcorn, might not work.  But what about too much peper or cayenne pepper or even pouring water on it...thats free?  That way you won't try and go back later and eat it.  I don't know just a thought.

 How incredibly wasteful.

Original Post by fuzzys:

Original Post by sconry81:

i saw an article once about a lady who would poor salt on a piece of cake after she had 2 or 3 bites.  Thats all she would allow then immediatly pour salt on whatever treat she was eating that day.  She did that to keep the sweets in moderation.  I know salt on popcorn, might not work.  But what about too much peper or cayenne pepper or even pouring water on it...thats free?  That way you won't try and go back later and eat it.  I don't know just a thought.

 How incredibly wasteful.

 Well that's just what that lady had to do.  I agree it's wasteful but if kept her from over eating good for her.

Original Post by fuzzys:

Original Post by sconry81:

i saw an article once about a lady who would poor salt on a piece of cake after she had 2 or 3 bites.  Thats all she would allow then immediatly pour salt on whatever treat she was eating that day.  She did that to keep the sweets in moderation.  I know salt on popcorn, might not work.  But what about too much peper or cayenne pepper or even pouring water on it...thats free?  That way you won't try and go back later and eat it.  I don't know just a thought.

 How incredibly wasteful.

It was hers to do as she wanted.  If she paid for it, or made it, or whatever way she came by it, it was her portion and was free to do what she wanted with it.  What difference does it make to anyone else whether she finished the entire piece or disposed of it after eating only a couple of bites?  Would you have the same reaction if she were in a restaurant and ordered dessert but could only eat a few bites and left the rest on the table?  I suspect in that circumstance everyone here would applaud for her self-control.

It's a mindset the one you have displayed which causes people to feel they have to clean their plates, and finish everything that is put in front of them.  It's that mindset that teaches people to overeat.  Sure people could just not take as much to begin with, but as these habits are usually learned at a very young age we don't always have that control over our choices.  Then as we grow older we begin to attach a monetary value to food as well and not only do we have the learned behavior to finish our plate, but we also have it reinforced because now we have learned another behavior.  We have learned that if we throw it away we are wasting money or resources.  Let's just had a heaping pile of guilt on top of all the rest of our feelings about ourselves and food. 

Any wonder why it's so hard to push away our plate? 

Excellent point shandykat.  I think this is one forum where people should not judge each others habits.

i don't think fuzzys was talking about the waste of cake.  i suspect that she was protesting the waste of whole foods, the waste of energy (the processing of the whole foods, the transport of the ingredients, the heat energy involved in baking the cake, etc.), not to mention the disposal of the throw-away cake.

it's not about eating habits.  it's just not cool to produce stuff with the intent of throwing it away. 

Have you tired air popped corn?

To tell you the truth popcorn is one of my fav snacks what I did to solve the problem is simply spray a deep pan with cooking spray add 1/4 cup of kernels and when its over just spray it with I can;t believe its not butter spray and sprinkle it with salt or popcorn seasoning. It's a lot healthier than the alternative when it comes to just 30 cals a cup!!!

Hope you find an answer to your problem ^^

thow half of it away before u start eating it

the mini 100 cal bags are good

Try all the light kinds. Lots of them are indeed gross, and it's a shame you're in the US so I can't recommend the kind I like (PC Blue Menu 100 cal bags), but you might find one you like.

I never found popcorn to be a problem -  because it's so filling that if I eat an entire large bag (mine were 320 cals), I can't really eat much dinner.  Does the same thing happen to you?

If you can spare 250 calories for an ENTIRE bag of popcorn then try Jolly Time's  AMERICAN'S BEST Microwave Pop Corn. I love popcorn too and occasionally (maybe once a week or once every twice a week) eat a whole bag of this myself. The whole bag has 22 grams of fiber, 5 grams of fat and 1 gram of it saturated. CC has some info on it here: http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/89 708.html
where 5.5tbs is equivalent to one bag popped.

Their website for more information can be found here: http://www.jollytime.com/products/pop_corn/vi ew;jsessionid=262D26D84E60A1E660FFB4DD571A03D D.vipa-02a?object=532

It's pretty good imho.

Actually I will speak up about the pouring salt on food so as not to eat it habit.  That's a very common habit (also dishwashing liquid, anything unappetizing) among people with active eating disorders.  Don't be like me.

I am also a bigtime popcorn lover but I gave up microwaved popcorn 2 years ago and started popping my own. I pop the kernals in a tiny bit of olive oil in a regular covered pan and it turns out delicious! Then I pour it into a big tupperware and keep it on the counter for a few days, eating about a half a cup at a time when I need a snack. It's worked out great for me, buut I'll admit that on occasion I buy a bag of the pre-popped stuff. try popping your own and keeping it in a tup! good luck to you! =)