how do you stop at one?

ok, im the type of person that wont stop until its all gone.  like with candy, ill eat the whole bag! whats the deal? i cant have a couple chips, i have to have double a couple! does anyone else have this issue? where its difficult to have only a "peice", "slice", "serving"???  most times i control my intake each day by eating only healthy foods, but it takes just that one oppurtunity to break and overeat especially if im alone!

Unfortunately, that's all up to you. Sometimes, it's really difficult to stop, when you taste something -- it leaves you wanting more! I find that it's better to fight food cravings by drinking a lot of water (which is very good for you) and chewing gum.

Bonnie, I seriously know what you mean and i have thought about the reasons why this is so and believe i have come to a conclusion.

When you are young, you want a cookie so you have a cookie. If you want another, you many do so if your allowed. You might have some milk with your cookies so by now your full. Sure there is a whole cookie jar left but hey, you can always eat more later because you have had enough now and don't want to make yourself feel sick.

But what i find with myself/possibly you is that i want one cookie but no, i shouldn't really have the cookie. Ten minutes later, i still want the cookie so i try to have something sweet in replace of the cookie. It doesn't work and i am really craving that cookie. So i give in, i eat the cookie. Oh well, i ate one i might as well keep going. I eat four more. I think, yeah i have ruined my eating i might as well finish them off now because tomorrow i can't have any more.

I think we are set in this mind set where we think, if we don't eat as many cupcakes or chips or chocolate in this one go, we will have to wait another week or when we will allow ourself another treat. Little kids know that the food is always going to be there so they can eat it at any time but you may think, no treats for a week so you eat as many treats at once.

So if i do want some chocolate, i check over what i have ate for the day and rather than not allowing myself any, i usually have a little piece. It is really hard and i find the only way to stop it is to A) only buy single servings of my treats i.e chocolate bar not a packet of chocolates with double the calories and B) factoring in for that treat. If i know i can't just eat a little piece of cake, i won't buy any/eat any.

This used to be me.. but I discovered a really great strategy... the key is to remember to use it, lol! But it works every time. If I find myself munching out on a bag that I really DON'T want to finish, I always try to convince myself to put it down..but you know how that goes! Well, what I do is take 2-3 chips or whatever out of the bag, and say that THOSE will be my "last ones". But I can't have them until I close the bag and put it away!

Somehow having those chips set aside as a reward for closing the bag makes it easier to go through with it. It may seem like a really tiny and silly thing, but it definitely helps me!

Without will power nothing can be accomplished. Don't buy junk and have it in the house. Most likely you will not get in the car and drive to the store to buy chips and candy. If you want candy buy one candy bar or go to the candy bins at the store and buy just a few pieces. For chips buy small bags or count out a serving and put the rest away. You can do it. It is just a matter of making your mind up to. Allow yourself one day a week to eat more junk. You have that day to look forward to and know that the rest of the time it is off limits.

PORTIONS

Plain and simple. Go ahead and by your bag of fattening chips. As soon as you get them home from the grocery store, portion them out into your own snacksized portions. Do the same with anything you binge on. For me I have to do that with all snacky foods, but it works. Your eyes sometimes have a bigger appetite than your stomach as they say.

Also, if youre not going to go through all that trouble, then at least grab a handful of chips or whatever it is and put them in a bowl.

Portions work with me too, and realizing that I have my limitations.  I cannot be good at everything.  Therefore I stopped stressing about the fact that i cannot control myself in front of a whole bag of cookies.  Move on from the fact that it is hard for you and deal with the solutions.   You dont have to be good at dealing with large portions, you just have to know what you ARE good at!

Another way I deal with that is I allow myself a treat from the grocery store that comes in a single serving size (its a pudding cup with homemade whipped cream, yummy!) and if I am in front of the cookies, i dont eat them cause I know that what I really would love is my favorite pudding cup.  the good thing about that treat is that I know how many cals is in it (400) I dont allow myself to eat it every day, (onlyl when I REALLY NEED  A TREAT) and I am only allowed to buy one at a time.  Plus its about a cup and a half of goodness, which satisfies my big appetite! 

Hope this helps!

Original Post by wholegraingoddess:

PORTIONS

Plain and simple. Go ahead and by your bag of fattening chips. As soon as you get them home from the grocery store, portion them out into your own snacksized portions. Do the same with anything you binge on. For me I have to do that with all snacky foods, but it works. Your eyes sometimes have a bigger appetite than your stomach as they say.

 i second this! my biggest problem is cereal, and although i try not to count my calories TOO obsessively anymore, i always measure out my cereal.. because while for most people a serving is like, a bowl lol... for me i'll use a GIANT bowl and fill it til its practically overflowing. so i measure out a generous serving and just make sure to budget it into my daily calorie allowance. you gotta just let yourself have a little bit of what you want. satisfy your cravings (within reason) or else you'll go nuts.

I can't stop! That's why I don't buy those foods any more. Generally, if you find it impossible to stop, then just avoid those foods completely for a while, and if you choose to have them, then buy single servings- not large bags.

It DOES get easier to find control when you're not eating junk food frequently. I dunno why. It's like your brain just starts expecting that junk food and it takes more and more to feel satisfied and happy.I mean, a year ago, I could pack away a whole bag of mini chocolates and a bag of chips and think nothing of it. Today, after some abstinence, I do feel more satisfied with just a few. I think the junk food drought has kind of reset my brain or something.

I can actually eat certain things, like chips now without always going overboard, but it's far safer for me to, say, get a small 30g bag along with my Subway sandwich as a treat, rather than going for the big bag of kettle chips and thinking I can munch from it and put it down. I may be able to put it down, but chances are I'll be drifting by the cupboard an hour later.

Junk food snacking is just evil for me. I do a lot better just not having that stuff at all, because it's so easy to lapse back into the whole junk food addiction thing. I say, give it a complete miss for at least a few months.

Go brush your teeth!!  I hate eating right after I've done that. 

I have that problem when I am alone too... I just try to be around people as often as possible... (especially ones who know about my weight loss goals!)

Original Post by 4theloss:

This used to be me.. but I discovered a really great strategy... the key is to remember to use it, lol! But it works every time. If I find myself munching out on a bag that I really DON'T want to finish, I always try to convince myself to put it down..but you know how that goes! Well, what I do is take 2-3 chips or whatever out of the bag, and say that THOSE will be my "last ones". But I can't have them until I close the bag and put it away!

 

Somehow having those chips set aside as a reward for closing the bag makes it easier to go through with it. It may seem like a really tiny and silly thing, but it definitely helps me!

 I do this too!

But what helps the most is portioning it out before I take even one bite.

eating healthy is very beneficial but since you're still not used to eating healthy all the time, try eating slower.. after eating for 15-30mins(depends in every person), the brain thinks you are already full therefore feeling full..so no matter how much or less you ate, the brain will bring out a signal that you are already full...