Something I, and probably most people trying to change their
eating habits, struggle with is portion control. And in that vein, not eating
everything that’s in front of me even once I’m full. I’ve been this way as long
as I can remember. If you put food in front of me I will eat it. I can remember
a time in third grade we were on a school trip and as part of the trip we were
supposed to learn about sustainable eating habits and only taking as much as
you think you’ll eat. At the end of the meal they’d weigh what we didn’t eat
and the table that had the lowest weight won a prize. My table came up with an
ingenious way to get around this. Anything they didn’t want to eat after they
were full they put on my plate and I ate for them. It didn’t matter that I was
full, too. I was effectively a human compost bin for them and I did what they
said because it was an opportunity to do something “good” for my peers in hope
of being accepted by them.
Fast forward twenty years and it’s still a big struggle for
me to stop eating when there’s food in front of me. Call it
Starving-Child-in-Africa-Syndrome or Eyes-Are-Too-Big-For-My-Stomach or really
anything you’d like, but if I’m full and there’s food left on my plate chances
are I’ll still eat it. Today Goober and I had a day off together so we went out
for lunch. It was Pi Day, so I wanted to splurge and split a piece of pie for
dessert (remember, everything in moderation). When the pie came he was too full
to have more than a bite, so I said I’d still have my half and then we could
go. I ate my half and then another bite. And another. Soon there was only about
a quarter of a slice of pie left and I knew I’d keep eating it if I didn’t do
something drastic. So I took Goober’s super messy marinara-sauced napkin and
threw it right on top of the pie. Then two more napkins so I couldn’t even see
it. It helped a little, but you know, I still wanted the pie. I didn’t dive in
and finish it, so it was a small victory, but I don’t think I need to resort to
throwing trash on my food so I won’t eat it. So help me out friends, what are
your helpful tips for stopping eating?
I don't know how helpful this will be but I heard about someone who poured water over her food once she was done eating but still had food on her plate.
ReplyDeleteI struggle with this too so now I measure almost everything I eat so I won't have leftover food.
Mafe :-)
Hey lovely...
ReplyDeleteFirst off let me tell you how proud of you i am. You are doing so well.
I find that when it comes to portion control it is very hard for me too. As you know i LOVE food. I am finding that once i get my food, if i ask for a box straight away and put half of my food in it, that it helps.
As for eating when i am full, this is something that i am struggling with also. I have heard of many different things to do... Drink lots of water.... Put your fork down after each bite.... wait 15 mins before ordering a desert...But it really is a case, for me, of finding that point and being OK with not eating any more. I dont know why i have the need to finish what i am eating... Or why i rush through my food.... BUT I know that it is a case of becoming more aware of my body and what i am putting into it and how that makes me feel (yes that can be read in a wrong way but you know how it is meant).
I am here for you whenever you need support and i love your blog!!!
Brad also has the same mentality as you, that if there is food on his plate, he feels like he has to eat it. For me, I have the mentality that you should eat until you are full, and not past that point, so I don't feel obligated to clear my plate. However, that doesn't mean the food goes to waste either. If you're at a restaurant, get the leftovers boxed up and take them home to eat the next day - the food will still get eaten, but you aren't stuffing yourself all at once. At home, it's easier to measure out smaller portion sizes to begin with, but still, if you find you can't finish what's on your plate, just put it in the fridge for later. To me, I think that's a good way of ensuring both that you get as much food as you need to feel full at any given meal, while also ensuring that what's left doesn't go to waste.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog! Every post relates to my own personal weight loss journey and this one especially! I literally don't get full. I will eat everything that's placed in front of me and I can ALWAYS order dessert and finish it no problem. I think it's due to growing up in a typical Italian family where food is the answer to everything and your constantly being served appetizers then the main dish with sides and then desserts and then even more random food all in one sit down. And when you only eat one big huge bowl of pasta and decline another helping, they think you don't like it and then you have to eat more to please them. Portion control has always been my biggest problem and hindrance. A couple of weeks ago I decided I have to do whatever it takes to get this under control. So I re-started using my fitness pal, went food shopping, and plan out my meals when I wake up. I pre-record each meal and only make changes if necessary. I have been buying weight watchers little ice cream bowls because I have a major sweet tooth! So at the end of the day I always have something to look forward to. I find that as long as I know what I'm going to be eating and that's what I have in front of me, I am satisfied. When I know that I'm going into the parks, I try not to eat a lot that day because I know I'll splurge a bit while there. And if I am going out to eat, I pick out what I'm getting ahead of time and record it into my fitness pal. So far I've been sticking to it just fine and haven't lost major lbs yet but have definitely lost inches! Down one pant size at work from just two and a half weeks!
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