Eating: Portion Control, Frequency Problems. Need Advice!

Hi Everybody,

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

I have been transforming into a healthier person. At first, it was lose weight a healthier way, and now I feel like being a healthy person is who I want to be. I still aspire to lose about 35, though.

In the last few months I've gotten great at two things: eating healthy and working out. I eliminated a million things from my diet (not forever, just about 5-6 days a week), eat VERY little processed food, moniter my fiber and protein, and count calories and log. The logging, of course, is off and on, but it's been a solid three weeks straight this time and I'm going for twelve weeks. I even limited my drinking (and for a 23 year old college student, trust me, that aint easy)!

I work out everyday. I mix it up. Gym, kickboxing, aerobics, step, spin, cycling outdoors, jogging, and walking. Basically, anything that requires me to shower afterwards. Sometimes twice a day.

But the scale hasn't really moved!! Yes, I am more toned. Yes, I've lost a few, gained a few, then lost a few again. Some people would think that this is weird, but I know EXACTLLY why: I have no control of the WAY I eat.

It seems that all this emphasis on eating has left me thinking about food...all the time. When I eat, I eat the entire plate of food, no matter how hungry I am. I think about food all the time. When I binge, it's not what I eat, it's HOW MUCH I eat. I will binge on carrots, if I have to. The frequency and portion have increased, even though it's healthier food. But calories are calories, and this is a problem!

Does anyone else struggle with this?

It's the one thing REALLY holding me back. I eat too often, too much, and I'm not very good at stopping when I'm full. I'll just keep it going.

I sound pathetic but that's the issue. I'm like a hampster on a wheel!

Sun. Sep 30, 4:00am

try the beck diet solution.. it teaches you how to think about food differently. jsut because we want something doesnt mean we can have it..

try planning your meals.. maybe untill you ca get the hang of portions try a smaller plate and use measuring cups and a scale to weigh your meat. thats how I lost the first 165 pounds was watching portions. I ate what I wanted . I didnt deprive myself. I still dont.. I just watched how much I ate and the combinations of what I ate.

maybe your having too many carbs together .. try mixing things up less carbs .. lean meats.. more fruits and veg..

try mixing up your workouts.. plateus are not fun but we can beat them. jsut takes a little extra hard work.

watch the condiments... use dressings at the side.. there are alot of things that you can do that will save you calories.

drink a glass of water before a meal.. wil make you feel full.

load up on salads , beans, brown rice, sweet potatoes are good..

get plenty of greens.. try dividing your plate into sections. give over half your plate fruits and veg . the other sections a 4 oz piece of meat or fish, and a small potatoe or a bit of pasta.. you would be surprised when you slow down. you will realize we have a trigger that tells us to stop eating. we just need to learn to hear and listen to it..

anyway good luck hope this helps a bit.

Sunday, September 30, 2007, 12:01 PM

you're a binge eater who needs to find a way to break that binge cycle either before it starts or when you're in the midst of it.

What triggers it? If you don't know, journal or jot down what was going on, what you were feeling, etc. before a binge. See what you come up with. Sometimes it only seems obvious in retrospect.

It's great that you've changed your diet and your're getting exercise, but it's a great example that you can still remain overweight if you eat too much food, even if it's the good stuff!!

I second Beck Diet Solution. It does change how you think about food and maybe it will help you de-emphesize it and, therefore, stop obsessing about it to the point you're pounding food no matter what it is.

Sunday, September 30, 2007, 1:15 PM

Give the concepts in the book Intuitive Eating a shot... If you google it- they have their own website too... you can get the basic premise there.

Sunday, September 30, 2007, 1:15 PM

I was binge eating every night and i gave myself a thread. A 21 day challenge for not binge eating. I never made it the 21 days but it did break my non stop binge eating habit.

Sunday, September 30, 2007, 10:51 PM

You may have made too many changes too quickly.

When I first started dieting, instead of saying what foods I "could" or "couldn't" have, I made myself a calorie budget. I could have 300 calories for breakfast, 500 during the time I was at work, and 500 after work. Those included lunch and dinner, respectively.

Sure, there were days I went outside the limit, but not many. And, it helped me to make better choices b/c I knew that if I ate junk, I wouldn't have any calories left for real food, and I'd be hungry.

Now I still don't eat entirely healthy foods, but I stay low in calories, and have gotten to, and maintained, my goal weight for awhile.

Just a suggestion - change the order - first, get the right amount of food. Then, get the right food. You won't feel like you're missing out as much if you can still occasionally have a donut or something, so long as you have it FOR breakfast, rather than IN ADDITION TO breakfast.

Monday, October 1, 2007, 2:03 PM

Another good book to try: "Outsmarting the Female Fat Cell." It's about learning to do portion control the natural, easy way. She teaches you a hunger-rating scale and suggests grazing every 2-3 hours.

Monday, October 1, 2007, 7:53 PM

OP-- i know exactly(!) how you feel. I find that ever since I started paying attention to what I eat, I have become OBSESSED with eating (what/when/how much, etc). I find that even when I'm NOT hungry I still eat bc food has become such a focus in my life and i dont know how to limit portions/frequency etc. I REALLY need to find a way to think of food differently and regain a healthy perspective on it............any other suggestions besides Beck Diet?

Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 3:47 PM

Everyone made some really good points.
I try to always have water with my dinner or any meal for that matter. It really does help fill you up.
And allowing yourself only so many calories (whatever your need is, you decide) and try and stay within that.
But as a calorie counter myself I find that I too seem to be thinking of food all the time. How many calories does this have? What if I eat that, how do I count it or work it off.... And just because I limit myself I think about food. But if I think back before I started this eating plan I thought about food all the time too I just ate what I wanted and gained the weight. At least now I am eating healthy and it seems for the most part you are too.
The only other thing I can think of is to add more fiber to your diet. It really does keep you filled and satisfied longer.
If you eat sandwiches, add cucumber and tomatoes and layers of lettuce, I like dill pickle or peperchini but some people watch the sodium more. Think about what is on a veggie sandwich at say Subway and make your own. But use a bread with good grains in it. It is easy, satisfying and more filling.
Find foods you like and then make them in a low fat, low cal version.
Add more veggies to your meals.
Oh and use a lunch plate sized plate to eat on. It really does make a difference. It fools you into thinking you are getting more.
Go into the calorie wiki here and check the calorie amounts of foods you like and the alcohol. You might be surprised at how much different things add up to. I was surprised. Even veggies, I know a lot of people don't count calories of them but they add up fast sometimes. Just be aware.
I guess the last thing would be, don't get down on yourself when you do over do it. Just get up and start again. We do slip. It is when we stay there that the problems come.
I wish you the best.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 8:51 PM

OP Here

Yeah, it's weird, I'm staying within my calorie requirments most of the time, but I feel like I'm always eating and sometimes I eat when I'm not hungry just to stay on schedule. It's more mental. Like I'll make a huge 100 cal salad, and I'll fill up, but I'll eat it all anyhow.

I can't remember how I used to eat before this diet. I think it may have been less, but I was far less consistant about eating well. I would cycle.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 7:43 PM

I've been trying the Intuitive Eating and really like it. You might look into it. The obsession with food was making me eat more and this broke that. I will say weight loss is slow for me, but some lose faster and it feel like if I get the habit of eating what I really want, savor it and enjoy it, then stop when I'm full not when the plate is empty, it will be something that will last and I won't have to diet forever. Just my experience, hope it helps you. The trick is to never give up. I read somewhere "Your never beaten until YOU say you are."

Thursday, October 4, 2007, 11:25 AM

Okay, you may think this sounds hokey but I have a similar problem as the OP - poor portion control, thinking about food all the time, etc. I'm a calorie counter, good food logger and very active in the gym but still have the challenge with food... until I tried hypnosis. A great gal in my group has been doing this since May and has lost 25+ pounds (her goal). While she started with a real hypnotherapist, she also uses mp3 downloads, which are what I use now too. Each downlaod is no more than $12 (the more you buy, the cheaper they get - I bought 2 so it was $19.95 and I just downloaded immediately after paying) and I swear they make things easier as your subconconscious is targeted. I listen to them on my iPod every night & they put me to sleep. All I know is that it is so much easier making choices now on food, portions, etc. and it's something that I don't have to try at - so easy! I'm a big fan. Feel free to check out the link (I don't get anything out of this by the way - it's a UK company... oh yeah, so the voice on the recording is English and for some reason I never get sick of hearing the recordings. Weird, I know.). I use "Eating Healthy" and "Weight Loss Motivation". Good luck!

Link

Thursday, October 11, 2007, 6:53 PM

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