portion control issues

[abcdefu]

Hey ladies!

I am usually on the SO board, but I am having a really difficult time with managing my portion control. If you have followed my story, I can only do light exercising for a limited amount of time.

I am really short at 4'11 and 3/4 and I currently weigh 157 lbs. I need to lose at least 40 lbs, but it's really difficult when I can't be as active as I used to. I know I need to eat 1200 - 1500 calories a day. I am getting used to eating healthy, but my portion control/measuring out food is terrible. I feel like I'm never full if I only eat 1 serving of food, which causes me to go over the 1200-1500 calories a day. I also have some emotional eating issues that I am trying to work on. My PT exercises don't burn a lot of calories so I just feel stuck at this weight. Plus when you are short there isn't much space for the weight to spread out so I went from a 6/8 to a 12/14. 

Can you ladies give me any suggestions on how to fix this? TIA!

[Susie]

I would look at WHAT you are eating in addition to how much. 100 calories worth of pasta won't keep you full the same way 100 calories of greek yogurt would, or something else that is very nutrient-dense. Foods that are higher in fat and protein will give you a lot more satiety than carbs. Calories aren't all created equal. I would try making a concerted effort to get your protein intake up. My goal is around 80 g/day. Drinking a whole glass of water during a meal or snack can also help you feel more full. Finally, measure your food before you sit down to eat, and put the leftovers straight into the fridge to discourage going back for 2nds. Even if you still "want" more after you've eaten your measured meal, get up from the table and tell yourself no more food until/unless you go half an hour+ and still feel hungry--actually hungry, not just "I would like to eat more."

[abcdefu]

Thank you so much! My typical day is

Breakfast-coffee and Greek yogurt
AM Snack- piece of fruit
Lunch - natural pb and natural jelly on 15 grain bread
PM snack - piece of fruit or "popped chips"
Dinner - chicken, turkey, or fish with a veggie and rice.
Late night - this is where it gets ugly - frozen yogurt/piece of cake, anything sweet!

[chw57]

I would try adding some protein and fat to your snacks... Like a couple nuts or string cheese

[Wines Not Whines]

I have trouble with late night snacking too. One thing that helped me was to increase the number of vegetables I eat during the day, and then eat fruit for dessert. I try to eat a big portion of vegetables with my lunch, often in the form of salad or soup. I also eat something like cut up raw veggies with dip or hummus as part of an afternoon snack. Fruit is tasty, but usually not very filling as a snack.

A PB&J sandwich isn't a terrible thing to eat, but depending on how much PB you use, it can easily be 400 calories for something that's not incredibly filling. You could eat a piece of chicken, 2 cups of vegetables, and some cheese or avocado for the same amount of calories and fat, and it would be a lot more filling.

[abcdefu]

Thank you so much for the tips! I'm going to try and add more veggies and protein throughout the day. I have back issues and this extra weight is contributing to my pain. I'm also going to look into seeing a dietician. I feel if someone is holding me accountable, I may think twice before eating sweets at night.

[juliabug]

I am a late night sweets person, too. Lately I've been having berries with a tiny bit of dark chocolate or whipped cream. I will also brush my teeth after dinner if I am trying to avoid the late night sweet cravings.

[Deleted]

Jul 4, 2015 13:48:18 GMT -5 abcdefu said:

Thank you so much for the tips! I'm going to try and add more veggies and protein throughout the day. I have back issues and this extra weight is contributing to my pain. I'm also going to look into seeing a dietician. I feel if someone is holding me accountable, I may think twice before eating sweets at night.

Yeah ditto the upping the veggies and protein. Hopefully you'll see a difference.

And honestly the only way for me to not snack or eat sweets at night is to not buy them. I can't do the whole "in moderation" thing. If I buy a bag of chocolate, it'll be gone in 1 or 2 sittings max. 

So at home 95% of the time I only have whole/"clean" foods in the fridge and cabinet. It does suck some nights when I really want a treat, but it hasn't killed me yet  

I save splurges for when I eat out about 2 times per week and pretty much just order whatever I want within reason. 

[abcdefu]

Jul 4, 2015 14:08:34 GMT -5 @wandering said:

Jul 4, 2015 13:48:18 GMT -5 abcdefu said:

Thank you so much for the tips! I'm going to try and add more veggies and protein throughout the day. I have back issues and this extra weight is contributing to my pain. I'm also going to look into seeing a dietician. I feel if someone is holding me accountable, I may think twice before eating sweets at night.

Yeah ditto the upping the veggies and protein. Hopefully you'll see a difference.

And honestly the only way for me to not snack or eat sweets at night is to not buy them. I can't do the whole "in moderation" thing. If I buy a bag of chocolate, it'll be gone in 1 or 2 sittings max. 

So at home 95% of the time I only have whole/"clean" foods in the fridge and cabinet. It does suck some nights when I really want a treat, but it hasn't killed me yet  

I save splurges for when I eat out about 2 times per week and pretty much just order whatever I want within reason. 

This is EXACTLY me!! I'm glad I'm not the only one! Thank you for sharing.

[wambam]

I suggest making your lunch look a lot more like your dinner - protein, fat, veggies.

[gt7301b]

Jul 4, 2015 14:52:14 GMT -5 wambam said:

I suggest making your lunch look a lot more like your dinner - protein, fat, veggies.

wambam gives good advice. Your lunch would lead me to chew someone's arm off mid afternoon.

[bostonmichelle]

Jul 4, 2015 14:52:14 GMT -5 wambam said:

I suggest making your lunch look a lot more like your dinner - protein, fat, veggies.

Yep. Dinner leftovers work very well for lunch.

[foundmylazybum]

Your diet looks kind of similar to mine.

At lunch I would add hummus and either whole grain pita bread or veggies or a mixture of both. Hummus is delicious and filling and it goes well with veggies. Keep the sandwich if you like it.

At breakfast add 1/4 cup natural granola and some almonds. It increases the protein.

The afternoon snack could be more filling. Add some sort of dip (that isn't like sour cream based lol) to your popped chips. Something like a pico de gallo, a guacamole that has chopped peppers and tomatoes in it etc.

Explore other options for snacks and lunches to give variety. Sometimes for a snack I'll have soup, or pretzels with peanut butter etc.

[msturtle143]

Jul 4, 2015 13:54:59 GMT -5 juliabug said:

I am a late night sweets person, too. Lately I've been having berries with a tiny bit of dark chocolate or whipped cream. I will also brush my teeth after dinner if I am trying to avoid the late night sweet cravings.

Ha. This works for me too. I can get ridiculously lazy to be bothered to even go upstairs to brush my teeth though so I keep one in my medicine cabinet downstairs. 

ETA: agree w/ PPs re: adding bulk aka fiber to your meals. Also fluids. 

[Deleted]

I haven't read any responses but you should look into 21 day fix. It helped me with portions SOOOO MUCH

[sadlebred]

Do you like avocados? They are a great way to add good fat and vegetables into you diet.

[abcdefu]

Jul 4, 2015 20:25:06 GMT -5 sadlebred said:

Do you like avocados? They are a great way to add good fat and vegetables into you diet.

I LOVE avacados!! I put them on my turkey burger!

[abcdefu]

Thanks for the great tips! I am ready to become accountable. I'm hoping the utilizing your tips will curb the nightly sweet cravings.

[foundmylazybum]

Maybe dont avoid the nightly treat. If your body says it wants it..then have it. But watch portions and be smart. So like...honestly in our house we go through phases where we get the mini frozen dove ice cream bars. We eat them, enjoy them and then months go by and we dont want anything. They are 300 calories and i am like "300 calories of heaven! Im loving every second of you dove bar!"

I swear, just like..being a little more present with my food helps me know what i want and why and that helps w portions.