In my fat world, I was a lover of big portions. The bigger the cinnamon roll the better. A small cereal bowl wasn’t big enough to hold the proper portion of ice cream for me. No, I’d fill up a small serving bowl, and then fill it again! Or sometimes, I’d eat right from the container. At restaurants, I chose my entree’ based on the amount of food, and when at home, I always held back a little more, just for me. Yes, portions were a problem for me. It turns out I wasn’t alone. Many people struggle with portion sizes, and the desire to eat more of a particular food than they know they should.
It is hard to control our portions in our super-sized world. America loves BIG. We like big cars, big movies, big promotions, big money. What we don’t love is big people. I reached the point where I didn’t want to be a big person anymore, and to achieve my objective I had to get my portion sizes under control. It wasn’t easy to go from eating from the container of Breyer’s ice cream to having a small custard cup with a few spoonfuls. I struggled with my desire to eat the whole box of cheese crackers, rather than just a small handful. I still wanted the 1-lb yellow bag of peanut M&M’s, but knew that eating that much chocolate in one day wouldn’t really help me lose weight.
What would help me was to change from desiring big portions, to feeling satisfaction with smaller amounts of foods. The change in my attitude didn’t come all at one time. I started out by measuring out the proper portions of almost every food I ate, trying to train my eye and my brain on the “right” amount of food. For 10 years I had come to expect that pasta should fill the plate, bread should come in fours, and cracker boxes were all fod me. The first time I measured pasta and saw that the proper portion was only as big as my fist I was shocked. No wonder I weighed 300 pounds. I was easily eating four to five portions at a time, and that was just for pasta! Time after time I experienced amazement and disappointment over how much food I could actually have.
Over time, however, I trained my eye and my stomach to accept proper sized portions, and I lost weight. I estimated that when I was obese I was probably consuming between 3000 to 4000 calories per day. Cutting my portions in a healthy way brought the calorie count down drastically, probably in the 1500 – 1800 range. Was the adjustment period hard? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Being accustomed to large portions is part of life today. Everywhere we turn we find inappropriately sized portions. Here are some things to help you get started down the right portion path.
- Learn what a proper portion looks like. Take the Portion Distortion Quiz from the National Institute of Health.
- Commit to measuring your food for a period of time. It took me about two weeks to “get the hang” of how much of a certain food I should be eating.
- Try using a smaller plate at home. This often will help your eye tell your brain, “full plate = full tummy.”
- When at a restaurant, turn down the buffet line and order off the menu.
- Make sure you are getting enough protein and fiber, both which help you feel full.
- Never value size a fast food meal. Ever.
- Drink water before meals, to give your brain and your stomach a chance to meet each other halfway.
I think if you will consciously think of your choices and the size of those choices you will begin to see where your portion problems lie. I found I didn’t have problems with vegetable portions, but a big problem with almost everything else. This week, as the holiday approaches, start practicing portion control so that when you are at the big 4th of July party with family and friends you can make wise choices. Diane
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Very good post. This is very hard for both my husband and myself. However, I lost weight in the past solely by watching my portions and a little walking. Though I was a bit sad that I couldn’t eat large amounts, I finally learned to be content with what my body needed, no matter what other people’s bodies were capable of metabolizing.
Somewhere I failed to be content with those sizes and that’s where my weight crept back up. So, I now I just need to get back to watching those portions. No easy, but I believe it will be worth it.
Thanks again!
Leah,
It is hard adjusting to portions. I remember one time John asked me something interesting as I was losing weight. He said, “I bet you just can’t wait until you can go back to eating fun stuff again.” I looked at him and said, “I’m not going back.” It was an adjustment, to be sure, but I still do enjoy desserts, just in small amounts!
Hehe I adore those photos.
Portion control is HARD. Even though I know how much a portion size is, I still have difficulties in holding myself back from overindulging. “The End of Overeating” is such a good book about that type of thing.
Portion control is hard. I will have to check out that book, because a lot of people ask me for ideas that can help them control their portion sizes. Even after all these years, I still will eat too much of certain foods if I’m not careful! (Like chocolate – never vegetables!)
Hi I am a new reader and in awe of your transformation. I am a runner…but a heavy one and I want to make some positive changes to my body as I train for my first marathon.
I loved the link for the portion sizes – thanks
I’m glad you found the blog. I looked at yours this morning. Wow! I admire anyone who has the determination to do marathon training. I struggle sometimes with knee problems, so running is hit and miss for me! Good luck, and I hope your leg gets better soon!
I love that photo with the big carton of ice cream! That’s why I like to go out for it when I want it rather than having a big container sitting at home. That way I get my portion and am done.
That is an excellent strategy for portion control and actually one of my ladies in my last weight loss class loved ice cream a lot, and this is how she controlled the desire for ice cream and also the realization that she shouldn’t deprive herself of something she really loved.
I just found your blog. Your story is very inspiring, and I truly enjoyed what I have been reading so far.
I eat healthy foods, but portion control is hard. I am doing okay with it these days on most days. I use smaller dishes (dessert plates & cups instead of bowls, etc.) Restaurants can still be a challenge even though I know what a portion looks like. I have found that it’s essential that I am mindful of what I’m going to eat every time I eat.
Andrea – That’s a great strategy – being mindful of what you are going to eat, both at home and at restaurants. Sometimes it’s when we “let down our guard” so to speak, that we find the portion sizes creeping up. And when that happens, a plateau is sure to follow. (At least that’s what seemed to happen to me.) Portion control is hard, and the thing about it is that even after your reach your goal weight, you still need to think about portions or else you may find yourself regaining weight. Thanks for commenting, and I’m glad you found the blog!