Portion size - advice please

[wheels]

So yesterday was a typical "it's Monday - I'll turn over a new leaf".

I bought some salmon and vegetables for dinnner but completely mis-judged the portion size on the vegetables and ended up with a mountain on my plate! I love broccoli and cauliflower and cabbage so I ate it all.

But the question is was that a good idea? I know that the veg is low fat, low calorie etc. but by eating large portions of it am I setting my body up to to expect large portions of anything?

In any case, I don't think I'd eat as much next time becuase I did feel quite uncomfortable and my tummy was making some strange noises last night...

Thanks in anticipation of your thoughts

Claire x

 

[Loopy_Lou]

Hi Claire,

I know exactly what you mean - I used to do exactly the same. I'd make something nice and healthy, like fish or chicken with veg. I'd cook some mushrooms cos I like them, and some carrott cos they're nice, and broccoli is really good for you, and mange tout is nice and crispy, and onion is always nice .... suddenly a small handful of each turns into a mountain! And yes - a rumbly tumbly!

I've always stuggled with portions, and I think that even if you're eating a low cal no cal big portion, it's still a big portion which expands your stomach and so you're not really 'training' yourself to eat less, you're just eating as much if not more, but better stuff.

I watched a programme last night on Living (I think it was) called Downsize Me - about a New Zealand guy losing weight in the style of all the progs we have here, ie guy is overweight, told he'll die if he continues, changes life, loses loads of weight etc. Anyhoo, the thing that I thought was good was the doctor gave him a plate and drew around the guy's right hand and left hand onto the plate with some special marker. Inside the left one he wrote "protein", and inside the right one he wrote "veg" ie good carbs, and above he drew 2 small circles and wrote "fats" in them. He said this is the amount you should eat, and not just filling inside the lines and a foot high! I thought that was really good. I'm not going to start drawing on my plates, but drawing around my left hand is about the size of a chicken breast or piece of fish, which is what I normally do, but I haven't always done the same total amount for my veggies.

For me, I've been doing hypnosis and eating less anyway, and I'm amazed at how much less I'm eating when I never really thought my previous portions were huge. Last night I had a chicken breast, 4 mushrooms, and 2 dessert spoons of peas, and then a peach and a yogurt, and I was full! I honestly never used to believe portion size was that important, and was more concerned with what I actually ate, but now I'm doing it myself I'm starting to understand why my skinny friends can get away with eating chocolate and takeaways - they only have a bit.

Hope this helps!

:character00238::character00238::character00238:

L xx

 

[IrishMum]

I eat off my 3yr old daughters plate! LOL! I uses the fist size as a guide for my meat/fish and fill the rest with veg (not a foot high either! ;P)

 

[wheels]

I actually still feel a bit ill from all those vegetables! I was planning a repeat dinner tonight (the joys of living alone) but I've gone off that idea. The salmon will keep until tomorrow!

 

[Carrie Me]

Hi all
My whole diet is based on portion control, I use the diet plate, which basically re educates me to eat less. It is marked much the same with a protein area and a carb area you then fill the rest of the plate with veg/salad. I eat unlimited fruit through the day and only two slices of bread each day, so far 3 months in I have lost over 20lbs with little, or no effort. I got a bit fed up before my holiday, so I gave myself 'a holiday' from the plate while I was away, but still managed to lose a pound while I was away. Now back to using it and still losing slowly but steadily. I don't care how long it takes, at 48 (just) I am frightened I will end up with saggy skin so am taking it slow and steady. For me, portion control has worked better than WW or any of the other millions of diets I have tried over the years. Keep at it, it does work. Well done on what you have achieved so far.

 

[KD]

I certainly wouldn't worried about having too much broccoli, cauli and cabbage. They are very low calorie and you are very unlikely to gain fat eating too much of those. Okay...you might have other side effects if you aren't used to eating plenty of these types of veg, but otherwise, have what you want. I should imagine that it wouldn't be a daily thing anyway.

Neither would I worry about the large portion setting yourself up and all that...well...as long as it's those sort of foods that are making the large portion ...and there's the added benefit that the amount will mean less chance of snacking on less healthy foods.

BTW Ian Marber (the food doctor) reckons

"It's not an exact method, but the size of your protein should fit roughly in the palm of your hand. Vegetables will make up a portion of more or less the same size, with starchy carbs such as brown rice completing the meal. It's so easy that you'll soon be able to judge the ratios quickly. Just remember to omit starchy carbs and have a larger portion of vegetables if you eat after 7.30pm."

Not bad advice

 

[goldenaky]

but by eating large portions of it am I setting my body up to to expect large portions of anything?

No, I don't think so. I have been doing my own VLCD, some of my meals are quite large with plenty of lettuce or other veggies while others are very small. I feel it takes me longer to digest a large meal of veggies because of all the fiber but that does not make me hungry for having large meals all the time.

 

[Falcore]

Dinner plates tend to be quite big, and most of the time we fill up the plates. I now have some medium sized plates. I guess you could call them breakfast plates. They are bigger than something you would eat your lunch off, but not as big as dinner plates (if that makes any sense). When I'm serving up dinner, if I have cooked too much, I'm really strict. I either put it in a seperate container for another time or I chuck it away. It's so easy to serve up too much, but having the smaller plate makes it so much easier to judge.

Veg/salad etc is very healthy, so it wouldn't hurt to eat a large portion, but if you want your tummy to get used to smaller portions then you need to ensure all your meals are small (even if you are having something uber healthy).

 

[totty]

BTW Ian Marber (the food doctor) reckons

"It's not an exact method, but the size of your protein should fit roughly in the palm of your hand. Vegetables will make up a portion of more or less the same size, with starchy carbs such as brown rice completing the meal. It's so easy that you'll soon be able to judge the ratios quickly. Just remember to omit starchy carbs and have a larger portion of vegetables if you eat after 7.30pm."

Not bad advice

thats exactly right KD

 

[joyciekaracd]

Portions


For me portion size was always my down fall too...i never wanted to be restricted as to how much i ate of something i liked..but that's exactly what was ruining my chances of losing weight...I've been on FORM for a week now and it makes me feel full before i sit down to eat...I like it very much it seems to be working for me but time will tell...My sister just got some for my brother-in-law I'm curious to see how it works for him...

 

[Happe]

Im under a weight management clinic at my doctors. Ive been told to eat from a tea plate too. 1/2 a chicken breast is the size of a protein portion. I thought id be allowed unlimited vegetables but have been told no. Stick to 5 portions, which is 2 florets of brocolli or cauli, a spoon full of peas, a carrot. been told to avoid grapes, mango and plums because of their high sugar content too. Oh and 1 slice of wholemeal bread a day. The first 2 weeks were hard but now I feel fine and healthy. Weight coming down nicely too.