How to resist finishing the plate.

[bubbly1126]

So I''ve recently begun my journey to lose weight. I guess my problem would be that I have this terrible habit of not wanting to leave any left over food on the plate. If it''s there, something in my brain tells me it HAS to be eaten right then. How do I stop ignoring my body when it tells me it''s had enough?

It''s strange to me that this is even my problem because for the LONGEST time, I would never finish my plate. I''d actually always throw a fit if my parents made me sit there at the table and finish it all. (I''m talking 6 to about 14 years old.) I don''t think I''ve had this problem until about 2 years ago. That''s when it really got bad.

So what are some things you do to distract your mind and stop when you know you should stop?

Some info: I''m not all that big. I''m 5''1 3/4 and 130lbs. I was, up until a couple years ago, about 115, and I was VERY happy with that. Wasn''t too skinny and wasn''t too big. I had some meat on my bones which I liked. But now, there''s just too much there. haha.

 

[zoebartlett]

Hi Inhisarms!

Here are a few things that I do. This is a hard thing for me to do as well, but if I keep these things in mind, I generally do very well.

1. If you go out to eat, ask the waiter to box up half of your meal before it''s even brought to the table. Then, if you do clean your plate, the portion is much smaller than what it would have been.

2. I''ve posted this before in the HLT, but my husband (who was successful at losing weight in the past) has said that having more (of whatever you''re eating) won''t taste better than the first few bites you took. For some reason, this helped me a lot. Hopefully I worded it in a way that makes sense. The 10th bite tastes just as good as the 5th bite. So why continue eating? Please let me know if this makes sense or not. I feel like I''m not explaining it as succinctly as possible.

I hope this helps, even a little. I''ll check back and see if I can add more later on.

 

[bubbly1126]

Date: 12/22/2008 8:44:49 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett
Hi Inhisarms!


Here are a few things that I do. This is a hard thing for me to do as well, but if I keep these things in mind, I generally do very well.


1. If you go out to eat, ask the waiter to box up half of your meal before it''s even brought to the table. Then, if you do clean your plate, the portion is much smaller than what it would have been.


2. I''ve posted this before in the HLT, but my husband (who was successful at losing weight in the past) has said that having more (of whatever you''re eating) won''t taste better than the first few bites you took. For some reason, this helped me a lot. Hopefully I worded it in a way that makes sense. The 10th bite tastes just as good as the 5th bite. So why continue eating? Please let me know if this makes sense or not. I feel like I''m not explaining it as succinctly as possible.


I hope this helps, even a little. I''ll check back and see if I can add more later on.

Thank you so much! It''s weird that I never even thought of having half of the meal boxed before it even comes to me! I''ll definitely have to start doing that.

Also, yes, what you said makes perfect sense. I''ll just have to keep telling myself that over and over again until I start to really grasp it.

I think even recognizing that this IS in fact a problem for me, is a HUGE step. I never wanted to see it before but I finally took a step back and watched how I would eat and well, here we are.

I''ve told my BF that he really needs to help me with this. That if he sees I''m stuffing myself to remind me of my goal and that I can always save the rest of the food for another time. He said he''s behind me 100% and will do whatever it takes to help me.

 

[zoebartlett]

Oh good, I''m glad you understood my rambling! I''m not sure if some of my suggestions have to do with preventing one from cleaning her plate, but they''re about portion control in general. They may veer away from your original question, but they might be something worth considering.

The idea of boxing up food before it''s brought to you at the table is something you can do at home too. Whenever I cook, I weigh and measure everything. I measure out my portion of the meal, leave some for my husband, and quickly box up the rest and put it in the fridge.

Here are a few other things to think about.

a) Order an appetizer or a side dish instead of a regular sized meal if you''re dining out. One of my favorite Greek/Italian restaurants we go to offers small side dishes that you could easily make a meal out of.

b) Drink a lot of water as soon as you sit down (at home or at a restaurant). If I''m cooking, I just keep a glass of water near me and I drink as I cook. Filling up on water is good for a lot of reasons, and one of them is that you might become fuller quicker while eating. Then, you won''t be able to clean your plate!

c) Begin to weigh and measure what you eat. You''d be amazed at what a serving of something actually is.

d) Use smaller plates and bowls if needed. You may still be cleaning your plate, but at least the plate''s smaller.

 

[akmiss]

Date: 12/22/2008 9:34:15 PM
Author: ZoeBartlett

Oh good, I''m glad you understood my rambling! I''m not sure if some of my suggestions have to do with preventing one from cleaning her plate, but they''re about portion control in general. They may veer away from your original question, but they might be something worth considering.

The idea of boxing up food before it''s brought to you at the table is something you can do at home too. Whenever I cook, I weigh and measure everything. I measure out my portion of the meal, leave some for my husband, and quickly box up the rest and put it in the fridge.

Here are a few other things to think about.

a) Order an appetizer or a side dish instead of a regular sized meal if you''re dining out. One of my favorite Greek/Italian restaurants we go to offers small side dishes that you could easily make a meal out of.

b) Drink a lot of water as soon as you sit down (at home or at a restaurant). If I''m cooking, I just keep a glass of water near me and I drink as I cook. Filling up on water is good for a lot of reasons, and one of them is that you might become fuller quicker while eating. Then, you won''t be able to clean your plate!

c) Begin to weigh and measure what you eat. You''d be amazed at what a serving of something actually is.

d) Use smaller plates and bowls if needed. You may still be cleaning your plate, but at least the plate''s smaller.

Smaller plates defiantly help! I have been using my toddler''s plastic plates at home. Some are even divided into portion sizes which really makes it even easier. I might looks silly eating my dinner on a 7" plastic Spider-man plate but it has really allowed me to limit my portion sizes. Good Luck.

 

[emeraldlover1]

The easiest thing for me is to put less on my plate. I know how much a normal portion is so if needed I use a measuring cup to make sure that I get enough but not too much. Smaller plates and bowls definatley help. I also tell myself that my body doesn''t need more to survive. That is the point...brain function and body function. I also agree with zoe...I always tell myself that the food looks a lot better than it tastes and that it wont taste any better if I eat more. Good luck!

 

[just looking]

Well, I think most people have this problem or at least I did. It wasnt so much that I needed to loose weight but I was trying to gain muscle mass and eat healthier.

Much to the same effect, I would tell myself " YOu deserve a treat, so, I would buy something with the pretense of only eating a few as a reward...ya right. I buy it I eat it....thats me.. So I guess what I''m tryng to say, its not exactly wrong to finsih you''re plate...but it all depends what you put on your plate and in what portions that is the true cause.

With that being said...exercise always comes into play.

regards and good luck.

 

[bubbly1126]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I really have to start working on this. I''m hoping to break this habit ASAP!!

 

[Haven]

I often ask for half of my meal boxed right away, too, it's a great thing to do when dining out. AND, if you're in a city, you can usually find someone begging for money who would appreciate half your meal.

DH will often split something with me, and then order himself an extra side or some soup. This would work well if you like similar foods because then you only have access to half the portion. I like to order small salads and sides, too, instead of full meals.

Two things have really stuck out for me over the years where eating is concerned:

1) In Morgan Spurlock's movie Supersize Me a nutrition specialist compared the portions at McDonald's to proper food portions, and said that a full meal portion should generally be the size of your fist. MY FIST! That is so much less food than I had been used to eating at each meal, and ever since I saw that movie I always think about that, and then portion out my food accordingly. Okay, usually, not always.

2) I listened to those Tony Robbins tapes once, and he was into using mantras to help you change your habits. One of the examples he gave was Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. For some reason, this line has been really effective for me. I know how good it feels to be thin and healthy (which is the key, here) so when I feel myself getting out of control with the eating, or deciding whether to order a cheeseburger or a salad, I think this line to myself. It sounds silly, but it really struck a chord with me.

My ideal weight is probably 15 to 20 lbs less than what I weigh now. DH and I just discussed going back to our weightlifting diets from the old days--grilled chicken, rice, veggies, tuna, salads, sweet potatoes, etc. Just talking about it made me excited to look and feel as good as I did when we first met over four years ago. I was a personal trainer at the time, so I definitely had more motivation to be healthy than I do now as a teacher.

Good luck, Inhisarms! I love your avatar photo, by the way.