Help me eat less

[Anonymous]

My #1 problem is that I eat way too much. I have a big appetite probably because I have always eaten a lot but it’s now catching up with me in my 40s. But I also genuinely love food and the act of eating.

I need to eat smaller portion sizes but at this point it’s psychological and I can’t seem to eat less even though I know I should. I know I could serve myself less food or eat half of what’s on my plate, but then I still “feel” hungry and go for more. Or I feel the need to snack even when I am not truly hungry.

Does anyone have tips or tricks for eating less?

[Anonymous]

Cut everything sweet from your first meal of the day (eggs, small salad and piece of good bread is my go-to)
Up your protein intake, every meal should include 3-4 oz of meat/fish/you name it
If you need snack - go for protein - hard boiled egg, string cheese, plain Greek yogurt.

[Anonymous]

snack on salad

[Anonymous]

Use salad plates. Eat slowly.

[Anonymous]

Glass of water before eating. Use a smaller plate. It’s hard. I had eight loss surgery 5 years ago and went from 260 to 170. Crept back up to the 190s but am annoyed with myself. So trying to get back in to the 170s. Currently I’ve lost 8lbs over the summer and I’m at 189.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried calorie tracking? I am not overweight but I lost about 20 lbs using calorie counting on an app after my second child. I have realized I tend to binge on sugar (whole pans of brownies, anyone?) when I don’t track. If you choose the right goal, not too low, you may be surprised how easy it feels. For me, it takes away the constant thinking about food, wondering if I have eaten too much, etc.

[Anonymous]

I agree with the small plates for smaller portions and chew slowly, savoring every small bite. Unfortunately the only way to accomplish this is to allow yourself to be hungry until your stomach shrinks and demand lessons. Not ravenously hungry. I've found that if I'm a little hungry when I go to sleep at night, I'm in a calorie deficit and beginning to lose. I tend to eat because I enjoy food even when I'm not necessarily hungry, so I'm careful to watch that now. Sometimes a glass of water or tea will take the edge off. If not, I stick to fruit or protein as a snack now.

[Anonymous]

Measuring, tracking and purposefully eating filling low-cal food is what works for me. I have a huge appetite--always have. Didn't cause a weight problem for me until my 40s. Now it's hard to disentangle appetite from habit. So I do things like eat a chopped up cucumber as my salad before a meal because I'm used to chewing a lot of food but a bowl of chopped cucumbers--sometimes with cabbage or tomatoes for variety (with a little lime juice, half tsp of olive oil and seasonings) takes some time to eat plus feels 'solid' to me in a way that greens or soups don't.

[Anonymous]

Have you tried the weight loss app Noom? Lots of education. Has you think of food in three categories. Has you record what you are eating, which lots of research shows that this is very important for weight loss. Agree with value of getting sugar out of your diet. Especially if you ate not eating it with other foods, stimulate your appetite to cause you to be hunger when your sugar level plummets later. May be what is encouraging you to eat more later.

[Anonymous]

I'm a vegetarian who struggles with high blood sugar. Here's my tip:

- add nuts to cereal with milk -- I like walnuts and pecans. I do use a smaller bowl for cereal than I used to and don't allow myself to refill. Add frozen blueberries if you like. I usually go with plain cheerios.

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[Anonymous]

Eat foods with more bulk- think lots of vegetables and salads. When you eat eat veggies first, then protein then the carbs.

It also comes down to retraining your appetite and portions. Only eat what is on your plate then get up and move on.

[Anonymous]

- Intermittent fasting can help with appetite.

- Planning out what you are going to eat and mainly just sticking to that.

- I eat half an avocado every day and that seems to keep me satiated longer and helps me eat less

- Eat high volume low macro foods like rice cakes, sugar free jello, air popped popcorn, fruits/veggies. PB Fit with rice cakes has been a game changer for me.

- Eat more protein. I buy pre-cooked chicken breasts and can use it to make something else or eat it as a snack. Other good sources - fish, eggs/egg whites, greek yogurt, protein bars/shakes

[Anonymous]

drink more liquids

[Anonymous]

Cut out sugar entirely, or at least avoid it until late in the day.
- it can be a real appetite trigger.

[Anonymous]

Have a plan of what you will eat - then you don't need to rely on will power; instead, you just need to rely on your plan. And automate meals to some extent.

Tea, coffee, a flavored-water drink, an occasional diet soda, pickles, cucumbers, and crunchy veggies can help take the hunger edge off.

High protein meals and snacks -- hard boiled eggs are a favorite of mine --- I make a huge batch at the beginning of every week.