Ladies, at what age did you realize that you need to drastically reduce portion size?
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Anonymous
| 14. I’ve been on a diet almost my whole life. |
Anonymous
| 38. I gained a pants size since last summer without changing my habits. I'm trying to really reduce now but it's not easy. |
Anonymous
| I don’t know about intentionally eating smaller portions, but I naturally started eating way smaller portions in my 20s (probably in part because I was paying for my own food and was motivated to be frugal lol), then huge portions when pregnant/breastfeeding, and now scaling back again as my kids get older/my hormones return to normal. I’m still bigger than I was pre-pregnancy but that’s at least partly because I don’t exercise as much any more. Trying to get that back… |
Anonymous
| Around 14-15 |
Anonymous
|
50. Perimenopause. I’m beginning to eat like my grandmother did.
Also, alcohol feels like it’s poisoning my body. I can feel it the next day even after one glass. Another grandmother characteristic. 🙄 |
Anonymous
This is what I was going to say. I've just generally noticed a decline in my appetite over the last 4-5 years (I'm 44, youngest child is 6). At this point I only eat one large meal a day (either lunch or dinner) and the rest of the time I'm eating what I would previously have considered a "robust snack." So I don't find I have to deny myself larger portions -- a restaurant-sized portion now just looks like two meals to me. The flip side of this is that it's not like I always crave healthy foods -- I've always loved carbs, fats, and sweets. So when I'm eating smaller meals, I have to pay attention because my tendency will be to just eat the protein (and fat) heavy part of the meal and skip the veggies and fiber. Last year I started meal prepping on the weekend so that I could prepare easy small salads for weekday lunches, which helps me do a better job of eating something balanced in one smallish dish, instead of just eating a bagel with cream cheese and feeling too full for anything with actual nutrients in it. |
Anonymous
| Mid 50s. Still getting used to it. |
Anonymous
| For me, early 40’s. I’d been trying to lose weight unsuccessfully for so long. Just a few pounds (5-10). It took giving up white flour, most gluten, and all added sugar and desserts for the scale to finally start moving (I already eat only vegetarian and don’t drink). Even then I only lost 5 pounds over 3 months despite exercising (moderately 4x/week)!! That was a big wake up call for me and I realized why my previous attempts were unsuccessful. |
Anonymous
+1 on the alcohol. It's crazy. |
Anonymous
| 50. Perimenopause. Lifelong skinny person who could eat whatever I wanted. Trying to accept and comes to terms with it. Sucks to watch what you eat and leave the table hungry. |
Anonymous
+ me, 52; although I changed my fitness routine to include heavier weights, more stretching and posture work and I added a daily walk. It's an investment in my metobolism, because I love to eat. |
Anonymous
|
I’m laughing at all the PPs saying 14, etc. because that is exactly how I feel.
I wonder whether weight maintenance in middle age is easier for those of us who have always had to severely restrict. I was always the chubbier one as a teen, but now I feel comparatively thin as I approach my 40s because skipping meals and eating 1200/day is nothing to me. It’s sad but true. |
Anonymous
Ugh... this makes me nervous. I'm also 50, but haven't yet noticed weight creeping on. I have started working out more regularly in the past 6 months and am hoping that lifting will help keep the menopot away. My goal right now is to keep my bones strong. |
Anonymous
| Similar - 41. I also lost a decent amount of weight after realizing I was less hungry and eating smaller portions/more nutritious food. |
Anonymous
| For me it’s not portion size but calories…the plate is the same amount full but if there are any white carbs or cheese on it, I am gaining weight. |