Anyone else having a portion control problem?

I am really worried about this for the long term weight loss and keeping it off... I don't snack, but I feel my meals are too large. My nut say's "just becuase you can eat that much, doesn't mean you should." Well, this is the same problem I had before surgery... The other problem is that I dump on nothing, so if I am out, I will put a small sample of everything on my plate. I wish I'd have a horrible reaction to something, so then I wouldn't be so "free" with my eating. A side note, I don't eat until I get sick or anything, and I don't feel like I am overstuffing myself after, I am not uncomfortable at all, just satisfied. SD 2-23-06 SW 230 CW 163 GW135

You must be doing something right. Look, you've lost 67 pounds. My Nut tells me I should eat a little of everything (except sweets of course). She says a normal healthy person eats a little of everything.

Terri-thank you so much for you response. Waking up this morning and reading it made my morning. I think sometimes we just need the reassurance of our peers...and I like what your nut said!

I agree with Terri, you must be doing something right. 67 lbs isnt nothing to sneeze at. You are doing great!!! I can eat anywhere form 1/2 to 1 cup depending on what it is. My docs says I should only be eating at the most 1/2 cup. To keep my proprotions in line. I dont measure but have this small bowls that only hold a cup and that is to the rim. So I usually cant fill it all the way. And I get a small saucer and put my food on that before I start eating It helps to keep proprotions small. Good luck, love marie

Rie Rie- That's really smart. You are measuring great.... 1/2 cups YIKES I know I eat more than that. I need to start measuring. Love- Kayla

I'm having the same problem and feeling terrible about it. I can eat anywhere from 1/2 cup to 1 1/2 cups at times. My average calorie intake per day is 1000 - 1100. I have lost 60 lbs. since surgery Feb. 9th, so I'm doing o.k. I guess. I just don't feel full unless I eat around 1 cup. Of course I'm not drinking nearly enough water so that would help, I'm sure. I'm scared of gaining this weight back. Psychologically I'm beating myself up often. SD 2-9-06 SW 288 CW 228 GW165

Natalie-You sound like you are right on target with your calorie intake. And with your weight loss. 1 cup and 1 1/2 cups of food isn't bad at all. Actually from reading the main BB that's sounds pretty normal for an RNY person. Does it feel like some days you can eat more, and some days less? Plus - it depends on what kind of food we are eating, right? Some passes thru faster, so we can eat more. I bet ya if you cooked a chicken breast and chopped it to 1 1/2 cups, you'd have lot's of trouble!!! I am going to try that and see how much solid food I can eat. Please don't beat yourself up. We all have such an intense fear of failure, because of our history with weight and food and diets. Just know you are not alone.

I questioned myself a couple of times because some days I'm able to eat more and other days I barely eat anything. My angel told me it was perfectly normal and it's going to happen. I was freaking out last week when I ate a taco and half of a small bean & cheese burrito But that day I waited way too long to eat.....it was already 2p and I hadn't had anything excep****er. Now I make sure I eat something in the morning, even if it's a protein bar because I don't want to get back into my old habits of waiting to eat, then eating everything in sight. By the way, your weightloss is fantastic Sylvia

I don't dump either. Today I had a choc chip cookie - I'm way below my calories and I wanted to see what would happen - nada. I'm happy, though, all I ever really want is to be healthy and happy and to feel normal. Now I sort of do. I mean, I can have that bite of birthday cake if I want [I'm not a sweet eater, so it normally doesn't 'call' to me, but sometimes I just want to FIT IN]. I think it seems like I can eat a lot [especially compared to the begining], but I realize it's still much less than I ever did before. I can't remember being just full, or satisfied before until I was sick to my stomach with overeating. I can't remember where I read or heard it, but I think because our stomach's won't fully be healed until around a year out, we do have to be careful with our portion sizes, I try to just see this year as a new learning curve. If we don't follow the rules, we'll surely be right back in the position we were. Now we have the chance to be 2 years old again, to pay attention to our bodies when we eat, eat to live, not live to eat and break the bad habits that got us here. So I do think it's important to weigh and measure for now ... maybe it will help you to see things on a smaller plate, and just pay attention to how your belly FEELS. I think saying you FEEL SATISFIED is TERRIFIC when you think about it, it probably took you 3-4x as much to feel satisfied before, and maybe you NEVER felt satisfied? Not to mention your weight loss so far is FABULOUS ... don't be so hard on yourself and TRY NOT TO compare yourself to others, just be happy knowing that you do your body right. [and IMHO, that does not mean never eating a cookie again, or not portioning out your food once or twice, or even filling up too much occasionally, that's normacly]. xosm

Well, you ladies certainly made me feel better. I was really freakin' out. I can definitely eat more one meal than the other at times depending on my fluid intake. The other thing you pointed out is that it does make a difference if it's chicken or soup, etc. at the meal. I could eat almost a whole can of soup, yet 1/2 that amount of protein. Whew!