I think my portion sizes are too big, can anyone help?

[strokemyforehead]

I eat healthy food, I don't eat processed food and make most stuff from scratch. But when I do cook I have ALOT of what I eat. I can go back and get third helpings

I need to get my portions under control but I don't really know where to start. I had a quick look on the internet and was horrified by the suggetion of a palm sized piece of meat.

I exercise a lot - shred/running etc (4 times a week on average) so I don't know if this makes me hungrier. (I am 5'11 and I weigh 11stone 11lbs)

Maybe put it on a smaller sized plate? Psychologically (hopefully) you would put less on the plate? I've started doing it myself.

I was going to say smaller plate but Greenapples beat me to it.

The other thing we do is dish up and then put what's left into a tupperware box for another meal. This can go into fridge or freezer. No seconds and definitely no thirds.

Plan something to keep you busy after you've eaten, it will take your mind off thinking about wanting seconds.

Why do you have seconds? Is it because you are hungry? Or habit?

Otherwise I suggest weighing everything for a week and logging on myfitnesspal so you can see how many calories you are consuming.

Also if you can't bear the idea of eating only palm size of meat, cut right down (out) on the carbs, very hard to overeat protein.

Also the obvious answer - cook less food?

Drink a pint of water with meals, that will fill up your stomach so you feel fuller.

Sounds as if you ate quite slim anyway - id guess size 10 max with those stats

I found sitting at a table to eat meals rather than eating from a tray in front of the tv made me feel fuller, as I was concentrating on the food rather than being distracted by other things.

You have a BMI of 23, in the middle of the healthy range. What's the problem?

Apparently it helps if you put the veg on the plate first as you then serve less of the carbs and protein.

You can get a diet plate, it might help you get a good idea of what the portions are supposed to be. Or maybe just serve yourself half of what you normally would (I know it's not that easy though!)
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I agree withinmysparetime, you are perfect weight for your height, clearly fit... What really is issue?

I am a size 12/14 so not fat I don't think, however I do worry about the amount that I eat. I seem to be always hungry

I know that I am addicted to carbs

Really good idea about logging what i eat and seeing how much it is i actually consume, that will be the real test i guess.

i only cooked what i needed last night and was bloody starving after, went to bed early

is there a theory that your body just gets used to the amount of food you eat and sends you hunger cues accordingly? ie if you eat less you get used to eating less?

I think stomach shrinks a bit if you eat less so you get full on smaller meals, and also carbs can made you more hungry.

What carbs addicted to? You said you don't eat processed foods.

smaller plate - should be 1/4 protein, 1/4 carbs, 2/4 veg

box up immediately anything beyond what you've served and freeze/fridge

drink lots of water

try to have small protein based snack after exercising - I find it helps me stop biffing out later on

Immediately after you've had a reasonable portion, brush your teeth. It always seems to distract me from eating more anyway.