Portion sizes - what is "normal" to you?

[DorisShutt]

I did think about name changing but sod it, I think I need judged!

Basically, I feel that I've lost control/knowledge of what is normal thanks (but with my not unwilling acquiescence!) to DH's portions, which I then carry on using when I cook.

For example, I'll make a lasagna. It's in a roughly 10" x 5" dish and I'll have half. That's a full packet of mince plus veg, plus pasta, plus sauces.

Or last nights dinner was a 1kg piece of brisket plus loads of veg; and again I ate half. (I mean, I know meat joints shrink, but still!)

That's not right is it? Can someone tell me (roughly!) what size of portions I should be eating? Use lasagna as an example if that helps?

I'm trying to set a good example for DS who is starting to notice things, so I don't want him to start overeating too!

I'd cut out a piece of lasagna about the size of my hand. Smaller if it's a particularly deep one. Probably less than half the size of the one you describe (and I'm not one to pick at sparrow size portions of food).

A 1kg boneless joint, providing it wasn't all water and there wasn't a lot of fat to trim off on the plate, would do DH, me and the boys for 2 good meals.

For a ballpark figure, 75-125g raw weight of lean meat or fish is usually plenty for an adult, depending on how it's served.

The lasagne that you describe would feed four of us with a small piece of garlic bread and side salad each. The veg and meat isn't too bad, probably too much red meat but you can eat as much veg as you like. I would probably have half the amount of meat (maybe even a bit less).

A lasagne that size would do all 5 of us in this house (and dcs are teens not littlies).
With meat / joints I'd say up to 4oz is what we have (about 125g ish?) but generally with a mince type dish, a 400g pack does the 5 of us.

For Nearly every meal I wiill use a side plate.

Oh god. I am such a pig then!

The issue is that now I don't feel full unless I've eaten such a large portion. Plus dessert.

I'm fucked really aren't I?! Can you retrain your stomach back to normal size? Am I going to be doomed forever more to be permanently hungry?

A good guide for meat is a portion size around the size of a pack of playing cards. Approximately 90g for a woman or 120g for a man. A 1kg joint of meat should serve about 8. Fish- probably about 150g portion.

Cheese is supposed to be a matchbox size portion (about 30g), but if eaten as part of a main meal, I would personally have a bit more than that.

Carbohydrates (pasta, rice, potato, cereal etc) portion size about the size of your fist (less if you're trying to lose weight, more if you are very active or a toddler).

Vegetables such as peas, broccoli, green beans etc, again a a fist size portion.

Hi OP! I'm a lover of big portions (and I have a big appetite too) but realized I needed to cut back when the pounds started creeping on.

I now just give myself a load of extra veg, so that my plate looks full, IYSWIM? I also got some smaller plates!

I also limit certain foods without limiting others (Slimming World stylee). So limited bread/dairy products/fatty things/puddings/sweets and whatnot, but unlimited lean meat, fish, veg, fruit, spuds, pasta, couscous etc. Would that work for you?

I also sort of 5:2. My BMI is 23.

I was the same as you before hypnotherapy. I could eat a whole I curry, portion of rice and half a nan bread from the takeaway. I wouldn't feel satisfied unless I was stuffed and would keep eating until I was. Now I use a side plate and it's usually only half full. I feel ill if I over eat. I went to hypnotherapist for hypno band 2 years ago and haven't looked back.

I go by the size of my hand.. its easier that way.

Maybe try put out your usual sized portion and scraping half off to start with. Another meal for the next day maybe? You can train your stomach to accept less. Eat slow, listen to your body and stop eating when you start to feel full rather than when you are.

Loads of water.

I now eat my meals from a side plate. With a standard plate there is a temptation to fill it.

I do not feel hungry or hard done by despite knowing I am eating less. I take pleasure in clearing my plate with no guilt.

Yeah. Plate size may well be the culprit - that and carbs giving me a sugar rush so I eat more.

Trouble is that I hate vegetables other than a few sorts; broccoli, cabbage, turnip literally make me gag (I was almost force fed them as a child)

Makes eating a pest really; I'd love to want to eat them, but the reality is just vomit if I do.

I use the palm rule. One size of my Palm (thickness as well as area) carbs, one Palm protein, two palms veggies.

Got into it after I started weaning the kids because I found it hard to judge their portions.

Try eating really slowly. I read once that it takes a certain amount of time to register that you are full, if you eat too quickly you go past that point IYSWIM.

Also a glass of water with your dinner. Do you like salad? I tend to have a big side salad with my dinner.

Eat the veg you like then? Or find different ways to prepare the ones you don't like, just to see if you can overcome your aversion e.g.if you hate boiled cabbage, try shredding it finely and stirfrying it with garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce and cumin seeds.

I'm another who uses the palm of my hand as a guide to portions. As TeWi.

I also measure portions according to packet recommendations eg 30g cereal or 65g dry pasta.

5:2 fasting helped me with appetite control and got me back in tune with eating to hunger/satisfaction signals.

Well today I've done

• a large bowl of cereal (bran flakes) as I have breakfast at 6.30am and don't lunch until nearer 1pm.

• Did scrambled eggs (2 with some milk) and 1 slice of toast with a tiny scraping of butter.

• dinner is cooking and is a small baked potato, lots of lettuce and tomatoes and some cottage cheese. DH has bought a tear'n'share bread, so may have a small piece.

I've also done some exercise today so overall using MFP with everything weighed, I've put in just over 1600 calories and taken out about 400 (and that's a conservative guess) so am just about right for the day based on a desired loss of 1lb per day.

I don't think training myself to eat normally is going to be easy, but I know I have to do it.

I would really up your protein in the first week or so...There isn't enough in what you've listed for today. I wouldn't be surprised if you're feeling hungry before you go to bed.

Make the biggest meal of the day the first one so you don't get a sugar drop mid morning.. that's a large gap between breakfast and lunch. Scrambled egg on toast is good for breakfast.

Just think it's something like 3 weeks to break a habit (?) And this time next year you'll be glad you started now.

Also make sure you get in at least 5 portions of fresh vegetables and fruit- there are only 1 or 2 portions in the day you describe. Will help fill you up, too.

Anything that comes in a packet (pasta, cereal,etc) should have nutritional information and recommended portion sizes printed on it. Try weighing it out/ measuring them to give you a good idea of the amount you should be eating. It might come as a bit of a shock!
I agree with using a smaller plate.A small plate full of food looks much better than a large plate with little bit of food in the middle. You will get used to smaller servings after a while, but you have to give yourself a chance to adapt, probably a few weeks.
Good luck!

Also drinking water helps you feel fuller - some people recommend about half an hour before a meal.

It strikes me that you need more protein and a lot more veg. Today's meal had no veg at all until dinner time. Even if you were in a hurry at breakfast, a small bowl of cereal plus a slice of ham and a handful of grapes wouldn't have taken long to prepare. I had 2 eggs for lunch, but mine were made into a frittata with a couple of blocks of thawed frozen spinach.

Sorry, the bran flakes were sultana bran.

And I really hate vegetables. I mean really hate them.
Lettuce and tomatoes are about as good as it gets, unless we're talking carrots. I can tolerate fruit, but don't have any in the house atm as need to go shopping.

How do I get protein into my diet? I really have no idea about food and group and stuff

Protein:
Meat
Fish
Eggs
Nuts
Seeds
Cheese
Yogurt
Pulses

Aim for a helping of protein at every meal, it keeps you full for longer and doesn't give you the same blood sugar rush & crash as carbohydrates.

For breakfast this could be from:
Yogurt with some nuts/seeds and fruit
Eggs however you like them, maybe with some fried tomatoes/mushrooms or some peas/onion/spinach in an omelette
Bacon/sausage/smoked salmon with eggs
Cold meat/cheese with some fruit, continental style
Porridge with a spoon of ground almonds added to bump up the protein, add berries/raisins/banana for flavour and sweetness.

Lunch:
Salad/sandwich with decent protein component eg tuna, chicken, good helping of cheese & nuts etc
Or beans/eggs on toast
Frittata
Hummous with carrot sticks, tomatoes, pitta bread

Dinner:
Meat/fish/pulses + veg/salad + a bit of carb

If you're hungry between meals and snacking try to make them protein and or veg based snacks rather than sugar/carb based snacks to keep you on an even keel.
Consider nuts, olives, hard boiled eggs, slice of cheese, little bit of yogurt, carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, or a little fruit

And a big yes to weighing food to check portion sizes, it really helps esp with dry stuff like rice/pasta where it is so very easy to think "that looks like nothing, I'll fling a bit more in!"

Doris so eat more lettuce, tomatoes and carrots :) Increasing your soup intake is another way of getting more veg inside you without tasting them much especially green veg blended into a tomato-based soup. But not from a tin please.