Portion Plate

LentilBean · Post by **LentilBean** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 12:30 am

Anybody heard of/tried this? It seems like something that would be a good complement to no S for some people.

Check it out here:

http://www.theportionplate.com/

In other news, I'd like to be back in the fold. Life's been crazy for me in the past several months... I finished my dissertation and am waiting to defend. All other pursuits have been completely ignored.

Hopefully things will get back on track now.

P.

mimi · Post by **mimi** » Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:02 am

First of all, congratulations on finishing your dissertation! That's quite an accomplishment! I too know very well what you mean, P., if you read my most recent post! How do we let ourselves get so caught up in the commotions of living that we neglect to take care of ourselves properly and see to our own needs? I suppose that I am an emotional eater since I am a very emotional person - my heart is always out there on my sleeve. I looked at the Portion Plate website and the idea seems very sensible for those who have a problem controlling how large their portions are. I'd give it a try - the price looks reasonable as well! My problem is not with portion size, but with snacking - I don't tend to overeat at meals, but in between. And it's usually sweet! That's why NoS has been so helpful for me. Anyway, welcome back to the fold. As TooSolidFlesh advised me, be gentle with yourself and keep plugging away. One day at a time.
Mimi

joasia · Post by **joasia** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 3:39 pm

I like the idea of the plate with a few what ifs:

1) Do you want to take it to a restaurant?
2) What about mixed ingredient food like pizza or lasagna or burrit

Post by **reinhard** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:16 pm

Nice idea! Even if you only use it sometimes, it might be helpful to keep you in line.

I would be careful about obsessing too much over plate size, though. The far more important issue is frequency, and if big plates help you accomplish that, amen to 'em.

Calories from meals have stayed the same for men since the 1970s, they've even gone slightly down for women -- it's snacks that have caused virtually all the increase in calorie consumption (90% for men and 112% for women).

From:

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/ef ... 04004b.pdf

A comparison of the 1977-78 and 1994-96 food intake surveys conducted
by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals that reported
consumption increased by 268 calories for men and 143 calories for women between the two periods. This increase is more than enough to explain the rise in the average weights of men and women over the same period. Most of the increase in calories is attributable to more calories having been consumed as snacks, while dinnertime calories actually fell somewhat.

The fact that snacking accounts for most of the increased caloric intake
leads the authors to reject the thesis that obesity is a result of increased
portion sizes in restaurants. If this theory were true, calories at main meals, particularly dinner, would have increased. Similarly, the evidence also works against the view that fattening meals at fast food restaurants have caused the rise in obesity.

Reinhard

stevecooper · Post by **stevecooper** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 11:15 am

presumably you could make one of these from a white plate and some kind of marker?

Thalia · Post by **Thalia** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 4:05 pm

Using a plate with instructions printed on it seems to go against the spirit of eating "normally" and joyfully, to me. I want my dinnerware to be pretty and practical and add to my pleasure in the meal, not lecture me!

kccc · Post by **kccc** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 7:08 pm

I've portioned my own meals for some time - I try to make half the plate fruit/veg, a quarter carb (preferably complex) and a quarter protein. A guideline, not a rule - you can usually guess well enough on combo meals.

I have never, eve needed (or considered needing) a printed plate to do that.

That plate seems a silly extension of a reasonable idea.