How Much Do You Eat Per Meal?

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whitewolf3
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Joined: Thu Oct 05, 2017 2:38 pm
Location: Wisconsin, USA

How Much Do You Eat Per Meal?

Post by whitewolf3 » Thu Oct 05, 2017 2:57 pm

Hello! I'm Jessie. I've been dieting since I was 17. I've tried a lot of diets, from Atkins to the Military Diet, and I just can't do it. I get so hungry, I lose control and give in. I thought I lacked willpower, but I read an article somewhere that it's not willpower that's the problem. You're fighting against a survival instinct, or something along that line.

I came across No S a few years ago and have been browsing the forums off and on during that time. I never posted anything. I've attempted No S a few times, and I was surprised when I was able to do it. But then I caved into my hunger because I wasn't eating enough, or I found myself not losing any weight because I was eating too much and I'd fall off the wagon.

So I'm trying a new approach. I'm slowly reducing the amount of food I eat each day, and then I'm going to consolidate it into three meals. I downloaded an app that helps me keep count of how many hands of food I'm eating per day and there's an algorithm in it that gives me a number to stop at. Over a one to two week time period, that number decreases (for example, if I eat 14 hands per day, it would decrease to 13 after a week, then 12). So over time, the amount of food I take in goes down without feeling like I'm crash dieting or depriving myself.

A hand of food is basically a portion of food that equals the size of your hand (if you were to smash it down).

So thinking back to your meals in the last few days, what would you say the average number of hands are that you typically eat at each meal?
"Three months from now, you will thank yourself."

Selcazare
Posts: 78
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2015 10:06 pm

Post by Selcazare » Thu Oct 05, 2017 5:49 pm

A palm to palm and one half of protein with 5-6 handfuls of veggies at every meal plus handful of fruit at lunch and a handful of potatoes at dinner. I am still not a volume eater so this is a lot of food for me.

splandrea
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Jul 09, 2017 1:21 am
Location: Northern California

Post by splandrea » Fri Oct 06, 2017 3:21 am

If you work the program exactly as written, you will eventually lose, even if you gain at first. It's a process of learning what makes you tick and changing behaviors permanently. You will lose a half pound to a pound per week eventually, and the amazing part is that since you've learned new behaviors, the weight won't come back. Have you read the book? It's amazing and logical. Just trying to help.
07/01/17: 258
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splandrea
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Location: Northern California

Post by splandrea » Fri Oct 06, 2017 3:23 am

Also you could just start with a bigger plate and then eventually scale down to smaller plates.
07/01/17: 258
Current: 238
Aiming for 180. We shall see...

Bluebell
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Location: Hampshire UK

Post by Bluebell » Fri Oct 06, 2017 5:30 am

Without wishing to sound too critical, the method you're describing sounds very complicated! The beauty of NoS lies in its simplicity. I agree with Splandrea, give Vanilla NoS a good chance to work (I'm talking a few months at least). You may well need large plates initially, but as Splandrea says, over time this will decrease. You probably won't even notice it happening much, its just a gradual process. I have lost 28lb over 10 months doing this. Its slow but it works, and I've maintained for 2 months without any effort whatsoever. Give it a go! :)
Edit - to answer your question (sorry!) I couldn't tell you how many hands I eat, nor would I wish to count them - three plates a day, that's it. Easy!
"You'll know where the North Star is ⭐️" - Oolala

jenji
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Post by jenji » Fri Oct 06, 2017 1:40 pm

I posted a picture of my breakfast the other day on the Facebook group. :)

Lunch and dinner are usually bigger meals for me. Last night it was a fast-food burrito (the smaller size) and an apple.

I think how much food you need varies by activity level and weight, but the point of No S is to make clear how much you are eating (by eliminating snacks and sugar during the week, and putting it all on your plate), so you can adjust as needed.
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oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sat Oct 07, 2017 4:27 pm

Not sure what you mean by hand (I didn't read all the posts). I think of fist-sized portions. 9-12 of dense foods (may include some cheese, nuts, added "thumb" of fat) but plus several fists of freggies distributed, more so at lunch and dinner.

I'm definitely biased against having a weight loss goal. What will happen if you do your hand thing and you don't lose "enough?" Is there any reason other than weight loss to change your eating than weight? If not, you're going to be the scale's b*&@h. Find the amount of food you can be happy with for a time. Then be honest about whether it's possible to shave something off.

There are no guarantees that eating plenty won't still leave you feeling deprived sometimes. Acknowledge that deprivation is a concept that often covers for just jonesing for food. It has nothing to do with real deprivation, which would take a lot longer than what could be accomplished in a day or two.

That said, your plan sounds except that it could be turned into just another way to either get obsesed or be hard on yourself. I do like that you're just starting by reducing food overall. I think sometimes that's a less stressful way to ease yourself into the three meals. Some people like to jump straight in the pool. and others like to wade in.
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Merry
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Post by Merry » Sat Oct 07, 2017 9:32 pm

I keep thinking about this but I honestly have no idea how to count a lot of things that I eat, LOL! (A bowl of cereal? A piece of fruit? Meals where I put little tidbits of several different things that I just feel hungry for?) And whether it's a palm or my whole hand...

Sorry I'm not much help!

What I have done though is consider size of plate instead. If I'm having something like a piece of lasagna or an egg casserole with cheese, I might just use a dessert plate--those items tend to have fat content and I don't need to add on a lot of other food to round it out.

For most of my meals, I use a mid-sized plate. I found I ate too much food if I went with a full-sized dinner plate. (Ate too much meaning I felt over-full after I ate, and I either didn't lose or even gained if I was always using a big dinner plate). I use our big plates for things like a "Sunday dinner" with many components, or special meals like Thanksgiving, but find that the mid-sized plate works other times. I try to make half my plate fruit/veggies/salad for many meals, though some are not that way. (I don't make that a "rule" for me but just an attempt to move more towards healthy eating.)

Overall, I try to think of changes I can live with--so if the hand-counting thing works for you, go for it! I think whatever you use, it will take time to find how much is enough to feel satisfied but not overfull (because that will change depending on the type of food too), and at what point you will generally lose weight or maintain vs. gain. I always give it at least 3 months, and if I plateau that long, then I consider why and what I might want to do about it. No-S isn't fast or flashy, but it can help you think through what's working, what's not, and why.
Homeschool Mom and No S returnee as of 11-30-15.
2 years and counting on No-S.
29 lbs. down, 34 to go. Slow and steady wins the race.
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