You know how us bandsters are supposed to only eat an approximate one cup serving of food at a meal?
I can't stand that phrase "supposed to"... I like it almost as much as when people say to me, "You can't eat that, right?" Which I always respond with "Wanna bet?"
It's not about what I "Can" or "Can't" eat, it's about what I "Should" or "Shouldn't" eat.
Anyways, since my band has never restricted the amount of food that I can eat, I have had to always be a measurer, weigher, and tracker of my portions. Yep, I measure ounces and grams on my food scale and cups with one of my seven (!) measuring cups. Over two years post-op and I still use my food scale every day.
Isn't it crazy that my band will stop me from taking a vitamin (stuck and then up it comes), yet it will allow me eat an entire Taco Bell Beefy 5-layer Burrito? WTF.
Therefore, I've discovered another way to remind myself what a proper one cup portion looks like. Say hello to my new B.F.F., a tiny little Starbucks cup. It sits on my desk at work. Empty. All by himself.
A stack of these small Starbucks cups was left in our office by some random vendor or overly eager outside sales person back in December. Of course, the cups were delivered along with some coffee carriers and those damn breakfast cakes/scones which are my crack weakness. I guess the theory is if they give us coffee and food, then we will buy their products/services. I steered clear of that entire situation.
Anyways, here's that cup next to a medium (grande) latte......tiny, right? It's only 8 oz:
So, my questions for you:
- How do you track your portion sizes?
- Do you have any tools/reminders/tips that work for you?
Great idea. I constantly use the mantra "just because I CAN eat something doesn't mean I SHOULD eat something" (can be used for volume too.) I know you use that same mantra also. It helps because our tools can't do ALL the work for us can they?
ReplyDeleteFor the soups I make, I always portion them out in individual containers...that helps track calories as well. I also always have the "deck of cards" rule in my head when thinking about 4 ounces of protein. That helps. When I am using condiments like salad dressing or ketchup or whatever at home, I have little 2 ounces metal cups that I put it in.
ReplyDeleteI also use a food scale and a multitude of measuring cups and spoons. I know from experience that when I just "eyeball" my portions, they tend to get bigger and bigger. :)
ReplyDeleteI have 3 full sets of measuring cups and spoons that I use for almost everything. For my occasional glass of wine I actually put the glass on my food scale, press Tare, and pour out 4 ounces of delicious wonderment. One of my goals for 2012 is to be more diligent about weighing and measuring so I can accurately track calories in.
ReplyDeleteI also use a scale and cups. I also am working on self judgment... i.e. being aware when I'm full or satisfied... very hard to teach myself that after 27 years of eating like a piggy pig.
ReplyDeleteI weigh everything out with my scale or measuring cups, I portion all my foods out. I actually plan, prep and weigh out all my breakfast & lunches on Sundays for the week and then do a menu plan of our dinners. If I don't weigh out & portion my food I will over eat, I can't trust me own judgement still! Oh well if this is what its going to take to keep the weight off and keep me accountable so be it!
ReplyDeleteI learned in my pre-op classes to measure and use small utensils as well as plates and bowels whatever. I use baby spoons and forks to this day, and I carry them with me! I have never gone back to eating with regular utensils, in fact I cannot even imagine it anymore.
ReplyDeleteI measure my food because my plate size if the size of a toddler plate. I know that I have to have room left over on this place so I get a small serving of everything. It works very well for me.
I agree that it is not what you can or cannot eat, for each of us that is quite different. It is what we SHOULD be eating. I learned what was band healthy foods in my nutrition classes, and I know what I should eat sparingly or not at all!
I am one who chose the band so I would not have to forever give up sugar. I wanted to be able to eat small amounts if I so chose to. This is not about giving up, it is about making healthy choices 95% of the time in my opinion. When we can consistantly choose healthy over what may look or taste better, then we have won most of the battle with food.
I food scale it up with almost every meal!
ReplyDeleteI, like Kristin50, use toddler utensils at every meal...including at work! I also bought myself a set of plates and bowls that are small, the bowl itself only holds 1 cup of food. The plate is only slightly larger. I also bought a set of containers that I store food in that can only hold 1 cup. I was measuring everything at first, but now that I have the container and service items that are 'me' friendly, I'm not as worried about measuring, it does it for me. I weigh meat on a scale though, so I can track my protein.
ReplyDeleteI have this little square dish that holds one cup, I have one at work and one at home, I eat everything from it. I also have a set of Weight Watchers serving spoons, one is 1 cup the other is 1/2. I weigh snack things at home on a scale and at work I use the old postal scale. Good times!
ReplyDeleteMy band does not stop me from eating more than a cup. Even at the 2 cups i allow my self (depending on the food) I never feel full. I had to re adjust my band and loosen it because i got to the point where I couldn't eat soup! It's insane. When I eat only a cup (tried it for 3 days last week) I felt sick and neasiated all day And I found that 1 cup of food only kept me full for 2 - 3 hours so esentially i was eating 6 cups of food in a day any way because I was eating every three hours, it's insane. But I have 2 sets of measuring cups at my boyfriends (where I eat most) and so when serving my self i use the cups to scoop the food :) Although I have a problem with meat portions..and I can't find a digital scale i like.
ReplyDelete