portion control update

So, I think that I've been doing pretty well with my portion control attempt. There are times when I have trouble, but I guess that's to be expected.

Some successes:

1. I have twice gotten Chipotle since starting the portion control, and put half away in the fridge at work for the next day. I only eat half for lunch and am not hungry afterward. Yay!

2. Ben and I went to a buffet last week and I thought about a tip I had read about using smaller plates. I searched all over the place for a smaller plate and while I know they had some, because they had pieces of pie out on the smaller plates, they were not out for general use. Rather than shrugging my shoulders and giving up, I decided if I couldn't use a smaller plate, I would use half of a regular plate. I had three half-plates and was satisfied. Usually I have three full-plates, so I cut what I ate by 50%.

3. I have been using ziploc baggies and counting my cherries/chips/crackers into 1-2 servings worth for snacking rather than eating out of the bag. I think it has helped with how much I snack upon. I know the bag of "Hint of Lime" chips usually doesn't last very long, and it's still got a lot of chips left in it after almost 2 weeks.

4. I only had two bowls of pasta last night. I know that sounds like a lot, and maybe it is, but I had made too much pasta. I had enough for three bowls and usually if I overcook by that much, I suck it up and eat the last of it because I don't want food to go to waste. However, I did not eat the last bowl of pasta. While I'm disappointed that food was wasted, I am more proud of the fact that I did not eat food that I was not hungry for or did not need.

5. I have been trying to wait at least 15 minutes before getting seconds. Sometimes I am more successful than others, but I think that it's good to try to get into the habit of waiting in between.

6. I have been trying to chew my food better as well. I have been counting how many times I'm chewing on food and trying to extend that by 5-10 chews.

I have not seen a change in weight yet, but I feel better about myself and my ability to control myself and my portion sizes.