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Portions

Prime Rib from Fleming's In case you noticed the picture of a steak from my post on eating well, that was a prime rib I purchased at Fleming's, a pretty nice steak place.  In my opinion it's nicer than Morton's, but not as good as Ruth's Chris.  Essentially it's expensive steak, and you pay for the sides.

I decided to have the special that night, the 22 ounce prime rib.  To put that into perspective, there's 16 ounces in a pound.  In more perspective, a big hamburger is 1/3 to 1/2 of a pound, 8 ounces.  So, if the picture doesn't really convey, this thing was as big as my forearm. . .

And it was delicious.

The reason I mention all of that is to talk about portions.  A few years ago I went on a mission trip to Montana, and came back recognizing just how much I eat each meal.  I go away from dinner full, having eaten two or three helpings.  I mainly did that because I like the flavor so much I didn't want to stop.  So, I tried an experiment (as they say in Sesame Street).

SSPX0026 I used to eat until I was full.  I then decided to eat until I'm not hungry any more.  It's a big distinction.  I found out I was eating almost nothing, enjoying it more than I had before, and having left overs for another night.  The problems with this though is that steak can't easily be saved for the next day (microwaved steak just isn't that good), so I feel I need to eat everything or waste it.

Over about 4 months I lost 20 pounds, and I felt darned good.  I was a little more hungry between meals (instead of not being hungry even when the next meal came up).  I just appreciated eating so much more.

Over the past 6 months I've slipped back into eating my fill, and then some.  Not surprisingly, I've also gained back almost all of that 20 pounds, I haven't been hungry when the next meal starts, and it's been harder to really enjoy eating.

Then I went on an all day fishing trip.  We didn't eat from 8 p.m. Sunday night until 6 p.m. Monday afternoon.  I drank maybe 1/4 of my bottle of water.  While I was hungry by the end there, I realized just how little food I actually need in a day.

I heard recently that you're supposed to eat, at most, the size of a steak that is smaller than your fist.  I've been cutting back on my portions again, and already food is tasting better.  If you're thinking about it, I'm all for going through it with you.  Let's stop wasting so much food on our big bellies.

Peace,
+Tom

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Anonymous said…
When I was doing weight watchers, it's all about portion control. Eat a piece of chicken the size of your palm, or just a small spoonful of mashed potatoes. WHAT?!?

But, after eating that way for about a week or so, you get into it. And those portions actually are enough to fill you up.

I've also heard, to eat on side plates - they are smaller than regular plates, and you can fill them up with food - what you do with a normal plate- but still be eating less.

I'll be filling my regular size plate today - since it is Thanksgiving- but I do think of portion size a lot. It's an easy thing to do to help you lose weight.

I'm not the biggest fan of Ruth Chris. Been there a couple times. I like cheaper Outback Steak jsut as well. Or my own steak on the grill.
November 22, 2007 at 9:38:00 AM EST
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