How I Lost 80 Lbs

This blog is a personal account of how I lost 80+ pounds and how I keep the weight off today. If you're trying to find out how to lose weight or looking for tips on eating healthy, exercise, burning fat, and other weight loss factors, you've come to the right place!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Smaller plates make you eat less?

I was just playing around with my Google home page and found a gadget that gave a weight loss tip of the day. The tip today was:
"Buy smaller plates. It will make you eat less without feeling deprived."
Hmm, sounds great and all, but there's a few things wrong with this:

  1. Most of us are not fat because of what we eat at home. Fast food restaurants don't give us plates and if a sit-down restaurant gave us a small plate or even a small portion on a big plate, we would feel ripped off and not full. More likely than not, this would cause us to end up at McDonald's on our way home from the restaurant.
  2. We don't over-eat because we portion things out onto plates or into bowls. We eat our chips from the bag and ice cream right out of the carton until we can't eat no more. If we portioned it out in the first place, we would probably end up on the couch with an empty bowl, too lazy to get up and get more. By the time we felt like getting up, our stomach would be settled and we would be full.
  3. I don't know about where you eat, but most buffets (if you notice) give you small plates. Well humans adapt- I know I've adapted to be able to carry at least two of those plates and a drink (or two) back to my table in one trip. It's even easier to carry more than one plate from your kitchen counter to the kitchen table that's 3 feet away.
I could probably go on, but I should stop. I don't mean for this to be a discouraging post, but some of these psychological weight loss techniques are pretty stupid. There are some that work - try standing in front of the mirror naked for some weight loss motivation - but if you purposely buy small plates to trick YOURSELF into eating less, I don't think you are going to fall for the trick.

Labels:

posted by MM @ 2:28 PM  

11 Comments:

  • At June 4, 2007 10:49 AM , Anonymous Some guy who found your site said...

    This post has been removed by a blog administrator.

     

  • At June 4, 2007 3:09 PM , Blogger MM said...

    I read through the article, but didn't read the whole thing because I didn't have a lot of time. I do agree that there is some psychology to it, but we can't fool ourselves into thinking we are eating more by using smaller plates is all I'm saying. We can use smaller portions to get us to stop eating at a certain point and use our head before we continue to eat. For example, if I had a package of oreos in front of me while I was watching TV, I might eat 5 or 6 of them and not stop until my stomach is hurting. With the 100 calorie bags, I get to the end of the bag and I have to actually think- should I get up and get another bag? No- I'm full, I don't need it. I don't know if that makes sense, but that's how that stuff works. I know I'm eating less, but the delay I experience when I finish the bag gives me a break to think about things and decide if I really need any more.

     

  • At June 6, 2007 9:05 AM , Anonymous JockTrainee190 said...

    I'd agree that if someone is trying to "trick" themselves, it isn't going to work, but your point is the real one, which is: anything that makes us conscious of how much we are eating goes in the right direction. I, too, love those new 100 calories package thingies (though unlike you, I never feel full at the end of one--lol). But I also use small dishes for the same reason at home--if I have to get up to get "seconds," I am forced to think, do I want/need more? Especially when it comes to calorie-dense treats--ice cream, nuts, etc.--small dishes have really helped me control the portion. But when it comes to salads and veggies and things that I can pretty much eat freely in large quantities, I actually use BIG dishes, which makes me feel like I'm having a lot. So the psychology of portion control is a very interesting topic. (BTW, congratulations on a great blog and some outstanding progress.)

     

  • At June 10, 2007 12:38 PM , Blogger MM said...

    Great comment! the psychology is really interesting. I think the key is to really find out what works for you. That was how I lost the weight. There's really no solution that applys to everyone.

    I had been working from home for awhile and gained a little weight because I was able to eat whatever I want. Now I'm back at work and if I only take a half hour lunch, I get off a half hour early. This gives me the motivation to eat Subway for lunch every day because it allows me to get off a half hour early.

    There are tons of little tricks to add to your tool box, but they don't all apply to everyone. Get the right combo and you're set!

     

  • At July 24, 2007 7:00 AM , Anonymous Lady Rose said...

    Another way to approach it is - big bowls or plates full of high density but low calorie good foods - that I think might be more effective - you are actually filling up your stomach and your eyes are seeing a lot of food (i.e. salad, steamed or roasted veggies)

     

  • At July 24, 2007 9:16 PM , Blogger MM said...

    I think that's an excellent one! Too bad there aren't many really really good foods that are low calorie and filling. There are some though. Chicken... rice, etc..

     

  • At September 27, 2007 5:10 AM , Blogger anon said...

    aw you should continue your blog!

     

  • At January 3, 2008 1:08 AM , Blogger Bob (The Traveller) said...

    Nice one. A smaller plate does work for some but really you have a good point. I always tell people that 2 things can make you gorge more junk. Your friends and family. When you socialize more, you eat more and you seldom eat at home. And what are the foods found out there? Here where I am, the conveniently found foods are always less than ideal. Think about it. Morning break with you next desk neighbor at work, lunch with your colleagues, snack with your client and the next client and the next, meeting over coffee with the boss and snacks again, an eat-out dinner invitations, leftover microwave dinner when you reach home etc. I wrote about "Tricking Your Way to Health" but its really about creativity in eating. Much like Lady Rose's excellent suggestion. I skipped the morning break and lunch with _____ (fill in the blank)and find that I eat more sensibly. Because I don't see the yummies the OTHER guy is eating and I get to choose a good place and table that is more remote to what other people are eating most of the time.

     

  • At January 14, 2008 10:37 AM , Blogger CoolBlueWaters said...

    Hi there. Arent you posting anymore? I do have a few questions, like how did you deal with loose skin?

     

  • At April 11, 2008 2:48 PM , Blogger Rani Dababneh said...

    Check out this fast funny way to lose weight here: lol
    http://rani-dababneh.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-to-lose-weight-fast-best-way-to.html

     

  • At June 16, 2009 4:14 AM , Anonymous weightloss said...

    Thanks for a good post. I totally agree with your post.To eat less and eat 5 meals instead of 3 meals helps us in weight loss and when we eat in a small plate as u said effect the rate of eating.

     

Post a Comment

<< Home