When Do You Stop Eating?

[TimB]

Sandy's challenge to the Jerk got me thinking about my own weight - up about 10 lbs the last 3 years since my elder daughter was born. I'd sure like to get rid of that extra baggage.

So, I've been thinking, and sort of trying to pay attention to what I eat, when I eat it, and how, among other things. This soul-searching has brought me to realize threehings about my eating habits.

1) I eat until I am full.
2) I always clean my plate, even if I am already full.
3) I eat when I am bored or stressed.

I think the first two behaviors have deep roots. My parents both grew up on what were essentially subsistence farms, growing just about everything they ate, and not wasting anything. I was brought up much the same - we NEVER left food on our plates. Not that I was forced always to clean my plate - but that whole 'Starving children in India' mentality was driven home.

So - what about the rest of you?

[OldDog]

Your supposed to stop?

[SGP]

no seconds.

[Hysbrian]

I think the first two behaviors have deep roots. My parents both grew up on what were essentially subsistence farms, growing just about everything they ate, and not wasting anything. I was brought up much the same - we NEVER left food on our plates. Not that I was forced always to clean my plate - but that whole 'Starving children in India' mentality was driven home.

So - what about the rest of you?

Try using smaller plates, and don't heap the food on.

[Serotta_Andrew]

When there is no more beer... who cares about the food!!!!!!!!

[Kevan]

that's why I gave up on breakfast.

[Tom]

1) I eat until I am full.
2) I always clean my plate, even if I am already full.
3) I eat when I am bored or stressed.



1, 2 and 3 quoted here. And then I get drunk.

[manet]

what ever's necessary to get to the sweet stuff

http://www.queencitypastry.com/images/traditional_cakes/german_chocolate_cake.jpg

[bluesea]

I eat to get myself to the next meal, taking into consideration the activity levels in between.

[Sandy]

Interesting question. For whatever reasons, I have an insatiable appetite. I never get full, and actually become hungier the more I eat, especially if the food tastes good. I can go to a buffet restaurant eat 3 or 4 salads, 5-6 chicken breasts, 3 or 4 portions each of cole slaw, string beans, carrots, cataloupe, honeydew melon, potatoes,....., and at the end simply stop because I know that I should, not because I am full. By the time I get home from the restaurant, I am starved, much hungrier than before I started to eat. Often after returning from a dinner like the above, I would get a bowl or two of cereal and banana or cottage cheese and banana because I felt absolutely famished.


STill STarving ST Serotta Sandy

[Richard]

Sandy,

I think that you should do a google search on the "Shangri-La Diet." Find a paper in Behavioral and Brain Science from 2004 published by a Dr. Roberts. It is, on part, about Robert's self experimentation on appetite and weight, and while not backed by blind studies, it does offer insights into the problem you describe. I have a similar appetite and have used some of the ideas in the article to great success. If I find the link myself, I will publish it.

[CNY rider]

Anyone remember that guy in the Monty Python movie? That's usually about when I stop.

[Richard]

These are two articles about the Shangi-La Diet. It sounds odd, but I played with taking 6 teaspoons of fructose in a small bike bottle (what is that about 24 or so ounces) between 3 and 4 oclock and my appetite for dinner was radically cut. Not that I didn't want it, but that I wanted less. Who knows, that amounted to about 125 calories or so (a little more than a coke) and I just lost 10 pounds in a month without really feeling restricted.


http://calorielab.com/news/2005/09/21/seth-roberts-shangri-la-diet-in-detail/

http://repositories.cdlib.org/postprints/117/

[Catulle]

How much you eat is not as much a problem as what you eat. You must eat, especially if you excercise a lot. Just make sure you stick to low glycemic carbohidrates (sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, wild rice instead of white rice, spinach pasta instead of regular pasta....). Lots of fish and chicken, lots of greens and fiber. And an hour to two hours of cardio within your pulse range. Loosing those ten punds is a piece of cake.

[flydhest]

what ever's necessary to get to the sweet stuff

usually some flowers and sweet talk.


that whole 'Starving children in India' mentality was driven home.
This is why I always finish the bottle of wine. There are sober children in India as well.

[Ozz]

Anyone remember that guy in the Monty Python movie? That's usually about when I stop.
Maitre d': Good evening sir and how are we today?
Mr. Creosote: Better.
Maitre d': Better?
Mr. Creosote: Better get a bucket. I'm gonna throw up. ;)

Waiter: It's just a wafer-thin mint...
Mr. Creosote: F**k off! I'm full!

[champlemon]

I have a problem... I'm an envious guy...

I don't envy the bikes... I've had Litespeed, a custom Waterford, etc, etc... I don't envy other men's cars, or even wives for that matter... I envy other people's metabolism...

Not only do I suffer from a slow pituitary gland (already taking synthroid), but I can put on weight like an offensive lineman in very little time.

And I eat... love to eat and especially eat when under stress... no hunger required...

Well now... I've reached the limit... After undergoing a change of lifestyles, leaving my previously stressful job, for one with almost no stress, the excuses are over. I've reached my heaviest weight ever... my knees are killing me, my ankles swollen, tying my shoes is a mission... I'm officially obese... 295 Lbs...

All through the ascent, I've been trying to exercise and eat correctly, but I've been unable to gather the necessary will power to go for more than 1 week before quitting. Since I reached a desperate point and I can't ride worth a damn... My last ride was a 23 miler, where I had to stop every 4-5 miles and get off the bike to rest my upper body, which couldn't carry my fat self.

My doctor recommended a radical, non-surgical solution. There is a doctor in town (Miami), who specializes in weight loss. The guy has been around for over 30 years. The gimmick of this diet is that you eat only one meal a day... dinner. 6oz of chicken, fish, lean meat and two vegetables. The rest of the day you eat these cookies, which supposedly have natural apetite suppresants. I'm on my 17th day of non-stop dieting and have not gone back for a weigh in because the holidays, I'm going tomorrow... But I have high hopes, because the clothes are starting to feel loose.

The downer about this diet is that you only eat a total of 800 calories, so that means no major exercise... Just walking is a major effort, which I try to do every day. Once I reach 195 Lbs, the doctor transitions the patient into a maintenance diet.

I'm so looking forward to losing the weight, so that I can start riding regularly again. I should also be able to stop taking most, if not all of the hypertension medication that I take, which is another downer.

Anyways... thanks for "listening". I'll report on the weight loss tomorrow.

[SGP]

Anyone remember that guy in the Monty Python movie? That's usually about when I stop.


one more waffer thin mint? :banana:

[Ginger]

There's an option that's not listed: When I've had an appropriate amount/portion, full or not.

I use small plates, portion control, and small snacks (veggies and small amount of protein/fat like cheese or hummus) through the day. Eat breakfast. One meal a day is a salad , any size I like. While it will have some small amount of protein, it's mostly veggies and romain. Dressing on the side, not on the salad (dip the fork before taking a bite, don't dip the salad). Lots of water. I avoid juices because they have calories that I don't "notice" but they are there.

A while ago I realized that while I survived an incident and am terribly happy to be alive, and while I have a diet restriction (celiac) doesn't mean I should eat things on a daily basis just because I think they're delicious...I stick with an appropriate amount. (Occasional big dinner aside) It is difficult, but I'm still loosing weight that way.

[72gmc]

I eat until I'm full. I am blessed and cursed with the metabolism of a chipmunk, so I have a hard time putting on weight... but I also have horrendous blood sugar crashes if I'm not careful. My wife knows when I'm about to bonk by the look on my face.

I'm not very smart about what I eat, but I'm determined to get smarter. I have followed the advice of this well-publicized Harvard proteins study for my snacking, and it has helped me.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/protein.html

[TimB]

Ginger - how do you define 'appropriate?' If you've eaten your appropriate amount, but are still hungry, do you eat more?

[lnomalley]

eat more protien more frequently. your body is hungry because it's not getting what it needs.

[OldDog]

Today my brother in law was taken to the hospital with a heart attack. As I write this he is under the knife getting a bypass, how many I do not know. He is 49 years old over weight and smokes.

Last August we lost a brother in law to a heart attack. He was 48. Overweight, smoked, drank and toked.

Two years ago another brother in law suffered a major heart attack and ended up with 3 by passes at 51. He eat well, non smoker, slim. Was/still is a walker.

Two other friends died from heart attacks in the past year, both in their 40's, both fit and non smokers.

What's my point? I dunno. I sit here scared poopless that at 48 my time may be up. I'm maybe 20 pounds overweight, but I ride, push weights, pretty much watch what I eat, never smoked. I always figured a bus would take me off my bike. Maybe it still will, God willing. When I'm 100.

I'm babbling. If you have a weight problem, see a nutritionist, cook and eat in the right amounts. Push the extras away and go ride your bike and stretch lots. Hug your loved ones. I'm gonna try extra hard to do all that.

Thanks for reading.

[e-RICHIE]

Today my brother in law was taken to the hospital with a heart attack. As I write this he is under the knife getting a bypass, how many I do not know. He is 49 years old over weight and smokes.

Last August we lost a brother in law to a heart attack. He was 48. Overweight, smoked, drank and toked.<cut>


Old Dog-issimo
our thoughts are with you and the family.
e-RICHIE

[Sandy]

You have witnessed a remarkable occurrence of the same type of illness. That many relatives and friends having such major problems with heart disease at such early ages seems to me to be atypical of most, especially relative to age. You must realize that none are directly related (your family side) to you and hence they don't influence your risk. Undoubtedly, their occurrences will make you much more aware of the risks and causes.

Worrying about the above will only cause you unneeded stress. I would suggest that you see a cardiologist and let him or her evaluate you. That would probably reduce your stress.

Our thoughts are with you, hoping for a successful outcome for your brother-in-law.


Sandy

[baselthedog]

Being into bikes (or other sports), I think we all naturally feel that we can actively influence our health, and of course we can, and do. However there is also chance, fate, God rolling the dice, whatever you call it. My wife's cousin was skiing three years ago when he died of a sudden heart attack at age 47. He was neither over-weight nor a super-athlete. Rather, he simply got up at 5am several times a week to run 5 miles, skiied often, didn't smoke. He had his own very successful company (it was the largest school supply co. in the US) but I doubt he was stressed out with work; in fact he was one of the most laid-back guys I'd ever met...

I myself have the metabolism of a snail, I'll gain weight just by chewing gum, and have to run at least 25 miles a week to stay at the same weight. But I've got 4 eating "tricks" for managing weight that tends to work for me (when I rustle up the discipline to practice them, that is):

1. Eat regularly, eat breakfast; it "sets up" the appetite properly at the beginning of the day and prevents me from becoming ravenous (that's when I overeat).

2. Eat dinner by 6pm. This does wonders, try it for two days and then get on the scale, you'd be surprised. Of course you'd want to do this for as long as you can. The hard part is eating earlier than most people.

3. Reduce sugars, especially fruit juice, as someone already pointed out.

4. Eat whatever you want during lunch (seriously), but eat healthy for dinner.

[Allez!]

drifting slightly OT.....
I am not a nutritionist, but would like to weigh in here……
I am concerned about a diet program that would leave you too weak to walk. If the weight is gained over a long period of time isn’t it reasonable to think it may take a while to lose it?
Great response, Ginger! Serve yourself smaller portions. Use smaller dishes (I use my daughter’s Winnie the Pooh bowl - about ½ the size of a normal cereal bowl.). Don’t eat out of a large bag or container. Drink a lot of water. Eat protein. Read labels – check calories, check saturated fat content, look for protein. I read somewhere that your body takes roughly 45 minutes after eating to feel satiated. That means it’s easy to keep on eating after you’ve had enough. An interesting approach – on a scale of 1 to 10 – starving to stuffed, try to maintain a range of no less or more than 3 to 7, so don’t allow yourself to be either too hungry or full. (Water helps with respect to making you feel full, not to mention adequately hydrated, since you’ll also want to be exercising in the cardio zone and sweating off calories.) – Use heart rate monitor to make sure that you are in your target zone and maintaining it when working out. Ride your bike!
I lost roughly 20lbs last summer using the approach above and have maintained (within 5 lbs) that weight since. I hope this is helpful. I know it’s not very easy (hopefully it’s not that hard, though).
I am a volunteer EMT, so I have seen many health issues if not caused by weight, likely hastened. I wish anyone fighting this battle luck! This is one of the best things you can do for yourself. More power to ya!

[Allez!]

Olddog - Hope all turns out well with your brother in law. Sounds like you've you've got your head on straight with your priorities. Best wishes!

[Frankwurst]

Your supposed to stop?

Yeah when all the food is gone! :beer:

[Ginger]

OldDog
Strength to your family.

The advice here is wise. See a cardiologist. My family history isn't as deadly as yours, but it's bad enough to cause concern. I found you don't have to sit and wonder how much plaque you have in the vessels around your heart. I had a non-invasive calcium scoring done. It may not be perfect, but for 15 minutes and $300 (my insurance doesn't cover the test) I could rest easier than I did before. (Non-smoking cyclist score= 0 detectible buildup)

Take care,
Mary Ann

TimB,
We all know that the whole weight loss/maintenance thing has to do with calories in/calories out. So we all have a number of calories we should shoot for every day depending on what we're doing or trying to do. I track mine. I know about how much of whatever it is I'm eating that makes up an approximate number of calories. Sure, I'm not 100% correct due to variances in recipes and origin of the raw ingredients, but I'm close enough for a ball park figure. I think my celiac makes it easier because I fix more of my own foods and eat far less with hidden ingredients. I tend to eat my food "straight." I find that if I eat an appropriate amount, and wait a bit, I'm not "hungry" anymore...
I will say that battling that body "set point" (which I do believe in) is difficult, but I think you can change that number...but my body does fight it in a huge way.

[bluesea]

I don't have a problem with portions, but with eating right. I mean bagels need lots of real butter and lots of cream cheese right? Chicken is best fried, so is fish, baked potatos need butter and sour cream and so on and so forth.

[divve]

How much you eat is not as much a problem as what you eat. You must eat, especially if you excercise a lot. Just make sure you stick to low glycemic carbohidrates (sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, wild rice instead of white rice, spinach pasta instead of regular pasta....). Lots of fish and chicken, lots of greens and fiber. And an hour to two hours of cardio within your pulse range. Loosing those ten punds is a piece of cake.

I don't remember where the paper came from. It was posted on RBR a few years back. It basically stated that in absolute terms what you've written is likely to be correct. However, when you sensibly balance your high glycemic foods out with vegetables, certain fruits, and other fibrous stuff, you basically lower the G.I. of the complete meal as a whole....which makes sense to me as things get mixed up in there pretty good before they pass :)

[OldDog]

Thanks all for for your kind thoughts and well wishes. The Serotta family here on the forum is very precious, this is one special place.

My B-I-L is doing well, two arteries 100% blocked, reopened with stints. I did not think they did that with such clogged arteries, but in his case yes. I hear from his wife he says he is will quiting smoking. I hope so.

For me, and back to the thread, (sorry Ozz), I have 20# to lose. I will pay closer attention to my portions and the rest should fall into place. Off to the rollers then a short jog 'round the neibhorhood....

Thanks again - OD

[champlemon]

I'll report on the weight loss tomorrow.

Yes... I've lost 17 Lbs so far... all the sacrifice has been worthwhile.

Also, i've been reading the recommendations... and I thank everyone, a lot of good advice.

I lost over 60 Lbs over 8 years ago and kept it off for 2+ years... With the help of a personal trainer/dietician. He took me to the supermarket and showed me how to read labels, to write down what I ate, to eat every three hours and exercise 3-5 a week. So... I knew what I had to do and I had started many Mondays... only to crack before the weekend was up...

This time... it's 100 Lbs... (83 now!) so I needed more radical help... although now when I go to the supermarket... I'm already planning my maintenance... reading labels and thinking of the life changing decisions that I have to make...

I'm also looking forward to shedding some of these hypertension medications... though I realize that they protect me from heart attacks.

OldDog... good to hear that your B-I-L is doing better... sometimes as human beings we need to be shocked into changing... As I get older I try to draw the positive out of everything that happens in life, even the negative... Maybe your brother in law is "lucky" to have received a "warning", where he can make life changes, rather than just pass away of a massive heart attack, without any warning.

So... 83 Lbs. to go and counting... Already planning rides for Spring and Summer! :)