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On Diets, Portions, and Bento
Jun. 23rd, 2007 12:30 pmThis is another one of those weekends where I'm totally behind on where I thought I'd be - let me put it this way, I'm only now checking mail and LJ, and by the time I've done so, all the Brits are going to be in squeeful meltdown.
I've been to Ikea for the first time in a year and a half (long-time readers will remember the Saga of The Wardrobe: the icing on the cake of how long, expensive, and angstful it was to get my hands on my version was seeing the discontinued floor model - intact and still in good shape - in the "As is" department for 1/4 of what I paid. *sigh*)
But what I want to talk about is food. The one time I really lost weight and kept it off, I did three things:
1) Walked 2 or 3 miles a day
2) Never denied myself the chance to eat anything but did eat by these rules:
- protein every meal, but meat once a day
- red meat once a week (ham didn't quite count)
- chocolate once a day and hopefully once every other day
3) Followed fairly strict portioning
The great thing about the bentos I bought (linked because I love them) is that they work naturally into portioning - without thinking about it. It's not "oh, I'm only allowed to eat x amount of stuff, so I'll measure it out;" I just fill the container. No trauma. No angst. No thought, really, just fill the container and you're done. And by the time you've eaten through all the containers, you're completely full... even if the largest ones were veg and fruit.
So why did I start talking about Ikea and segue into food? Because Ikea is selling a dish with a low bowl and wide brim - perfect for, say, spaghetti with a slice of garlic bread balanced on the edge - and it turns out that the dish holds 1.5 cups of material. Closer to 1.25 if you don't fill it right up to the brim. So now I'm seriously considering going back and getting more to replace some of the dishes in my cabinet. Because pairing those up with one of my 8 oz coffee cups is once again perfect portion control without thought. And by thinking in terms of "I'll fill x with this and y with that" I'm once again thinking in terms of a variety of food rather than "eh, I'm bored, I can make ham and cheese or chicken and rice. Again."
Dieting without effort. Now that's sweet!
I've been to Ikea for the first time in a year and a half (long-time readers will remember the Saga of The Wardrobe: the icing on the cake of how long, expensive, and angstful it was to get my hands on my version was seeing the discontinued floor model - intact and still in good shape - in the "As is" department for 1/4 of what I paid. *sigh*)
But what I want to talk about is food. The one time I really lost weight and kept it off, I did three things:
1) Walked 2 or 3 miles a day
2) Never denied myself the chance to eat anything but did eat by these rules:
- protein every meal, but meat once a day
- red meat once a week (ham didn't quite count)
- chocolate once a day and hopefully once every other day
3) Followed fairly strict portioning
The great thing about the bentos I bought (linked because I love them) is that they work naturally into portioning - without thinking about it. It's not "oh, I'm only allowed to eat x amount of stuff, so I'll measure it out;" I just fill the container. No trauma. No angst. No thought, really, just fill the container and you're done. And by the time you've eaten through all the containers, you're completely full... even if the largest ones were veg and fruit.
So why did I start talking about Ikea and segue into food? Because Ikea is selling a dish with a low bowl and wide brim - perfect for, say, spaghetti with a slice of garlic bread balanced on the edge - and it turns out that the dish holds 1.5 cups of material. Closer to 1.25 if you don't fill it right up to the brim. So now I'm seriously considering going back and getting more to replace some of the dishes in my cabinet. Because pairing those up with one of my 8 oz coffee cups is once again perfect portion control without thought. And by thinking in terms of "I'll fill x with this and y with that" I'm once again thinking in terms of a variety of food rather than "eh, I'm bored, I can make ham and cheese or chicken and rice. Again."
Dieting without effort. Now that's sweet!
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