Mindful Eating vs. Portion Control

When I eat foods I've previously eaten, I know about how much I need to feel satisfied. So I can serve myself a comfortable, personal sized portion and not worry too much about overeating. For example, I know a bowl of hot cereal (1/4 cup dry), prepared with hazelnut milk (1 cup), almond butter (1 Tablespoon) and chopped pear (1/2 pear) will satisfy me without making me feel overly full. I can still leave a bite of that and feel satisfied.

However when I eat something new or foods I don't usually have, I really can't predict how much I need to satisfy my body. If I guess and then eat everything on my plate, I can feel uncomfortable full. Rather than relying on a known portion, I need to mindfully assess how my stomach feels as I eat. I need to be willing to stop eating before I finish what I served, even when I really enjoy the food. Nevertheless, familiar foods make 'portion control' seem much easier. If I felt satisfied by 1-1/2 cups of cereal yesterday, logically I should feel satisfied by the same amount today. However that logic ignores any physiological changes from yesterday to today.

I suspect 'portion control based on familiar foods is similar to diets which prescribe specific foods and specific portions. The diet promises weight loss, if the dieter eats the foods and portions described in the diet. If the only goal is weight loss, which is guaranteed by obeying the diet, the dieter doesn't need to consider whether she feels satisfied or overly full after eating the diet prescribed meal. Of course, when the dieter encounters foods not on the diet, she may not know how much to eat. She may even believe she's 'off the diet' and can ignore portion size altogether.

After eating unfamiliar foods for breakfast this morning and feeling torn between stopping when I felt satisfied and continuing to enjoy the food, I realized how much I rely on 'portion control' (or how much I know will satisfy me) from familiar or frequently eaten foods. Eating the same foods all the time, even when I eat those mindfully, is similar to eating a diet with prescribed foods and portions. I don't think about satisfaction or fullness. I just rely on past experiences with eating those foods.

However mindful eating requires that I pay attention to how my stomach feels even while eating foods which I've previously eaten and observed how much is necessary to satisfy me. Geneen Roth (in 'Breaking Free ...") says "Satisfaction is relative to your moods, your emotional needs, your physiological well being. What satisfies you one day may not be enough the next day." I will need more the next day after a day of eating very little. I may want more or different food when I feel tired or sleep deprived. I like different foods in cold weather than I like in hot weather. I don't like to eat the same foods day after day or meal after meal. So I need variety to feel satisfied.

I try, but can't always predict what or how much food I will need from meal to meal. Maybe because I don't want to 'waste' food or maybe admit that I guessed wrong or served myself too much, I often just eat what I served myself, despite my stomach cues about 'enough'. Then I rationalize that I'm thin and don't need to worry about overeating a little, when I feel uncomfortably full. The reality is that I DON'T know how much food I will need until I reach physiological satisfaction. I can't always serve myself a portion that exactly matches my body's needs, any more than I can predict today what food I will want a month from now. I can only rely on my physical sensations as I eat to tell me 'enough'.

Trying to control how much I eat by serving myself a familiar sized portion of a familiar food is like relying on a prescribed diet, a one size fits all scheme for eating. Just as diets don't adequately meet everyone's needs, familiarity with foods and previous portion sizes don't always match my body's needs. I need to approach each meal and each food as a first time experience. Only my body knows ... If I ignore my body cues about satisfaction or 'enoughness', I ignore the only accurate information I have.