Food Denial

[BlueLineBabe]

I know that I'm in denial when it comes to food: portions, choices, etc. I think things like "I'm starving, I haven't eaten all day" (and then I'll slop a ton of pasta and sauce into a bowl), or "one little piece won't hurt" (and then I'll shove 2 or 3 fun-size Snickers down my gullet).

How can I stop being in denial? Because I know that all the exercise in the world won't work when it's up against lumberjack-sized portions and greasy, sugary, crappy foods. Sometimes I think I'm afraid of being hungry, which is ridiculous. The human body was designed to get hungry every 3-5 hours and I live in an industrialized country. There's chow everywhere. Any advice? Tips?

Also, what would be considered 1 serving of leafy greens? A cup? 2 cups? An entire flippin' head of lettuce?

[daisy_s]

Anne, it is ok, I know how you feel. I was also afraid to get hungry - I had to have my food available at any time. If I miss a meal by even 5 mins I get extremely nervous But I started with small steps. Have you seen the Schwerzbein Principle thread? It is full of great info. I found it my turning point so to say - in a few words it says that you have to balance proteins, carbs and fats in every meal you put into your mouth and you have to eat every few hours. It was difficult in the beginning but then everything came to its place. Good fats don't allow your insulin to raise to high and thus mean you are not that ravenously hungry, especially for sweets. Believe it or not but I could control my sweet cravings. Several months later I was able to lower my portions significantly and cut the most of my carbs and deserts. remember - small steps lead to bigger results than overwhelming fashin diets. Then I heard about a book called Shrink yourself (you can check the reviews in Amazon) about emotionally driven eating and I got it. Still haven't finished it but it gives a good point of why we eat when not hungry.
Then about denial - oh, i know so well again. Maybe you can try the emotionally freedom technique (EFT) http://www.garythink.com/eft/ and read the tutorial. It helps me a lot with similar issues - I personally stopped craving donuts I used to buy donats just because I can;t stand seeing them and not get one. It is very easy technique but you have to do it.
Lettuce - it depends on what you put with it but I'd say it is so good to eat it and it is less in calories that it is better to have more lettuce (to fill the space even than more bread. I love leafy greens with tomatoes and feta cheese salads. It is nutritious, made of great source of proteins and fibers. Goes well with almost everything. Having a salad means you are eating less junk.
let me know if you need some more help on this.

[Kate L]

I hesitate to reference the FDA for dietary guidelines, but you may find this helpful for determining you veggie needs each day. I would make at least 1/2 cup of veggies leafy greens--just make sure to eat a variety of greens so you don't develop a mineral imbalance.

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-gr...unt_table.html