Portion control

[Starter]

I'm on day 5 and I'm trying to follow the portion template, but I feel like I could be eating too much. It's hard to gauge without counting calories or macros. I don't want to come out of this larger than I already am. Since I'm breastfeeding I am listening to my body, and I eat the 3 large meals, but if I'm hungry between I'll have a banana/apple with nut butter, or some berries with nuts. It's the large meals I'm concerned about. Maybe I'm just not used to eating this much, even though it's good nutrient-dense food. I see my full plate or bowl and feel digusted to eat so much. 

[ShannonM816]

Hi! This is a common fear. And the truth is, we cannot guarantee that you may not gain a little weight, especially if you've been intentionally restricting calories before. However, for most people who do have weight to lose, that doesn't last the whole time. One reason you should definitely follow the rule about staying off the scale for 30 days is that your weight may fluctuate day to day, and that's ok. People tend to think they need to lose or maintain weight to get healthy, but we're asking that you look at it the other way around -- work on getting healthy, and your weight will end up where it needs to be.

I would also point out that while the volume of food may look larger than you're used to, it's probably not that much more calorie wise, and depending on how you ate before, could be less calories, at least in some meals. While we don't want you counting calories at every meal, maybe do some comparisons so you get a sense of this. For instance, if before you would've had a half cup of brown rice, that's about 100 calories, while a whole cup of cauliflower rice is 25. 

As someone who is breastfeeding, you actually need more food than an average adult, because you're not just feeding yourself, but your little one, especially if they're solely nursing with no other food.

What I would recommend is continuing to eat meals that match the meal template, and if you're hungry between meals, instead of fruit, try to have a mini meal with some protein, fat, and veggies. Maybe a hard boiled egg, carrots, and ranch or mayo. Or avocado with leftover meat and some tomatoes.