I noticed something strange with me today.

I buy chicken breast halves. I normally like to dice them up into large chunks when I cook and toss em into a tortilla or on a salad etc.

Today I decided instead of cutting the breast into chunks I filleted (not sure of the spelling on that one) the breast into 2 thin cutlets. I found that after eating only one cutlet (half the size of what I normally eat) I was stuffed to the point where I didnt want to think about the other one.

I wonder if it has something to do with the visual of a cutlet appearing to be larger and in chunks you dont notice it as much because the pieces are so much smaller.

I think the visual helps a ton. Fo rme a large salad fills me up fat more then a small hamburger patty, even though the patty may have alot more fat and calories. I think that's one reason I never went for the mock danishes. It just seemed a very small amount of food for the calories and never filled me up. Having just 1 egg with some zucchini hashbrowns can though.

I've been finding the same thing - there's some foods that I'm "eating for the sake of eating" but when I try a smaller serving, it's just as satisfying. I especially find that with chicken ... small pieces in a salad go nowhere near as far as a chicken breast on its own.

Lately I've been using a smaller plate that I have - between the size of a dinner plate and a bread plate - and I find it helps me to figure out how much I'm actually hungry FOR. I think I hated seeing white sapce on my plate

Of course, that leads me to the realization, right just now, that WHY AM I DOING THAT???? I'm already having enough trouble getting my calories in. *sigh* Been doing better this week though!

Now that I've figured out that it takes so little food to keep me fueled, I don't know whether to do some "eating for the sake of eating" or to stay low cal.... dilemmas dilemmas...

Wynter

There was a story someone posted a link to about an experiment in which two people were given soup...one bowl was rigged with a tube that kept feeding more into it. This person ate MORE before reporting feeling full than the one who emptied theirs.

Visual cues are important. I tried the old trick of putting my food on a smaller plate. It actually WORKS.

I have noticed that if I fry a piece of meat,poultry or whatever that I am stuffed - eating the same amount that was baked,broiled,grilled etc. didn't keep me as full as frying! Strange although it could be the oil!

Zucchini hashbrowns? <blink>

Just shred em and fry em like spuds?

That sounds like it could be really good. I sort of miss hashbrowns. Well, my mouth does, at least. That and pizza.

-Bleue

I have made the zucchini hashbrowns - pretty good! And have made a crustless pizza - great! Imagination is all it takes and of course this forum with all their great recipes! Hashed-Brown Zucchini
Ingredients:
1/4 Cup butter
1 1/2 lb zucchini (coarsely shredded to make 4 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 clove fresh garlic - finely minced
2 eggs
6 Tbsp Parmesan cheese - freshly grated is best

Combine zucchini with salt in a medium-size bowl. Let stand for 15 minutes.
Squeeze with your hands to press out moisture.
Stir in eggs, cheese and garlic. Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter in a wide frying pan over
medium-high heat. Mound about 2 Tbsp of the zucchini mixture in pan;
flatten slightly to make a patty. Repeat until pan is filled,
but don't crowd patties in pan. Cook patties, turning once,
until golden on both sides (about 6 minutes).
Makes 8 Servings. Less than 3 carbs per serving.

Thanks for the idea about the zucchini! Yum..can't wait to try it.

My problem is not actually feeling and knowing that I'm full, but stopping upon that realization.

For me, most times, even when I'm full, I'll still want to eat more. I've tried using smaller plates, lesser servings, and more dainty dishes etc....but, eventually, I'll just get up for seconds.

I'm not really sure how to balance feeling full holding off the sheer enjoyment of eating for it's own sake.