Weight Loss and Serving Style

[The Foxx]

Oops - didn't realize you couldn't choose more than one. Please put in your comments (if you are comfortable) if you are overweight/underweight/just right.

Thanks!

[The Foxx]

I consider myself to be overweight.

[npl]

We do a mix of different things. If we are all eating together at the dining table, all the food gets put on the table, and dh or I serve the kids and ourselves. Everyone is welcome to seconds, but we try to guide the kids towards a healthy balance.
If we are doing a quick meal in the kitchen, usually because we are eating in shifts, and it's something in a big pot, then I serve from the stove and everyone gets a plate. Often, their are additions on the table (grated cheese, salad, etc) that they help themselves to. So, I control the portion size of the main dish, but everyone is welcome to seconds if there's food available.
Most family members are at a healthy weight although we have two who are overweight, and I think it's a combination of portion control and food choices when snacking. I think some members of the family have faster metabolisms, too.

[elisheva]

Oops. I voted family style and overweight.

[Zephyr]

We serve family style. We are all thin. The kids and dh are all very athletic. I try to make it to my dance class once a week...

I *HATE* plating with a passion. I was raised to eat everything on my plate, even if I don't like it. If I put it there, I can control portions and what I choose to eat to begin with. If someone else put it there, it's just awful because I am conditioned to eat it, and don't want to, and end up resentful and in a catch-22.

Even if I wasn't raised to eat everything on my plate, leaving food over is wasteful. How can someone else know how much of what I need to eat?

And when someone else plates, the food ends up *touching*. </shudder>

Really, from my pov, there's nothing good about plating. (You do what works for you, of course!!).

[The Foxx]

Zeph, thanks for posting - what an interesting POV. I can see where that would be problematic, especially in a large family.

No one in our house has issues with food touching (we are a mixing kinda group) and I always check in with DH about his portion sizes. Dylan... well, we don't portion out his food as strictly as our own. We'll give him what we think will fill him and let him have at it. If he wants seconds, he's welcome to them. If he doesn't want to finish, that's okay too as long as he's had some dinner.

[gilima]

We do family style. Even when we have a quick on the run or one pot style meal served from the kitchen, I put plates and utensils and everyone t=serves themselves Some dishes that are really hot from the pot someone older will serve the younger ones who need according to what they ask for.
Sometimes I serve a dish at the table and everyone will tell me which part and how much of everything.
My kids are also involved in preparing some of the foods, discussing some of the "menu" options, help grow some of our foods, help with buying the foods ( we homeschool so they are quite involved) they also set & take off the table and like to season salads etc;
We usually put salads on the table first and then bring the hot meal.
None of us are overweight, although some might say they could lose a little
Some of my kids are skinny and they are all pretty physically active.

[COCONUT]

Oops--I only voted for one.

We bring all the food out onto the table and we are all normal and some of us are at the very lower end of normal (but not underweight, B"H).