I went to lunch with a friend once, right after high school, and I remember her saying to me, “Why do we pay to make ourselves sick?” She was referring to the fact that when we go out to eat we usually walk out of there in pain because we ate so much.
I have reflected on that statement ever since. It hit me pretty hard and I realized how ridiculous it was for us to do that. And I was guilty of it too! “But it tastes so good!” I would think to myself, and then as I was waddling out of the restaurant with a stomachache I would think, “Why did I do that? It was definitely not worth feeling this way.”
Eating because we are hungry or because our body needs nutrients are no longer the main reasons American’s eat. Many times (probably most of the time) we don’t even wait until we are hungry to eat. There is food in front of us, or it’s lunchtime, so we just eat.
Don’t.
If you are not hungry, there is no need for you to eat. Your body will let you know when it needs to be re-fueled. The “empty” light will go off and you will feel it. Allow yourself to feel hungry, but as soon as you do feel hungry, eat. You should never be on a diet where you feel like you are starving yourself.
If you have been trying to eat until you are no longer hungry, a good way to know if you are doing it correctly is if you are hungry again in 2-3 hours from the last time you ate. Then you can eat again until you are no longer hungry.
When you eat this way, every meal leaves you feeling light and energetic. You won’t feel like you need a nap after eating. You will be refreshed, re-energized and ready to get on with your day. You will have to pay close attention to how you are feeling. This is a new habit you are trying to establish, there is a learning curve in figuring out how to listen to your body.
Remember to eat slowly and evaluate while you are eating. Then use that one moment to make the right choice.
Overeating is never worth it.
Dixie Dixon is the founder of RaceDay Training, an online training community that provides daily workouts and community support to help you realize what you can acheive. She believes that we are all happier when we are active and healthy but understands that sometimes it's hard to know where to start or how to find the motivation. She has developed RaceDay Training for this very reason. To find out more visit her website at www.RaceDayTraining.com and sign up for your free 10 day trial today.
