Wanna know a secret?
I mean a real secret that can help you facilitate real change. Yes? Then keep reading.
For some reason we all think we need to finish what is on our plate or eat until we are “full”. Inevitably we end up feeling bloated and disgusting, which is the complete opposite feeling you should have after eating a meal.
Food is fuel for our bodies that is supposed to replenish and energize us. But in America we make two really big mistakes with our eating that takes mealtime from a pleasant experience to a death sentence. The first mistake is what we eat and the second mistake, which is what I want to address now, is how much we eat.
Portion sizes in the American diet are out of control. You've heard this before, it's not news to you. But what do we do about it? Nobody wants to “waste” food, or we feel like we are getting a better deal if we get a lot more food for our buck. Or we just keep eating because something tastes so good. Somewhere along the line we have become gluttons that no longer listen to our bodies while we eat. And trust me, our bodies are definitely trying to tell us something.
One of the biggest secrets to weight loss and a healthy life is eating until you are no longer hungry. Not until you are full. Not until your food is gone. You only eat until you are NO LONGER HUNGRY.
This is a hard concept for people to grasp. “How do I know when I am no longer hungry?” Well, how do you know when you’re hungry? We listen to our bodies then because they speak a little louder. Your body is still speaking to let you know it is no longer hungry, it just doesn’t talk as loud because we have learned how to tune it out for so long.
For the next 5 days, every time you eat stop and evaluate how you feel after the first four bites. Do you still actually feel hungry? Do you feel satisfied? Do you feel full? Depending on how you feel, decide if you will proceed with your meal or stop.
It is an interesting experiment to actually listen to your body while eating. If you do proceed to eat, chew slowly and evaluate after every bite how you feel. As soon as you no longer feel hungry, stop eating.
This is the one moment that will make or break you—one moment. If you can be strong enough in this ONE MOMENT to throw away/put away the rest of your food, you will win the battle. And if you can win the battles, you will win the war. Don’t think about how it tastes or if there is “just a little bit left”…the only thing you pay attention to is if you are still hungry.
It only takes one moment to decide…
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.
