Wednesday, January 18, 2012

In with the NEW: Post 2

Reset your tummy timer!

Your old tummy timer did not tell you in advance that it was getting full. Your eyes did all the talking and your numb tummy took everything you fed it, and then ached after what could have been a wonderful meal. What good is a wonderful meal when you feel terrible later? I'm all about enjoying the food, but only if you can enjoy the after.

Instead, start listening to the tummy timer to tell you when you are finished with your meal. Here's how.

1. Start using a smaller plate. Pull out the salad plates rather than platters.
2. Put small portions on your plate. Don't pile anything unless it is a vegetable. Pile the veggies as high as you like, so long as they are not fried or slathered in butter or cheese.
3. Eat slowly with NO SCREEN TIME, and enjoy your food.
4. When you start to feel satisfied, stop eating. Move your plate away from yourself.
5. Set a timer for 20 minutes.
6. If after 20 minutes, you find you need some more food, finish what you are comfortable with and then set the timer again.
7. Continue the cycle until you feel comfortable at the end of the 20 minutes. Not Busting. Not uncomfortable. Just done and comfortable.

This takes a little practice, but after a few tries, you should know your body signals of being 80% full. Then, you can stop using the timer for a while.

As you start to lose the need to stuff your stomach, your stomach will shrink. You may not require as much food to feel 80% full. Go back to the timer exercise and see if you need to reduce portions at this time. Though your portions get smaller, never cut out an entire macronutrient (carb, fat, or protein). Balance your plate with healthy carbohydrates, like whole grains and vegetables, healthy fats, like fish or nuts (or cook with olive oil), and lean protein, like white meat poultry or soy products.

We'll talk more specs later. Let this be a temporary guide for realistic eating.

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