I’ve said before that I don’t get hung up on portion sizes.
And the reason for that is when we largely eliminate processed foods, excess sugars and carbohydrates from our diets, our natural appetite system switches back on.
Plus counting, measuring, recording… that’s all hard work and boring and not something I want to do every day.
Here’s my tips for checking yourself before you wreck yourself.
Eat more real food.
It is way too easy (and common) to indulge these days and that is because we are eating unnatural foods or food products.
When we eat food as close to nature as possible, our bodies naturally respond with satisfaction. The more processed foods we throw in to the mix, the more we are diluting (or polluting) the messages we are sending our brain.
That doesn’t mean you should never eat maltesers. But have a good healthy meal beforehand and you are less likely to feel the need to inhale the whole bag.
‘Try to be good’, eat half a low fat meal or stick with a plain salad and you will be off to the shops to buy a second bag of maltesers before you know it.
Drink water.
Did you know that it’s possible to sometimes confuse the feeling of thirst with that of hunger?
Your stomach may actually be craving a big glass of water rather than a feast. Some studies have shown that drinking a glass or two of water before a meal can help reduce the amount of food eaten.
This is a simple tip but a great habit to get into.
Instead of willpower, try mindfulness.
Do this by shopping for fresh ingredients, creating your meal from scratch, sitting down at the table (and away from screens) and taking your time to enjoy your meal. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste and texture. Breathe. When you eat quickly you can easily overeat because it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full.
Don’t skimp on the veggies.
Make sure your plate is at least half vegetables or salad. Veggies are a great way to start any meal because they’re full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and health-promoting phytochemicals. But they also have some secret weapons: fibre and water. Fibre and water are known to help fill you up PLUS they improve gut and mental health by feeding the helpful bacteria, improving digestion and even increasing synthesis of our feel good hormones.
Get in the habit of thinking about how food will make you FEEL.
This can be super effective because it’s a short term effect appreciated soon after making your decision. Honestly this works for me because I really don’t like to feel stuffed, bloated, tired or bad about myself. Even in group situations when asked aren’t you having any dessert? How can you not! … There’s something strangely powerful about saying “I don’t want to feel like crap.”
Perhaps it’s because nobody can argue with that?
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Kelly Moriarty is an online health & nutrition coach and founder of The Green Body Plan.
After 5 years as a veterinarian Kelly was unhealthy, stressed out and generally dissatisfied.
She now helps professional women make the same changes she did to beat burn out, lose weight, recover their energy and take back control of their health naturally.
kellyannmoriarty.com 