Learning to Eat Less

I'm not a diet guru, or a doctor, or anyone of importance really. I have, however fought the seemingly never ending battle of the bulge. I tried many different diets through the years, and I believe I finally found something that works for me, that I can live with for the rest of my life. It may work for you, it may not. But if you are willing to try it, you might be surprised at how easily excess weight can be gone from your life forever.

We, as Americans, are so addicted to food. We eat often, we eat large, and if we happen to miss a meal we feel panicked and afraid, as if our bodies are going to give out the moment we don't eat. If we feel the slightest hunger pang, we feel we must instantly find something to satiate ourselves. Comfort ourselves. Feed ourselves.

We are trained early that we must eat three meals a day and add in a few snacks!  Are we still in grade school? Are our bodies still growing? As adults, we may still be growing in an outwardly direction, but I think our height progression has probably been attained! We don't need to eat to allow for growth, as we do when we were children.

As I've experimented with eating less I now believe we just eat way too MUCH food. We don't actually listen to our bodies anymore. If the clock says we must eat, then we do, whether we are actually hungry or not. If we're bored, we eat. If we're stressed we eat. We start out with a nice large breakfast, proceed to a substantial lunch to get us through to an even bigger last meal of the day! And don't forget that Snickers Bar we must have around 3 o'clock to give us energy! No wonder we are so fat!

Then we try to compensate for our excess eating by excess exercising, or by going on a restrictive diet with many rules that we can't possibly hope to maintain for a lifetime. Diets don't work because they are so complicated and unrealistic! Don't eat carbs, don't eat fats, don't eat sweets, only eat vegetables, measure this, drink that.. it's unending! There are so many diets and so many rules we begin to feel hopeless that we can ever master the vicious cycle of food and weight gain.Many diets tell you to eat 6 times a day and NEVER let your body feel hungry!  Does this even make sense? How is your body ever going to burn excess fat if you never let it? Diets don't make sense and take all the fun out of eating.

I remember feeling that I couldn't make the scale budge even one pound.. I was stuck... I was just going to have to accept being bigger and bigger every year.

Then I tried eating less. Plain and simple. No gimmicks, no diet wonder drug, no complex plan. Just eat less.

Now learning to eat less takes some time. We are so used to eating all the time, that eating less often is a new concept and not one we readily embrace. But the freedom you feel once you do is amazing. It is so simple. It's not hard. Whether by Intermittent fasting, or just cutting portion sizes, it doesn't matter. The goal it to decrease your total calorie intake in some way. Weight loss is the end result. Easily. Granted some days are easier than others, but keep the end goal in mind. I find it much easier than killing myself with exercise or following a strict diet regime.

Skipping meals here and there actually WON'T kill you. Allowing your body to actually FEEL hungry once in awhile not only re-tunes you to your body's cues but helps your body re-tune itself. In fact, if you look up Intermittent Fasting on the Internet you will find that science backs it up as a way to improve your overall health and add years to your life. I lost weight without ever counting calories and never measuring my food. I ate what I would normally eat, just less of it. Or I skipped a meal once in awhile. If I overate over the weekend, I fasted on Monday. If I knew I was going to eat a large dinner on Friday night, I ate lightly  or fasted during the day.Yes, I walked and moved my body. I continued to exercise because I LIKED to. Not because I HAD to.

Another way to eat less, is to quit eating just BEFORE you reach 100% fullness. This is a popular concept in Asian cultures, and it works for us here too. If you can't judge when you are ALMOST full, then just limit yourself to one serving. You are still eating the foods you love, just not a lot of it. Drink lots of water and when you are finished eating, get up and leave the table. Go for a walk. Get away from the temptation. Eventually you will find that food doesn't tempt you the way it used to. Food won't control you anymore.

It's just food. It's all food. Some food is certainly better for you, but it's all just food. Why let it dominate you? Once you break the cycle of continuous feeding, you will find a freedom in not HAVING to eat! Your body was designed to be very efficient and to burn fat when needed to provide the energy it needs. Doesn't it seem weird to keep putting gas in an engine that is overflowing already from too much fuel? If our bodies could talk to us, they would probably beg us to quit making it store so much excess fuel, increasing our risk of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure. Our bodies were made to use the fuel we store, not become a fuel reservoir. We are only damaging our bodies when we insist on packing in so much more than we need. You may think I never eat, but that's not true.  I eat everyday. Most days I eat several times, small meals with one larger meal in the evening with the family. Some days I skip breakfast and lunch and just eat dinner. I listen to my body's cues. Is is crying out for food? Is it not really hungry at all? Many times I may not eat breakfast until 11am or later. Sometimes I eat by 9am. Or maybe I'll wait until 2pm? I have no set rule, no set schedule. I listen to my body.

I don't rush to feed it the moment hunger hits. Sometimes I'll have a drink, something hot or my favorite iced beverage, and wait a few minutes, then see if I'm still hungry. When you are fasting, this is a great way to get through the day. Drink lots of water and enjoy your favorite calorie free beverages. Once you wrap your mind around the concept, it is much easier. You CAN do this, and actually come to enjoy it.

My light meals might not look like meals to some. I may have two scoops of crunchy peanut butter and an apple for lunch. Or half a sandwich and a few chips or a half glass of milk. Or maybe I just need a few animal crackers or a granola bar. You will be surprised at how little you really need to feel full, if you will just listen to your body. I eat small during the day, followed by a good meal in the evening. I do allow myself to eat larger meals on occasion, such as on holidays, weekends or celebrations. I eat cookies and ice cream just about every weekend. I don't worry about it because I know I'll eat small or fast during the week. You can eat more if you are maintaining, eat less if you want to lose. The healthier you eat, the faster the weight will come off, but never give up indulgences completely. What is life without cookies and ice cream? Or my favorite, peanut butter? Sometimes ice cream IS my lunch on the weekend, and my stomach and my sweet tooth are both completely satisfied.

If you have struggled with weight, I would recommend you try it, given that your doctor approves and you don't have any conflicting health issues. Find what works for you. Most people can do some form of eating less. Eating less leads to LESS weight for you!

One word of caution for women, please get enough calcium, Vitamin D and green leafy vegetables in your diet to protect your bone health. This along with some weight resistance exercises will help keep your bones dense.