Slow down, put your fork down, and step away from the table.
Yes the dinner table can be a dangerous place. There are so many different diets out there, and so much information that it is hard to know what is right or wrong to eat.
High protein- low carb, high fat,-low protein and carb, high carb-low fat, keto, Paleo, vegan, Atkins, vegetarian, pescetarian, the list goes on and one and on. And you know what? I am not going to tell you any of them are wrong. Today I am going to give you one little thing to try and see if it makes a difference.
DO NOT CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY EATING! Yes you read that right, do not change it.
I want you to go on with eating what you normally eat, don’t sub something for something else, don’t drop anything off, don’t add in a dose of apple cider vinegar. Nope, leave the foods you eat just they way they are.
I want you to do this though. Set an alarm. Yep, just that. First up you will set that alarm at 10 mins from the time you start eating. Your goal is to still have food on your plate when that alarm goes off. At first it may be tough, we have had members and clients alike tell us they were finished long before that alarm went off. And that is OK, this is your first attempt at something new, after all, how many times are you a success at something the first time you tried it??
So over the course of a week shoot for that 10 min plus mark, and then for the next week we are going to set that alarm at 15mins.
When we eat it can take up to 20 mins for the hormonal release from food hitting the stomach to to trigger the brain that you have had enough. It is why sometimes if you eat in a hurry you can feel like you could have ‘just one more’ of whatever it is, and then a little while later you are sitting there undoing the button on your jeans.
So what we are aiming to do is slow down while eating. Actually sit down to eat and put your fork down between mouthfuls. Don’t pick up your phone or read or anything, just eat, talk with your family and friends, but you are there to eat. Be present and notice how you are feeling throughout. Are you feeling full earlier? Do you think you need more?
So try it this week, slow it down, and see if you can do it for a few weeks. Now if you are getting to 15-20 mins and there is still food left and you aren’t feeling like eating it, great! Pop it in the fridge for later. It will still be there.
Now once you have tried this for a few weeks you may notice your portion size is actually smaller than you previously thought. And that is fine. Another potential benefit is that you may have lost a little weight and gone in a belt loop. I can tell you that we have had plenty of members and clients report back to us when we introduce this habit that they don’t feel as bloated or lethargic after eating once they slow down, and that is probably in itself enough reason to take on this little nutritional tweak.