I love food, I know you love food too. There should be no shame in the joy of taste, textures, and flavors. Having said that, our schedules and lifestyles and activity levels have been altered tremendously during this quarantine. You may find yourself walking to the fridge or pantry with more frequency than you have in the past. Maybe your intent is subconscious and you are trying to dull or quiet stress, or maybe you are just less active than normal because you are sitting down more home-schooling the kids. I do not need to tell you that you are more than your body, and if you find yourself a bit “fuller” during this time it is OK and all of our human bodies have seasons. That being said, you can still employ some habits and strategies that will improve how you FEEL about yourself, and eventually how you LOOK.
- Focus on the quality of what you put into mouth over deprivation or quantity. Avoid processed foods. Think chemicals! Focus on foods with one ingredient: itself. When you eat nutrient rich whole foods you supply your body with the nutrition that it craves, and you will want to eat less overall because your needs are satiated and your body is not crying out for proper fuel. Give yourself nutrient MINIMUMS instead of MAXIMUMS. As in: at each meal have a serving of protein and 2 cups of non-starchy vegetables or fruit, drink 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces of water a day, sprinkle in starch vegetables to fuel your activities and satiety. These MINIMUMS will keep your blood sugar stable, keep your body from confusing hunger with dehydration, and add volume and weight to your stomach to promote fullness longer.
- Know yourself and set your environment up accordingly. If you have a weakness for potato chips and cannot stop when you open a full bag, then buy the healthier avocado oil variety pre-portioned in small bags or portion it yourself. Set your environment up for success. Fill your fridge with cut veggies to snack on, fill bowls with fruit around the house, have a basic mindful idea of the meals you will be serving for dinner.
- Temporarily remove foods that sabotage your efforts, dull your intentions, or create cravings. Removing food types altogether can be the quickest way to create desire for them so be sure to reframe your mindset around the idea. Understand and focus on the facts that foods like alcohol, sugar, and processed foods can and will rob your energy, intentions, health, create cravings, change your mood, and dehydrate you. Once you string many days together of not being influenced by these health robbing foods you will tap into FEELING your best and removing sabotaging cravings. This will reset your efforts, motivation, cravings, health, and habits. Once you start to reintroduce these foods for enjoyment, variety, and social occasions have a plan in mind to be sure that you moderate your intake. Empower yourself with the knowledge of what negative feelings and actions these foods can elicit and the awareness will help you maneuver your choices going forward.
- Follow the queues that your body gives you once you have improved your intake and can trust what it tells you. When you cut or reduce the foods that will sabotage your efforts you will be able to trust what your body instinctually craves. For instance, after a long and demanding strength workout you may crave more starch and protein. You can trust that this is what your body needs and if you supply it with an abundance of those nutrients it will balance out over the remainder of the day/week. If it is a hot and humid day and you are craving lots of fruit your body may be trying to avoid dehydration. This works the opposite way too. If you do not honor the queuing your body provides you may end up overeating and disrupting the balance of your mind-body connection. Always provde your body with what it needs and never think that you logically know better or should cut meals in order to eat less overall. Ride the wave of your bodies queues and you will find yourself well on your way to your best health, lifestyle, and emotional wellbeing when it comes to eating.
- Pay attention to all the other self-care habits that can influence your cravings and eating habits. Make sure you get enough sleep and recovery from workouts. Lack of sleep and exhaustion disrupts your hunger hormones and alone can make you eat more. Process any overwhelming feelings by journaling, talking to friends, or movement so that you do not turn to food to dull those feelings. Slow down and be mindful when eating. Multitasking can make you eat more as you are not present and tuned into the feelings of fullness or digestion. Lastly, make your own rules when it comes to your eating style. Do you like to FEEL full? Eat less meals and more food in each meal. The outdated idea that smaller meals stoke your metabolism has been debunked. Do you like to graze all day…then maybe create a charcuterie board that will satisfy your senses and appetite all day long. Forget what you have learned about the diet culture, and start tuning into what makes you the most satisfied and pleased. This will bring you lifelong success and health.
