Metabolic Habit #6

September, 2009

by Morella Devost

We're finally down to the last of our six metabolic habits. Although truth be told, every time I lead my Metabolic Optimization program, I end up covering more habits. For now we'll leave it at these key six. Once again, if you missed any of the first five, you can read them here.

Habit #6: Never overeat.

Most of my clients find that this is actually the first habit they need to start working on. And it's not because I only get people with this problem. The truth is that the majority of people are eating way more food than they really need.

Have you ever seen the hotdog eating contests?

Have you ever stopped to think that you do something similar every time you eat?

It is astounding to see how they shovel down 40, 50, 60 hotdogs in no time! Do you know how they do this? Essentially, they are doing the same thing you do every time you eat a little more than you need. They stretch their stomachs.

Every time we eat until the point of fullness, we have eaten too much. We have stretched our stomachs even if just a little bit. Now, it takes some time for your stomach to return to its normal size, so you'll end up eating a little extra at the next meal - AND, if you eat to the point of fullness again, then you've managed to stretch it out even more.

Here are a few behaviors that contribute to overeating:

Eating while distracted: watching T.V., reading your email, driving, etc.
Eating fast
Not chewing your food
Serving yourself more food than what will fit in your stomach
Drinking sodas and juices with high fructose corn syrup (which inhibits the natural satiety communication with your brain)

If you have worked with me before you know that I DON'T BELIEVE IN DIETS. I strive to educate people about healthy eating and listening to our body's internal wisdom. So, the whole "portion" philosophy is not what I will try to sell you. In other words: eating a card-deck size piece of meat, a check-book sized piece of fish, etc. That works great for some people, but not for me.

I believe in our wisdom to know what and how much we need to eat IF we listen to our BODY.

My single guideline for "portion awareness" is to serve yourself the amount of food that naturally fits your stomach. That is usually no more than a lightly filled plate; not a piling mound of food.

At your next meal, practice these behaviors and see if you can eat to the point of satiety, NOT the point of tummy-fullness:

Take 2-3 deep breaths before you begin to eat
Chew each bite thoroughly, until it is well grounded
Pause during your meal. Set your fork down.
Eat in pleasant company and enjoy the conversation
Look at your food while you eat
Drink nothing during your meal, or try only water a few times. Most people who need water to "wash food down" are swallowing food whole. If you chew properly, your saliva will adequately moisten your food.

Treat your body with loving kindness. Think of eating as an act of nourishment and love for health, not as an act of abuse.

If you would like support with your metabolism, if you are struggling to lose weight, if you are fatigued or have digestive problems, please contact us to learn more about how we can help you discover health naturally while absolutely LOVING your food. No boring, bland food. Yuck!