Intuitive Eating

I forgot to write yesterday about intuitive eating.  I had some friends ask what that was and, as if by magic, an article about it appeared in my mailbox.  Of course it explains it better than I can.  From:

https://helloglow.co/lose-weight-without-counting-calories/

“Get in touch with your hunger and satiety signals

Meticulously measuring, weighing and counting at each meal and snack sounds like a real pain! Not to mention, it fosters a disconnected, fearful and obsessive relationship with food–one that focuses on restriction and deprivation, sucking the joy right out of eating! It’s also not sustainable in the long-term. Rather than calorie counting, I support the concept of intuitive eating.

Intuitive listening and eating is one of the most important tools for attaining and maintaining a healthy weight. For many women, being on diets their whole lives has severed their mind-body connection, so it may take some time to re-learn how to recognize when you’re hungry and full.

Start each meal by rating your hunger on a scale of 0 to 10. Zero is full and 10 is ravenous. Remove all distractions, such as your phone, computer, and TV, and take a few deep breaths with the meal in front of you. Eat slowly, chewing each bite thoroughly, and noticing the tastes, textures and aromas of the food. When you’re halfway through the meal, rate your hunger again on a scale of 0 to 10. Aim to stop eating at 80% full.

Once you’ve gotten reacquainted with your body’s satiety signals, you’ll end up consuming the exact number of calories your body needs.

Pay attention to meal timing

We hear a lot about what we should be eating but minimal attention is given to when. Eating according to your body’s natural rhythms is crucial for weight loss. Your digestive fire is at its peak between 10am and 2pm so eating a big, healthy lunch during that time is most efficient for digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

Our bodies love routine so aim to eat at roughly the same times every day, i.e., breakfast at 8am, lunch at 1pm and dinner at 6pm. As the digestive fire is weak in the evening, try to stop eating by 7pm ideally, or 8pm at the latest. Fasting for at least 12 hours between dinner and breakfast helps burn fat. Fasting promotes the secretion of Human Growth Hormone, optimizes muscle building and normalizes insulin sensitivity.”

Did that help you any?  I know that I have to usually stop eating and drinking around 7 p.m.  Of course *I* thought it was to cut down on the bathroom trips in the middle of the night or early morning.  Who knew?!  LOL

Have a great day!