5 Ways to Optimize Your Mealtime for Weight Loss
Weight loss can be very difficult. As someone who provides nutritional counseling services, I can say that the most common objective for people seeking nutritional help is to lose weight. There’s so much information circulating that involves fad diets or other gimmicks, it can be difficult to know where to start. As I tell most people looking to lose weight: Most diets fail and the real solution to long term weight loss is lifestyle change. Of course, the time when we need to be the most aware is while we are eating. Because of that, I’ve listed below a handful of strategies to help moderate your food intake at mealtime.
Strategy 1: Stop trying to be full.
If you take nothing else away from this blog, this is the one you must remember. It’s a very common habit for people to eat to the point of being full. While it has become a very familiar sensation, that’s actually your body saying you’ve eaten too much! Your stomach is now over-stretched and uncomfortable. Instead of looking for fullness, look to feel satiated, or just about to that point of comfort. Don’t be compelled to clean off the entire plate, but instead stop when your body is telling you to stop.
Strategy 2: Get distracted.
Slow doooowwwwnnn the mealtime! Your stomach has a sensory system that will tell your brain when you’re full. The problem is, that signal has a built in 20 minute delay. In other words, you could devour a large amount of food in 10 minutes and you won’t realize how full you are for another 10. By slowing down, you will allow your stomach time to send out the signal that it’s time to stop. You can accomplish this by doing things between bites. Have more discussion with family or friends. If you’re eating alone, find a game or book to make you put the fork down and take your time. To make it really interesting, try using your non dominant hand while eating! You may be surprised at how much less you consume in that sitting.
Strategy 3: Have a huge glass of water before you sit down.
Remember that 20 minute delay? Let’s start the clock a little earlier. Before you sit down for your meal, put down a tall glass of water. This will start your stomach expansion early and make you top off faster. The extra hydration can’t hurt either.
Strategy 4: Use a smaller plate.
I really like this strategy. We are all inclined to finish what we put on our plate, which is likely due to training from our parents when we were kids. If you feel that compulsion to leave no food behind, simply use a smaller plate. You will naturally take less food (which is likely the true portion size recommendation). Now, don’t look at the plate and freak out at how little it is, because you can always go back later for more if you aren’t satisfied. Simply go with that amount, wait 10 minutes, and if you still feel you need more, then you have the option. Just remember, the goal is not to be full, it’s to be comfortable.
Strategy 5: Think of your timing.
For weight loss, it’s not only WHAT we eat, but WHEN we eat. Think of it this way, eating food is necessary to attain calories for burning. If you are eating at 8pm and going to sleep in a few hours, what energy are you trying to burn? If you aren’t successfully burning those calories, you are putting them right into storage for later. For dinner specifically, try eating earlier in the evening and cut yourself off after a certain time. Nothing after 7pm is a good strategy.
Of course, there are many other strategies for weight loss out there, but these are some of my favorites when the food is directly in front of you. Try putting these into practice and make them your new habits. Long term habits are the path to long term change. Stick to it, be patient, and reach your goals.
– Dr Rob Liguori
