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This came to me, like an epiphany, the other day. I've been doing it for the last few days, and it's been pretty amazing.
I didn't know where else to share it but here. But I feel like if more people realize this, they can get their weight under control.
You know that feeling when you first wake up in the morning after a decent night's sleep and decent night's dinner the night before (at a reasonable hour before bedtime)? ..... You get up out of bed, and you go to get a tall glass of water. And you're.... perfectly good. You're not thirsty. You're definitely not hungry yet. In fact your appetite is perfectly stable. You feel light. You don't have hunger pains and you don't feel sick or full. All's right with the world.
Well I realized a few days ago, after walking around in the morning all full, sick, and kind of bloated because I had eaten heavy food late the night before and had gone straight to bed, that we are MEANT to maintain that "just woken up" feeling all day long. We're not supposed to eat beyond the point of that comfort. When we feel our stomachs going slightly beyond that point, it's time to stop eating.
And we're supposed to eat slow. We should take in our food. Take in the texture on our tongues, how it feels to chew it... just enjoy it. It takes 20 minutes for our brains to get the signal that we're full. So obviously, too many people eat way too fast for that signal to kick in properly. One of many reasons we're overweight.
I've been eating this way for the past couple of days, and I love it. Feel so much better. I know I'll be seeing results soon. Especially now that I'm working out again. And I'm not being weird about it. Taking one bite, chewing for six minutes, and saying "Mmm mmm mmm" the whole time. lol! Noooo, not like Bob in "What About Bob?".... But seriously.. just eating more normally. I happen to notice the real skinny women at work eat that way. They're very slow, really. But not weird about it. They just chew well and notice what they're doing. It's not all genes that make them skinny. Learned behavior as well.
It's amazing what you notice when you start actually paying attention to your body and how it reacts to food. Like right now, I'm almost done w/frosted mini wheats cereal w/soy milk. (I gave up milk too.) I was feeling it digesting. I actually could still feel it going down my throat and chest area (long after I'd chewed and swallowed). Before, I'd just keep shoveling it in.
A lot of people are probably laughing. "Stop eating when your full, novel concept!" But... it's obviously not that cut and dried for many of us. Like yesterday. I had an ice cream cone. I was paying attention to the texture, how my body was reacting. My body had the crazy compulsion to devour it. I'm noticing my trigger foods big-time. Simple carbs, mostly. In essence, SUGAR... I notice I feel more out-of-control with those foods. More of a compulsion to shovel it in. (Even though I haven't been, but it takes more of a conscious effort not to.)
Good job, you've come to the realization that the long-lived and healthy people of Okinawa have--the concept of 'Hara hachi bu' - eat until you're 80% full. They remind themselves of this each time before they start eating. Much different than us, who often eat until full to uncomfortable bursting.
Like you, I've found eating empty white carbs and sugary things makes me hungrier. They spike my blood sugar and I get hungrier sooner. Which leads to an endless cycle of eating too much.
When I eat similar to the South Beach Diet--healthy fats, healthy carbs (but not too much of them), some lean protein and lots of salads and steamed, roasted or stir-fried vegetables, not only do I not feel hungry or bloated, I also keep my weight in check without much effort.
This is my way of eating all the time, it's not a diet.
Good job, you've come to the realization that the long-lived and healthy people of Okinawa have--the concept of 'Hara hachi bu' - eat until you're 80% full. They remind themselves of this each time before they start eating. Much different than us, who often eat until full to uncomfortable bursting.
Like you, I've found eating empty white carbs and sugary things makes me hungrier. They spike my blood sugar and I get hungrier sooner. Which leads to an endless cycle of eating too much.
When I eat similar to the South Beach Diet--healthy fats, healthy carbs (but not too much of them), some lean protein and lots of salads and steamed, roasted or stir-fried vegetables, not only do I not feel hungry or bloated, I also keep my weight in check without much effort.
This is my way of eating all the time, it's not a diet.
Yep, yep. This morning I had some a couple turkey sausage, a couple eggs, and a couple slices of french toast w/syrup. That was a mistake (the french toast). My cravings/judgement have been a little off all day. Like I'm not even sure if I'm hungry or not. Should I get up and eat? Should I stay here? What should I do? (Obviously if I have to debate it out in my head, I'm probably NOT hungry...lol.) I haven't overdone it today. I stayed aware. But I definitely did not feel as in control/satisfied as yesterday.
Yesterday I started out the day sugar-free and was in complete control of my consumption all day. But once I add those simple carbs in, it gets a little hazier. The simpler the hazier. Especially straight-up sugar, like syrup!
This came to me, like an epiphany, the other day. I've been doing it for the last few days, and it's been pretty amazing.
I didn't know where else to share it but here. But I feel like if more people realize this, they can get their weight under control.
You know that feeling when you first wake up in the morning after a decent night's sleep and decent night's dinner the night before (at a reasonable hour before bedtime)? ..... You get up out of bed, and you go to get a tall glass of water. And you're.... perfectly good. You're not thirsty. You're definitely not hungry yet. In fact your appetite is perfectly stable. You feel light. You don't have hunger pains and you don't feel sick or full. All's right with the world.
Well I realized a few days ago, after walking around in the morning all full, sick, and kind of bloated because I had eaten heavy food late the night before and had gone straight to bed, that we are MEANT to maintain that "just woken up" feeling all day long. We're not supposed to eat beyond the point of that comfort. When we feel our stomachs going slightly beyond that point, it's time to stop eating.
And we're supposed to eat slow. We should take in our food. Take in the texture on our tongues, how it feels to chew it... just enjoy it. It takes 20 minutes for our brains to get the signal that we're full. So obviously, too many people eat way too fast for that signal to kick in properly. One of many reasons we're overweight.
I've been eating this way for the past couple of days, and I love it. Feel so much better. I know I'll be seeing results soon. Especially now that I'm working out again. And I'm not being weird about it. Taking one bite, chewing for six minutes, and saying "Mmm mmm mmm" the whole time. lol! Noooo, not like Bob in "What About Bob?".... But seriously.. just eating more normally. I happen to notice the real skinny women at work eat that way. They're very slow, really. But not weird about it. They just chew well and notice what they're doing. It's not all genes that make them skinny. Learned behavior as well.
It's amazing what you notice when you start actually paying attention to your body and how it reacts to food. Like right now, I'm almost done w/frosted mini wheats cereal w/soy milk. (I gave up milk too.) I was feeling it digesting. I actually could still feel it going down my throat and chest area (long after I'd chewed and swallowed). Before, I'd just keep shoveling it in.
A lot of people are probably laughing. "Stop eating when your full, novel concept!" But... it's obviously not that cut and dried for many of us. Like yesterday. I had an ice cream cone. I was paying attention to the texture, how my body was reacting. My body had the crazy compulsion to devour it. I'm noticing my trigger foods big-time. Simple carbs, mostly. In essence, SUGAR... I notice I feel more out-of-control with those foods. More of a compulsion to shovel it in. (Even though I haven't been, but it takes more of a conscious effort not to.)
I think its awesome that you've found something that works for YOU, but pretty much everything you say is pretty much in opposition of what works for me, and I consider myself a pretty healthy guy.
That "feeling great in the morning" thing is something that happens when you get enough sleep and when you dont eat later than 6:00-7:00 with the exception of a healthy snack (cottage cheese, plain popcorn, 1/4 cup mixed nuts, etc.). I guarantee that if you did this you'll have that same feeling in the mornings when you wake up.
As far as the eat slowly and taking in the texture and feeling the food on your tongue I am TOTALLY agains (just me personally). Over the years, Ive always watched overweight/obese people in all-you-can-eat type settings and 100% of the time they have at least two plates each piled high with all kinds of stuff, and they sit there and eat VEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRYYYYYY SLLLLLLLOOOOOOOWWWWWWLLLLLYYYY. To most overweight/obese, eating is an even in itself, something that they look forward to and enjoy, like a social outing or such. I am totally opposite of this. While I do love food, its not an "event" or something I enjoy so much that I make a grand spectacle of it. Its just something I do to fuel my body for the interests and "real" events in my life. To me, eating is like filling up at a gas station. Im in, then Im out, and on to bigger better and more exciting things. Im not saying that I scarf down my food like a hungry wolf, I just have a working common knowledge of how to eat right (type of food, amount of food, etc.), then I sit and I eat, then I am OUT.
This is one of the key tenets of what I teach those who I train - look at eating as you fueling your vehicle so that it can take you on lifes journey. NEVER look at eating as something to sit, enjoy, an experience, a social thing, etc.
Once people get this, then their lives are always changed for the better (in terms of health, weight, fitness, etc.). Also, the more you can cut out sugar (in all forms) then you'll have a great energetic feeling almost always.
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Noooo, not like Bob in "What About Bob?".... But seriously.. just eating more normally. I happen to notice the real skinny women at work eat that way. They're very slow, really. But not weird about it. They just chew well and notice what they're doing. It's not all genes that make them skinny. Learned behavior as well. 
