Little Lies

Do you tell little lies to yourself about how much you eat?

The most important person in your world is you. That's who is going to protect and feed you and give emotional support when things don't go well. While nobody likes feeling they are 'overweight', returning to a healthier number only happens when we are honest with ourselves. Lies are abusive. If we cannot trust ourselves, who can we trust?

Last night I had dinner with a friend who's trying to lose weight.  He told me that he hadn't eaten all day. When I reminded him that wasn't wise, he sheepishly listed what he actually had eaten during the day. While it wasn't much, it was nourishing foods.  People ignore what they see and hear and lie to themselves about how much they eat.  Don't ignore what you know.

• When we don't eat all day as a weight loss technique, it backfires.
• When we ignore food all day, our body thinks we're starving. It automatically goes into survival mode. This lowers our metabolism rate so that we don't 'die' from hunger. 
• What happens when we do eat is that since our metabolism is slower, we don't burn our calories as fast and as a result, can gain weight.
• To protect us from starving to death, the body instinctively 'helps' us store fat.

I explained to my friend that to lose weight, all he needs to do is eat smaller portions three times a day. This way, his stomach will naturally shrink while he maintains optimum energy and health. Importantly, he won't feel like he's starving.  So when the waitress came to our table, he ordered a cocktail and an appetizer. I made a mental note to mention the very high sugar content of alcohol the next time he mentioned trying to lose weight.

• Order an appetizer for dinner when trying to lose weight - especially if you've had breakfast and lunch .
• The trick is to chew well, put your fork down between bites and enjoy eating it.

His appetizer was a ragout leg of duck with two pureed servings, one white, one green and some pea sprouts on the side. It was pretty. It was also pretty fattening. Because he did not know what the green and white dollops were, I tasted them. They were very rich, full of butter and cream. At that point, I felt sorry for my friend. He, of course, ate his entire meal quickly. 

• If you are trying to lose weight and decide to eat less, don't eat a smaller plate that has more calories than a full portion.
• Avoid sauces, candied vegetables, deep fried or rich choices.
• Allow as many 'empty' nourishing calories as you want.
• carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, etc - salad ingredients without the dressing
• If you have salad, ask for dressing on the side. Be stingy with it. An alternative is lemon juice or a simple vinaigrette.
• When we eat less, it's more socially satisfying  if we eat slower. Plus eating slower burns more calories and we are generally more satisfied. 

Just like unwanted pounds, little lies add up. When you lie to yourself about what or how much you eat, you are the victim of fraud.  

• Pay attention to what you sense. Enjoying what you eat means more efficient digestion and more fun!
• Honor your truth. You will feel lighter and eat less.
• Allow yourself physical and psychological satisfaction. Don't be a victim of self-abuse.

Learn to trust yourself by using intuitive tools that will never let you down. You deserve the best quality of life. Eat less, sense more.

#janebernard