Last Saturday we held a weight loss workshop at our gym. In it we talked about many things, but one of the most important was habits. You see, motivation and willpower don’t last. All sorts of research has shown that. The other thing is that the bigger the change we want to make, the more that holds true!
It all comes down to how we’re wired as humans. We want to survive! That means our bodies don’t want to change. They want to expend as little energy as possible to maintain survival!
Think of it this way: our bodies are still worried that during the winter we might have to go days without food so it doesn’t want to waste any energy on tackling that huge monster known as losing weight!
Zumo The Weight Loss Monster
The good news is that while the research may be down on relying on motivation and willpower, it’s very positive on the effectiveness of habits! These are things we do without even thinking about. You know how so many of us tend to reach for those snacks when we’re stressed out? That’s a habit.
Anyway, at the workshop Cindy asked what the one habit I would recommend to people would be. I mentioned eating slowly/mindfully. I’ve seen, and experienced myself, the effect of this. You may not realize that it can take about 10-15 minutes for your brain to realize that you are full. Think of all the food you can eat in that time!
Slowing down and really paying attention to your hunger signals can pay huge dividends in terms of portion control. I’ve seen people come to some massive realizations just by practicing this habit alone!
If you want to try this here are some hints:
- Figure out how long it usually takes you to eat and aim to make it just 3 minutes longer. This may be harder than it seems! Build up slowly from there.
- Eat sitting down with no distractions (TV, phone, etc.)
- Put down your fork between each bite
- Chew your food 1-2 times more than you usually do.
Please let me know if this something you need any help with. The key is to focus on progress. There is no perfection. Adding just a little of time each week can go a very long way!
Let me know if you need any help!