Some diet plans recommend “intuitive eating” (also known as eating until you’re satisfied). Or they suggest a “ballpark” measurement system: filling your plate by guessing at the portions. These methods caused me nothing but frustration.
My brain does not register “stop” or “satisfied” when I eat sugary food. Instead, it tells me, “More.”
And when I’m in the habit of overeating, my stomach accepts demands larger portion sizes. So I continue to eat too much.
I have found it easier to weigh and measure portions. This gives me confidence that I’m eating enough and not too much. Plus, by collecting information about what and how much I’m eating (See Foundation Skill 1: write it down!, I can look at my results (output) and decide whether I need to adjust my daily menu (input). Measuring my portions takes the guess-work out of the equation.
Recommendations: Food Scale and Measuring Cups. Consider picking up these kitchen tools at a thrift-store!
If you want to reach your goal quickly and easily, keep a food journal. If you don’t adopt this foundation skill, you cannot complain about the results you’re getting (or not getting). Your food journal is your roadmap to success.
This foundation skill has two parts: 1) plan ahead 2) record what you eat.
First, plan the next day’s meals. What are you going to eat? How much? When? Where? Do you have these foods on hand?
Planning ahead conserves your will-power. If you have a plan, you just need to stick to it, instead of constantly making decisions.
Then, at each meal, record what you eat. Include useful details like the portion size and your mood. This information will help you to review your results and adjust.
My favorite: Moleskine pocket notebooks with ruled pages. I like the pocket-sized notebook because it’s easy to carry with me.
Cooking delicious food gives me great pleasure & leftovers! And my mind has trouble accepting that I can eat this much food and get lighter. I’m measuring everything, so I know the portions are just right. In the past, I would skip meals and drink coffee instead.
Breakfast
- Bowl o’ berries
- Sauteed endive and radicchio with leftover sausage, splash of balsamic vinegar
- leftover roasted carrot curls
- leftover roasted sweet potato slices.
Lunch
- leftover chicken
- salad
- beets
- sprouted beans
- hazelnuts
Dinner
- grilled salmon, green beans, beets,
- strawberries with a splash of coconut milk
Today, I opened up Practical Paleo and looked through the meal plans. I went over to Balanced Bites and downloaded the free “done-for-you” shopping lists. Then I went shopping. (First, I enjoyed a BP Coffee to get my game on).
I selected one of the larger locations of a chain grocery store – the same one where I found “cauli-rice”. Sure enough, they still had it – plus, zoodles and carrot-fettuccini style strips.
Dinner was ready in about 10 minutes.
Tonight’s menu
Grilled steak with sautéed garlic, onion, and pepper
Cauli-rice with fresh cilantro
Asparagus
After dinner – chunks of fresh pineapple and fresh ginger slivers.
(And I have a leftover steak and asparagus for tomorrow!)
Are you ready for food freedom? Join me starting Monday, 4 January 2016, and find freedom from sugar and carb cravings.