Two simple skills for weight loss 🍲

Happy Thursday Three!

Here are this week's coaching tip, exercise tutorial and question to ponder for the week.

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I. How slow can you go?

If you're looking to shed a few pounds, it's crucial to keep an eye on how much you eat. While there are plenty of tools to help you out, like food journals and tracking apps, they can be a bit overwhelming to start with. Logging every meal is definitely effective, but it can also take up a lot of your time, especially when you're eating out or on the go.

That being said, I have two simple eating skills that I always recommend:

• Eating slowly

• Eating until satisfied
  

Eating slowly allows our bodies the chance to register the food we're eating and signal when we're full (this takes around 20 minutes). If we eat too quickly, we can easily overeat before we receive the "I'm full" signal. Think of it like a stop sign: if you're driving at 100mph and a stop sign appears, by the time you've stopped, you're already 100m+ past it. By eating slowly, we give ourselves the chance to see that "stop sign" before we sail past it.

Now that you're eating slowly, the next skill is learning to stop when you feel satisfied versus eating until you're stuffed. If we can learn the skill of pushing the plate away at roughly 80% of fullness, this could mean eating 100(+) fewer calories each meal.

The best part is that this works with any meal, anytime, without any special equipment.

II. Testing it out

To test out the theory of eating slowly and until you're satisfied, I have for you the 20-20-20 Experiment. Yeah; the name kinda sucks, but let's dive in!

Step #1 - Reduce your meal size by roughly 20% of your usual serving. Ideally, keep your protein and vegetable portions up while reducing your carbohydrates or fat.

Step #2 - Set a timer for 20 minutes and eat your meal slowly while being mindful of "fullness" cues. If you finish before the 20 minutes are up, that's fine. However, wait until at least 20 minutes have passed before deciding whether you need more food. If you're still hungry, eat a little more and re-evaluate (am I still hungry?).

Step #3 - Repeat these steps for the next 20 meals. If you skip a meal or forget, that's okay. Just keep going until you've completed it for at least 20 meals.

Step #4 - Keep a record. Remember, it's called an experiment for a reason. Adopt a scientific approach and ask yourself: What did you observe? What did you learn? Why were some meals more manageable than others? Be curious.

In summary:

1. Reduce your meal size by 20%.

2. Take 20 minutes to eat your meal.

3. Repeat the experiment for the next 20 meals.

4. Keep a record of what you notice and learn.

FAQ

Do I have to do it EVERY meal?

No, you don't have to do it for every meal. If the idea of doing it for every meal is daunting, start with just one meal, like dinner, and test it out. However, you still need to repeat it for 20 meals.

Do I FAIL if I go back and eat more?

Not at all. If you're still genuinely hungry, eat a little more before checking back in with your hunger cues.

What if I want to eat more, but I'm not hungry?

If you feel a strong desire to eat more, but you're not hungry, that's still valuable. This insight might help you uncover why you're still eating. Are you stressed? Sad? Bored? Record your thoughts.

III. Quote to ponder

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” — Mark Twain

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P.S. If you enjoyed this week's Thursday Three, share it with a friend.

Thanks,

Jamie