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Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself

Would You Like To Lose Weight without Starving Yourself?

Millions of people are the same; they want to Lose Weight without Starving Yourself. However they do not want to cut out the unhealthy foods and eat less. It is such a pain to curb one’s diet and eat right. It just seems too difficult to sacrifice the culinary delights to achieve the body they desire.

It’s much easier to sacrifice what you want most for what you want now. Instant gratification is the reason that most people give in to temptation. They forget that fat lasts much longer than flavour.

This guide will show you how to reconcile the two. You will learn how to eat without curbing your diet excessively and still meet your weight loss goals. You will discover that your body knows exactly what it needs, when it needs it.

You just need to get out-of-the-way and stop throwing a spanner in the works.

The weight loss industry is full of contradictions. On one day, they’re saying that slow cardio is good but on the next day, they say that high intensity training is better and that slow cardio is dead. Some people swear by the paleo diet while others are up in arms about it.

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Don’t even get started on cholesterol. One minute, eggs are good and the benchmark of protein. The next minute, eggs are from hell and will clog your arteries and kill you.

So, who is right? What should you do? Whose advice do you follow? It’s understandable why thousands of people are confused by all these conflicting sources of information.

The answer to this is – Intuitive eating!

All weight loss depends on one crucial factor. You absolutely MUST be at a caloric deficit in order to lose weight. All the exercise in the world will come to naught if your diet is not in place. 70% of your weight loss depends on your diet. 

What you eat in private – eventually is what you wear in public.

The problem that arises here is that most people struggle to remove the unhealthy foods from their diet. They get cravings, hungry, moody, etc. This is inevitable because the body is in the habit of consuming these foods. Breaking a bad habit is always met with resistance.

Sugar is a highly addictive substance. Carbohydrates when consumed, gives people a sense of happiness. The body actually feels satiated when it consumes such food – but only for a short while. Then it craves for more, because the poor food choices lack nutrients. This is a vicious cycle that leads to obesity and poor health.

Intuitive eating is also known as mindful eating or the “anti-diet”. The general concept is that you will need to listen to your body and pay attention to the subtle signs that it sends out. By doing this, you will know when to eat, what to eat and how much to eat. You will no longer be fighting an internal battle with yourself.

Developing Awareness

This is the key to intuitive eating. We live in a hectic society. Most of us eat unconsciously. We eat by the clock and just grab whatever food seems most convenient. Barely any attention is given to the types of food we’re eating. Most people do not even know what ingredients go into the food they’re eating.

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People automatically think of cravings, deprivation and sacrifice when told to eat healthy or go on a diet. They forget that their health and lives are at stake here. All they think about is the food that they have to give up.

Intuitive eating is all about developing awareness about the food you eat and how your body responds to what you’re eating. You’ll also be paying attention to when you are actually hungry and when you are eating because you’re bored.

You will learn when your body is full and when you should stop eating instead of carrying on finishing up the food on your plate, just because you have been told to do so since you were young.

This style of eating will take some time to achieve but it is much easier than a strict diet. You will be eating in a way that suits your body. When you’re not fighting yourself, compliance will be much easier and you’ll face less resistance.

What are the benefits of intuitive eating?

With traditional, restrictive diets, you will often feel discouraged, moody and a general sense of unhappiness. The constant feeling of deprivation that accompanies yo-yo dieting takes a toll on one’s will-power.

You will feel exhausted and experience energy spikes at times and low energy at others. None of these are pleasant scenarios.

With intuitive eating, you will feel much happier and motivated. You will have more energy, zest and zeal for life. You mental energy is not sapped by using will-power to control your diet. You eat when you feel hungry and stop when you’re full.

You go with the flow and as a result, your exhaustion vanishes, your digestion gets better and the fog that was clouding your mind lifts and you have mental clarity. There are so many subtle benefits to intuitive eating that you’ll wonder why we never approached food any other way.

Understand and Apply the Principles of Intuitive Eating

Your success at adopting and implementing intuitive eating will depend on your grasp of the fundamentals. Your health and weight are directly linked to your eating. You will need to change your mindset. Far too many people associate negative feelings with dieting and healthy eating.

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Your first goal will be to tell yourself that healthy food doesn’t need to be bland and tasteless. It doesn’t have to be boring either. You can eat healthy food and still enjoy your food. You will not break the bank by eating food that benefits you. Rest assured that eating the wrong foods will rack up medical bills in the future that will put you in the poor house.

Commitment 1 – Change the Diet Mentality

The number one New Year resolution every year is to lose weight and get fit. It is also the first resolution that most people break.

Staggering statistics show that by the time a woman is 45 years old, she would have tried dieting 61 times and failed miserably at it. More and more young people are starting to go on a diet too. The reason for this is that poor food choices are becoming much more prevalent.

Both genders are equally susceptible to weight issues. The usual diet mentality will tell you to fastidiously track your calories, eliminate an entire list of foods deemed harmful, etc.

Traditional diets involve elimination, sacrifice and struggle.

With intuitive eating, you are asked to pay attention to what you’re eating and how they make you feel. How do you feel after drinking a sugary soda? You may experience the initial sugar high – and suddenly after a while you may feel tired or not in a really good mood. This is the effect of the soda.

The focus is on understanding that the food you eat affects the way you feel. To feel healthy, you must eat healthy food. Once you can identify the link between the food and your temperament, you’ll be less likely to consume what affects you adversely.

Commitment 2 – Learn to Recognize Hunger

Many people never give themselves a chance to feel hungry. Many people even constantly fear that they will get hungry despite being surrounded by abundance.

Your body is always giving you signs. You just need to stop and pay attention. If you are not hungry, why would you buy a hot dog just because you’re passing by a hot dog stand? Are you bored? Is it a habit to eat even if you’re not hungry?

You may notice that you feel bloated when you drink a glass of milk or you get a headache from a glass of wine. This is your body telling you that what you’re eating isn’t agreeing with your unique body and systems.

Similarly, hunger is a sign. You must know when you’re actually hungry and when you’re just eating out of boredom or habit. In some cases, you might actually be dehydrated and need water. Instead, you eat.

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Once you recognize when you are truly hungry, you can eat the moment you notice the initial signs of hunger. Do not wait till you’re so famished that you eat anything that is closest and most convenient to you. Waiting too long to eat and suddenly eating a large meal will spike your blood sugar levels and indirectly cause fat storage.

Pay attention to your hunger and get some wholesome food to nourish your body the moment you start feeling peckish.

Commitment 3 – Stop when you are Full

This is a very important principle. If you hope to lose weight and be healthy, you absolutely MUST master this principle. When we were young, we were often told to finish up our food and not waste any.
Some parents would even throw in the guilt factor and remind you that children in Africa are starving. This is actually a pointless analogy. A starving child is not going to feel any better if you force yourself to eat even when you’re full. The only thing that will happen is you become fat.

The way the body works is unique. The more you eat, the more you will want to eat. Your stomach expands and so does your appetite when you keep giving it food. The key here is to give it slightly less than what you are accustomed to.

For example, if you are used to eating 2 cheeseburgers, eat just one and a half burgers and throw the rest away. Traditional diets will tell you not to eat burgers at all. With intuitive eating, you can eat burgers but you will slowly cut down the portions and frequency of consuming such food.

Over time, your body will get used to 1 and a half burgers and feel full once you’ve consumed that. Now, you just eat 1 burger instead of the extra half. This will further reduce your appetite.

Do this at all meals and reduce your food portions. Over time, you will feel full faster. Your body will adapt and need fewer calories.

Do note that it takes roughly 20-30 minutes for the stomach to send a signal to the brain that it’s full. So, eat slowly.

You will eat less and by the time your brain registers that you’re full, you won’t have eaten so much.
The moment you feel slightly full or your hunger diminishes, stop eating immediately. There is really no need to go on and complete your meal. Throw away whatever food you have left to curb the temptation of finishing it all.

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Mindless eating causes obesity. Learn to recognize fullness and hunger. Once you master these two skills intuitive eating will become second nature to you.

Commitment 4 – Put an End to Emotional Eating

People often eat when they are happy, sad, stressed out, etc. They eat to feel better or reward themselves.

Do NOT reward yourself with food. You’re not a Pet.

With intuitive eating, you must recognize that your emotions are making eating decisions for you. Why would you need sugary foods and/ or salty foods when you are feeling down? Will the bag of chips or tub of ice cream make you feel better? Why should it? Whatever you’re feeling down about is still going to be there.

The only difference is that now, you’ve probably shuttled some fat into your fat stores. This will be something that will trouble you in future and you’ll probably eat again because of that.

A vicious never-ending cycle that must be nipped in the bud.

Learn to recognize your emotions for what they are. Acknowledge them but do not allow them to dictate your eating habits. Only eat when you’re hungry.

Commitment 5 – Ignore Other People

With intuitive eating, you are not expected to avoid any foods completely. What is expected is moderation. There are many people who will tell you things like, “Meat is bad” –  “You shouldn’t drink milk” – “A glass of beer is fine!” Etc.

None of these will really help you with your weight loss goals because most of the comments have an underlying negative tone. You only need to listen to your body. If you feel better when you eat meat, then go ahead and eat it. If a can of beer gives you a bad tummy, avoid it.

Food isn’t a reward and exercise isn’t a punishment. As long as you stay active and move often, you are doing just fine. Of course, you should challenge yourself to improve but you do not need to be in pain to gain.
Aim for consistency and moderation. Anything when taken to excess is detrimental. The occasional ice cream, cookies, beer, etc. is fine as long as you do not overdo it and binge eat these foods daily.

Listen to your body and not other people.

Commitment 6 – Enjoy Your Food

Besides being fuel, food is also a part of your culture and is consumed when you celebrate, spend time with friends and family, etc. Many people on a traditional diet, experience feelings of guilt or feel that they have failed when they give in to temptations at social events.

This shouldn’t be the case. Go ahead and enjoy your food and drink when you should. But only eat if you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Aim for moderation with everything.

Do not spend so much time feeling bad about your food that you end up with a bad relationship with food.

Commitment 7 – Respect your Body

Always respect and take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in. It protects you, gets you from one place to another, protects you from diseases and infections and allows you to experience the world you live in.

It is an amazing organism that is highly adaptable and seeks life. It will look after you if you look after it. Always remember that. Once you understand that despite whatever junk food you give your body, it eliminates the toxins and struggles to keep you in good health.

It doesn’t judge. It doesn’t scold. It does its best to look after you. When you eat without care or concern, you gain weight. What many people do not know is that the fat cells are used to store toxins. This is the body’s way of protecting you. Even when you make poor food choices, it still protects you.

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Whatever it looks like and whatever package you came in, that package is simply astounding. Fuel it well and treat it with kindness. Once you respect and understand all that it does for you, your relationship with it will shift to a higher level. Be grateful and treat it well.

Commitment 8 – Getting Sufficient Exercise

Too many people view exercise with disdain. They look upon it as a chore that they have to do to burn calories, or work off the slice of cake they ate or as a punishment for being fat.

This shouldn’t be the case. Exercise doesn’t have to be unpleasant. If you feel that it is a chore that you need to get over, you’re doing the wrong type of exercise. What exercise really should be is movement.

The human body was designed to move. That is the most important rule. It doesn’t matter if you walk, jog, roller skate, dance, jump, swim, etc. What matters is that you move. You were not made to sit at a desk all day or on a couch or in a car.

Do an exercise that invigorates you. Like to dance? Go for Zumba or Salsa classes. Want to feel like Rambo? Hit the weights. Want to kick butt like Chuck Norris? Sign up for Karate or Krav Maga classes.

Run, jump, bend, twist, swim, cycle, walk…
Move, move, move.
Period.

Commitment 9 – Forgive Yourself

Many people regret becoming overweight, obese or unhealthy. Stop blaming yourself. The past is dead. What you have is now. Focus on what you can do now. No matter what your condition is, your body will help you if you help it.

You will get stronger and healthier with the right food and exercise.

You cannot progress if you are stuck in a negative rut. If you start now, within a week you will be better than where you currently are. Within a month you will feel different. Within 3 months, other people will notice that you look much healthier and better. Within a year, you would have come so far that all your regrets will be a thing of the past and be replaced with pride and satisfaction.

It all starts with what you do today
and what you do now.
So, start today.

Conquering the Challenges to Intuitive Eating

All change is met with resistance. When you decide to implement intuitive eating, there is no doubt that something or other will crop up to throw you off track. Acknowledge what these are and keep moving forward. Ultimately, intuitive eating is all about awareness.

Fear

Fear is a very common feeling among those beginning intuitive eating. Since the concept runs contrary to everything you’ve been told so far, it may seem strange to give yourself permission to eat anything.

Intuitive eating allows for the consumption of all foods. What matters is eating such foods in moderation, without guilt. You can eat the foods you like but you can’t eat them uncontrollably.

Give yourself permission to eat what you want but be disciplined and only eat small portions of the food that are fattening.

Emotional Eating

This will need observation on your part. Everybody has patterns. Some people eat junk food when they reach home after a hard day of work. Some hastily gulp down beers after a stressful encounter with the boss.

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If you let emotional triggers elicit certain behaviours that affect your eating habits, you will not be eating because you’re hungry.

Instead you will eat when you’re stressed, angry, overwhelmed, nervous, happy, sad, etc. All human beings have a wide range of emotions. You can’t be eating all the time, which is what many people are doing.

You must identify your patterns and see what is causing you to eat.

Switch activities to replace the eating with something else. Call a friend, watch a movie, put a jigsaw puzzle together, learn juggling, watch a movie, etc.

Do something other than eating. Since this is emotional hunger and not actual hunger, you just need an outlet for your emotions, other than food.

Fatigue

Sometimes you may be too tired to pay attention to what you’re eating. You may just eat anything you can get your hands on. In order to avoid this, it’s best to plan your meals beforehand so that you know exactly what you will be eating for the day.

In this way, you will not slip up with your food choices. As your food choices get better and your intuitive eating takes effect, you will be less likely to feel fatigued. Your body will be healthier and stronger to handle the daily stresses of life.

Exercise regularly and sleep well so that you are active and also well-rested.

Conclusion

Intuitive eating doesn’t have rules that are set in stone. The entire process is about exercising common sense and moderation. What is crucial is that you must pay attention to your body, your senses and your emotions. This is a very holistic method of eating.

Look at what you’re eating and study when exactly you start feeling hungry. Over time you will notice that your body is quite predictable. Eat foods that you think will benefit you and avoid those that do not make you feel good.
Exercise and engage in activities that make you happy.

For some people, that might mean team sports while for others it may mean long, solitary walks by the lakes. The nature of the exercise doesn’t matter. The movement is what does.

As long as you exercise daily and eat moderately, weight loss is inevitable.

It will be a good idea to know what your calorie intake should be. While obsessing over the numbers is not a good idea, it does help to have some idea as to what your calorie consumption should be, if you wish to lose weight.

Use the numbers as a map to guide you to your weight loss goals. Eat intuitively and slowly reduce portion sizes till you need less food. Slowly replace poor food choices with healthier ones.

For example, if you’re eating chocolates often, try replacing those with cold fruit. For most people with a sweet tooth, the fruit is just as satisfying.

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Do not rush the process. Time is your greatest ally. As your body gets more and more good food, it will slowly lose all cravings for detrimental foods and not respond well when you eat such foods. You will automatically stop eating foods that make you feel lousy.

The end result is that you will reach your ideal weight and become fitter without suffering as much as those who try traditional diets and struggle with hard training.

Unlike them, you will be less likely to quit.

Success is the sum of small efforts repeated day in and day out. Intuitive eating is a fantastic way to shed the kilos, get healthy and be happy. Adopt it and you’ll never look back.

If you found this article useful – Lose Weight Without Starving Yourself – Please share with your friends and any people you think might find the information beneficial; many thanks, Natural Health Kingdom.