Why Weight Management Isn't About How GOOD You Eat

People often sit across from me in my office and describe to me how they eat when they are "being good". Many times they are eating better than I do on my healthiest days. Yet they are still in my office asking advice on how to lose weight and keep it off. You see, it isn't about how good you eat, it's about how bad you eat when you aren't "being good".

I can relate to this first hand because I used to be the queen of eating perfect for "x" number of days then turning around and polishing off a pint of Ben & Jerry's® or a bag of Oreos®. I also used to struggle to keep my weight controlled and I had pre-diabetes. Then I decided to throw away my scale and change the way I think. Now, in terms of food, even my best days are far from perfect and my bad days really aren't that bad. And guess what? My weight is very stable, I get to enjoy my food, I don't feel guilty for eating "bad" food, I don't eat perfect but I eat well, and I'm not pre-diabetic anymore.

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7 Tips to Make Your Bad Eating Not so Bad

1. Stay well hydrated. Most people need 8-10 glasses of fluid per day. Most of that should come from water or green tea.
2. Get moving. Our bodies are not designed to be sitting most of the day. We are designed to be up and moving. Moving ALL day is key to a good metabolism and feeling our best.
3. Learn the difference between hunger and appetite. Hunger is your physiological need to eat, appetite is just the desire to eat. Appetite is often brought on by stress, anxiety, boredom, and hunger itself. Eat when you are hungry and only when you are hungry. Easier said than done, right?
4. Make sleep a priority. It's important to not only get enough sleep but to get quality sleep. Insufficient sleep can lead to an increase in hunger and appetite.
5. Eat a Variety of Foods. Aim to get at least 4 food groups per meal and 2 per snack.
6. EAT SLOWLY! Use your non-dominant hand if necessary, or put your fork down between each bite. Chew each bite completely. ENJOY YOUR FOOD!!! Notice all the bold, caps, and exclamation points. They are there for a reason. If you only follow 1 of these 7 tips make it this one.
7. Follow a hunger scale. Here is more information about how to follow a hunger scale or what I refer to as The #1 Weight Loss Tool I Give ALL My Clients. Basically you should avoid getting too hungry because that's when willpower goes out the window. Eat when you are hungry or just starting to feel the signs of hunger. STOP eating before you are full. If you eat until you are full, uncomfortable, or down right miserable, that is your body telling you "HEY! You're eating too much!" 

I hope you have found this informative. Notice I didn't mention anything about specific food rules or nutrition advice. It doesn't always have to be that complicated. Implementing these concepts will make permanent weight management much easier. It needs to be a slow and steady process if you want permanent weight management.