7 SECRETS FOR FINDING LASTING
WEIGHT LOSS + THE BODY YOU WANT
Lasting Weight Loss + The Body You Want
Article by Amanda Gyuran
Philosophy of People
Magazine: Issue #18
Most people believe that eating the right proportions of macronutrients and depriving yourself from indulgences or “bad foods” will result in the “perfect body.” We have been led to believe that food is the sole key to losing weight and that making sacrifices with our diets is just something we have to suck up and deal with in order to have the body we want. Yes, eating the right food (real, unprocessed food) is crucial for weight loss and health... but if you want to truly change your body for good, it's time to change your approach. It's not just what we eat that matters, but also how we eat.
How do you approach food?
Do you sit down and make meal time an activity, or do you just grab a protein bar and eat on the go or while working?
Do you actually taste and savor your food, or do you inhale it so quickly that you never really feel satisfied?
Do you enjoy every bite of every meal, or are you worrying about the calories and fat grams going to your hips?
If you resonate with the latter of each question, you're not alone. Far too many people are living and eating under a chronic low level stressed state. When it comes to food, my definition of stress is any of the following: feeling actual stress or worry, anxiety about what to eat, having rigid rules around food, negative self-talk, eating fast, eating while multi-tasking, etc. Even though very different, these self-chosen stressors do the same thing to the body as obvious stressors such as a traumatic event or illness.
When we eat in a stressed state, the body excretes nutrients and releases insulin and the stress hormone cortisol, which decreases muscle building, calorie burning and digestive assimilation, all of which signals the body to store fat.
Therefore, eating healthy food is only half the story of good health. Being in the ideal state of relaxation to digest, assimilate and burn the food is the other half.
Here are 5 secrets for creating a relaxed state of mind while eating...
Breathe. Before you eat, take 5 slow, deep breaths. This calms down the nervous system and helps you become present.
Stop all multi-tasking and eat when eating. Set aside time for eating without any other distractions.
Put your utensil down in between bites. Breathe in some more oxygen and re-evaluate your hunger.
Savor + truly taste your food. No matter what you're eating, whether it's a big kale salad or a chocolate brownie, enjoy every single bite without guilt.
Play the slowest eater game. Secretly challenge yourself to be the last one at the table to finish your meal!
Remember, not every meal will be slow and relaxed and that's okay. Just hitting the breaks a little and finding pleasure in your food will greatly reduce any tendencies to overeat and will help to improve your metabolism. There's so much more to life than restricting and obsessing over food, it's time you enjoy it and reap the benefits of a healthy, happy and hot body.
Philosophy of People is a compilation of self-improvement articles written by entrepreneurs seeking to bring holistic solutions to everyday problems. Read more articles from our 2nd Year Anniversary issue.
Amanda Gyuran is a certified Eating Psychology + Holistic Health coach who helps women transform their relationships with food. Through her coaching programs she helps women ditch the diets, restriction and self-sabotage and find peace with their plates. Sign up for a free consultation and find more information about Amanda's programs at Amanda Gyuran Wellness.