I’m a fast eater. Maybe it’s because I’m originally from the GO GO GO New York metro area - or maybe I’m just wired that way (or as Lady Gaga would say – Born That Way). I eat fast + talk fast + walk fast. The only person I know who eats faster than I do is my husband (also an east coaster). If I look away for a minute, whoosh – his food is GONE! The single habit I’ve struggled most with on my own health journey has been eating slowly. But why does eating slowly matter? Why should we care? Did you know that our biological “satiety mechanism” kicks in about 20 minutes AFTER we start a meal? No matter how much we eat during the first 20 minutes of a meal, we won’t feel satisfied or full until we hit the magical satiety time. If you tend … [Read more...] about When Finishing Last is Best
Awareness
It’s Time to Put the Scale Away When…
If you have a history of yo-yo dieting, relying on the scale for motivation can easily backfire. Let me explain. If the scale number is higher than we hoped for, it can cause anxiety. And anxiety about our weight tends to send us beelining toward our “hidden” stash of Thin Mints. On the other hand, that same higher than hoped for number can trigger calorie restriction or the elimination of foods/food groups (no more ice cream, no more carbs), thereby setting the stage for an inevitable binge. Now if the number is lower than expected, it’s easy to justify a food “reward” or overeating. “Woohoo, I lost 3 pounds, it’s cheesecake for dinner tonight!” If any of these scenarios ring true, know that you’re not alone. In fact, you’re … [Read more...] about It’s Time to Put the Scale Away When…
The Snake and the Rope
Not overeating is easy. You simply eat when you're physically hungry, stop when you're satisfied and repeat. What’s hard are the feelings that show up when we don’t overeat. When we don’t overeat, we have to feel and we don’t want to. It’s not that we’re not willing, it’s that most of us haven’t practiced feeling our feelings. So we eat + distract + numb with food and wine instead of feeling. We’re afraid of not having the escape. But what we’re afraid of is harmless. If you take away the extra food, you get to experience the truth of your life. Which may seem scary at first, but in actuality - is a very good thing. We need to know what we’re feeling. Our feelings are what inspire us to make changes. When we numb out the feelings, we numb … [Read more...] about The Snake and the Rope
Identifying Your Top Values
Deep down in your innermost being, what is important to you? What sort of qualities do you want to nurture in yourself? What do you want to stand for? How do you want to be in your relationships with others? Values are our heart’s deepest desires for how we want to interact with and relate to the world, other people and ourselves. They are the principles that can guide us and motivate us as we move through life. Without values, we’re a ship with no sail. We’re lost in the woods without a compass or a map. “Values are like a compass. A compass gives you direction and keeps you on track when you’re traveling. And our values do the same for the journey of life. We use them to choose the direction in which we want to move and to keep us on … [Read more...] about Identifying Your Top Values