Are you ready for a new (much) slimmer you?
You better be.
Here we go.
Wait, my lawyer advised me to get this disclaimer* (see bottom of post) out of the way first.
Now we’re ready to go.
There’s one definition that’s a common theme throughout this new thinking. That is, the definition of eating to “full”. Or the fullness scale, from 1 to 10. 10 being the fullest, one being, well, we never bother with 1.
What is 10?
10 is what you feel after a thanksgiving meal, or after your favorite buffet feast, or your birthday/BBQ party where huge quantities of meat, junk food, alcohol & desserts were consumed until you need to take off your belt, unzip your pants, and fall into a eating coma for a few hours.
That’s a 10. Everything else is relative to that.
There are 3 mains rules in this new eating behavior, I call it “Goldilocks’s Three Bowls”:
1. Eat 3 meals a day, one large (8), one medium (6), one small (3)
2. Wait at least 12 hours between the end of the last meal of the day, and the beginning of the first meal on the next day
3. No snacking between meals
That’s it. Your weight will come off if you follow this, and you can keep eating whatever you are eating now, no need to count calories, simply adhere to this guideline religiously. You will feel satiated everyday and your weight will drop after the first week, and the next, and the next…
Let’s dig a little deeper:
Large meal = eating to an 8 on the fullness scale, meaning you are satisfied, you feel full, but not to the point of taking off your belt or having a nap after (that would be a 9 or 10).
Medium meal = eating to a 6 (max. 7) on the fullness scale. You feel somewhat full, you can definitely eat more, but you are not hungry anymore.
Small meal = eating to a 3 on the fullness scale. Make no mistake, this is basically a glorified snack. Just enough to ease your hunger pangs, nothing more.
You can choose the order of the meals in any way you like. For example, if you prefer a large breakfast, have your large meal in the morning, then a medium lunch, and a small dinner. Or reverse it, have small breakfast, medium lunch, and large dinner. For myself, I go medium breakfast, large lunch, and small dinner.
For medium & small meals, put the all the food you are going to eat on a plate before you sit down. This way, you can eyeball the actual quantity you’ll be eating, and no seconds. This will ensure you don’t go over the limit.
The 12 hour eating free period is the minimum, you can and will go longer as you progress. This serves as a very important buffer period where your stomach is resting. This does wonders for your blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity.
Remember, the clock starts at the END of the last meal, not the beginning. So if you started having dinner at 6pm, took your time, and had your last bite at 7:30pm. You cannot have breakfast until at least 7:30am the next day.
What’s a snack? Anything with calories is a snack. So basically the only thing you can have between meals is water, black coffee or tea. That’s it. If you drink coffee with cream and sugar, you need to have it at the end of a meal, so it counts as part of the meal. The point is that there needs to be a clear break between meals, where you give your stomach time to digest.
Wait, you say, but what about the times I want to really pig out? 8 is not enough. It’s Christmas, and I’m ready to go nuts. It’s gonna be 10, not 8! Don’t worry, here comes rule #4:
4. When you eat to a 9 or 10 on occasion, simply skip one of the other two meals.
That’s right. There’s no cheat meal in this new thinking, because it’s not a cheat, it’s called life, and it’s expected without any guilt attached. And we know exactly what to do. Have your feast, just skip one of the other two meals, be it small or medium, take your pick. All other rules still apply (eg. 12 hour window & no snacking). Let me give you an example, if you are going to a party, which starts at 7pm, and you plan to drink & eat like a king (or a queen), simply have one meal during the day, say a medium lunch or small breakfast. But I’ll be hungry, you say. No you won’t actually. Even if you do, just think about how much you’ll be eating at the party, I guarantee it’ll tide you over until then.
I can go on about all the nuisances of this new plan. And I will, in future blogs. For now, you have the blueprint to a slimmer you, tailored towards real living, with a ton of flexibility, that’s easy to remember & follow, with minimal mental/physical anguish.
You will feel satisfied everyday, and at the same time training your body to distinguish between different levels of fullness, which is crucial in developing self awareness & control going forward.
And it works! Don’t believe me? Try it for a week. Your scale won’t lie.
There’s a lot of material here to digest. Feel feel to ask me questions/concerns. I’ll be glad to answer them.
Next up: Devil is in the details.
*This blog does not provide medical advice.
Results May Vary: Causes for being overweight or obese vary from person to person. Whether genetic or environmental, it should be noted that food intake, rates of metabolism and levels of exercise and physical exertion vary from person to person. This means weight loss results will also vary from person to person. No individual result should be seen as typical.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material, contained on this blog is for educational purposes only. The content is not intended in any way as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog.
