NUTRITION - Re-train Your Body & Mind To Eat Less

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Summary - 

This episode isn’t about wanting to eat less because let’s face it, no one really wants to do that. Instead, it’s more about acknowledging that as a society we are moving less therefore in theory, we should be eating less. In this episode, I share some effective ways to do this without the need to deprive yourself or succumb to skinny-fit teas.  

Things I Mention - 

  • Why you might need to eat a little less to achieve your health & fitness goals

  • 8 tried & tested tips to re-train your body & mind to eat less

  • What our plate should look like compared to how our plate actually looks these days

PLUS, I share a very simple way to be able to go out for dinner & drinks without blowing your daily calorie intake.

Links & Helpful Resources - 

Make sure you hit SUBSCRIBE so you don’t miss out on any of my practical tips & tricks and if you enjoyed this episode, please leave me a rating and a review? Thanks!

I hear you - why on earth would anybody want to eat less, when food is life right?! Well, even as a massive foodie myself, I’ve had to go through my fair share of moments where I’ve needed to reign it in. Actually, I probably do it more than I even realise depending on my goals throughout the year. Anyway, this episode isn’t about wanting to eat less because no one really wants to eat less, it’s more about acknowledging that a lot of us could be eating a little less and be much better off for it.  You see, hunger is a natural and important signal from the body however it’s a signal that’s becoming increasingly hard to detect. As a society, we are eating more than ever before and as a result, our appetites are larger than ever before, which means that we are slowly losing touch with what it feels like to be genuinely hungry which does come with its own serious side effects.  

Let’s not forget too that one of the biggest health-related concerns we face today is an alarming increase in obesity which really boils down to one very simple fact - we are moving less therefore in theory, we should be eating less which most us know, just isn’t happening! So this episode is more about giving you some tools to use whenever you feel like you’ve spent a good few days or weeks perhaps eating more than what your body actually needs. They’ll help you reign it in without needing to drink skinny-fit teas or deprive yourself for days on end -  

Tip #1 - Drink Water

I’ve spoken before (in episode #5) about how easy it is to confuse hunger with thirst and/ or dehydration but let’s take this tip one step further because it really does work. Before you eat your next meal, aim to drink 1x full glass of water first rather than sipping on a drink during a meal. Not only will feel full more quickly but drinking during a meal can actually interfere with digestion, therefore getting your fluids in before eating is a much better habit to adopt. 

Tip #2 - Up The Volume

When making any meal whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner, ensure you load your plate with lots of low calorie, nutrient-dense foods. These include fruits, vegetables & lots of leafy greens. These foods should take up almost 3/4 of your plate. And now that you’ve heard this tip, you might even start to notice that your plate doesn’t quite look like this  because it’s very common for foods, especially refined carbohydrates (such as rice, pasta, breads etc.) to take up the most space on our plates these days. 

Tip #3 - Increase Lean Protein

For a lot of women, protein tends to be an after-thought but in my opinion, it is one of the most important macronutrients to think about when making something to eat. Our bodies require a certain amount of protein to assist with fat loss, performance, muscle growth & recovery and to keep us fuller for longer, oh and to help reduce cravings. Your recommended protein intake is largely based on your weight however consume too little for your weight and activity levels and you’ll likely experience what is known as a ‘muscle protein breakdown’. So instead of protein working for us to build and repair lean muscle, you’ll start to see a breakdown or degeneration of the muscles. So start to prioritise the amount of lean protein you consume during each meal. Examples of lean protein are white fish, skinless chicken, lean beef and pork, egg whites, beans and legumes.

Tip #4 - Use Smaller Plates

Portion control is largely caused by mind over matter so use smaller plates to counteract this. Have you noticed that even our serving plates are getting bigger and with this, comes the want to pile on the food so it looks like a normal sized meal. Visually, if you see a small amount of food on a large plate, your brain is quick to jump to the conclusion that that is not enough food and that you’ll need to eat more to feel satisfied. 

Tip #5 - Remove Packaging

I’m seeing this more and more especially from kids because a lot of their foods are packaged for convenience sake. Let’s ditch the packaging and instead, eat from a bowl or plate where possible. Eating straight from the package is a sure fire way to consume more calories than you actually need plus it goes against everything that is recommended when it comes to being more mindful when we eat which brings me to my next tip … 

Tip #6 - Be More Mindful

I am very guilty of this one but because I know it’s one of my weaknesses, I’m generally pretty good at pulling myself up on it so it doesn’t become a regular thing. I find it really difficult to sit and be present when I’m eating. I have spent way too many lunch breaks either working at my desk or watching a YouTube video whilst I’m eating. Not only is this not good for digestion (you actually chew your food a lot less when you’re distracted) but when you’re not present, you’re less likely to realise that you’re full which leads to over-eating. 

Tip #7 - Brush Your Teeth

If you’re anything like me,  after-dinner treats are a killer even if you’ve just eaten a truck load of food. I find that brushing my teeth as soon as I’ve finished eating diner works really well for this. You'll be less likely to eat/ want to eat once you've gone to the effort of brushing plus we all know that this is just a habit. We can’t be physically hungry so putting some steps in place to break the habit is your best bet. 

Tip #8 - Use Intermittent Fasting 

Intermittent Fasting isn’t for everyone. I for one, love breakfast. Its my favourite meal of the day. To add to this, my mornings are go-go-go from about 5am so come 8am, I am absolutely starving and need the energy from food to help me tackle the rest of my day. In a nutshell, Intermittent Fasting just means that  you’ve made a decision to shorten your eating window so instead of waking up and eating first thing, you would hold off until around lunch-time. This means your first meal is around noon and you’ll eat as you get hungry up until you’ve finished dinner - so let’s say 8pm. This would make your eating window around 8 hours and you’re fasting window or time spent not eating, around 16 hours. I won’t get into the pros and cons of Intermittent Fasting in this episode however it can be a really useful strategy for some people particularly to make room for extra calories later in the day when we all tend to consume a little bit more. Let’s say you have a dinner on the weekend and you know you’re meal will be more calorie-dense plus you’ll likely have a few drinks, you can use Intermittent Fasting to reduce the amount of calories you consume in the first half of the day to make room for more calories that night. As I said, it’s not for everyone but definitely something to keep in mind especially if you’re wanting to eat less to lose body fat. 

So to wrap up this episode, here are my top tips to re-train your body & mind to eat less - 

  1. Drink water before, not during a meal

  2. Up the volume of Fruits, Veg & Leafy Greens

  3. Increase lean protein

  4. Use smaller plates

  5. Remove packaging before eating

  6. Be more mindful

  7. Brush your teeth after dinner

  8. Use Intermittent Fasting to control calories

Now, if after listening to this episode, you feel that you’d like a little help with your own diet, please reach out. Perhaps you’re unsure how to work out the amount of calories you should be eating, maybe you want some advice on how to meal plan and be more organised in the kitchen or perhaps you already know that you’re an over-eater and you want nothing more than to break this cycle but know you’ll have more success with a little support each day. My 1:1 coaching service is there for you. I’ve helped clients identify food intolerances, break-free from binge-eating and learn to prioritise nutrition even with the craziest of work schedules but what I love most is teaching women how to manage their calories to ensure they reach their health & fitness goals. Nutrition isn’t something to go at alone, support, accountability and the right information is a guaranteed recipe for success. 

Ok, let’s meet back here, same time next week. You’re going to love next week’s episode!! 

Elisha CasagrandeBrisbane Personal Trainer, Brisbane Health Coach, FEEL BE LOOK, Womens Confidence, Confidence, Cravings, Emotional Eating, Portion Sizes, IIN Health Coach, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss, Womens Weight Loss, Mindful Eating, Intermittent Fasting