Listen to your body: don't eat when you're not hungry, and don't suffer hunger pains!

The worst thing you can do when you're on a diet is to ignore your body's hunger signals. Most diets fail because they allow you to become too hungry. Maybe you think it's normal: after all, isn't hunger proof that you're burning fat? Isn't it proof that your diet is working? To a certain degree this is true, until the feeling becomes so overwhelming and unbearable that there is no alternative than going on a binge of "forbidden" foods, all the high sugar and high fat items you've been avoiding diligently: chocolates, biscuits, cakes, crisps, fried chicken, pizza, cheese, crackers and candy. 

If you want to be successful with weight loss, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY. Nothing is more important. 

1) Don't eat if you're not hungry.
Have a piece of fruit, a raw vegetable salad or a glass of water with lemon juice. This even applies to meal times: if you still feel hungry after your meal, you may need to increase the amount of complex carbohydrates or protein you're having. You could also add more vegetables and fruit to your portions. Plan healthy snacks to ensure a smooth transition from one meal to the next.

2) Don't suffer hunger pains. 
If hunger pangs are unfulfilled, they can lead to painful stomach ulcers or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar). People tend to place their meals around the clock, and will eat at given times, whether they're hungry or not. However, it is much healthier and more effective to place your meals around your hunger, in the same way that children do, without paying attention to the clock. If you're in the habit of eating regular meals when you're not hungry, you will gain weight or sabotage your weight loss efforts. Your body tells you that you don't need energy, but you insist on putting food into it, out of habit. 
Ignoring your body's signals will lead to excess calories being stored as fat. It also puts extra strain on your liver and affects your metabolism adversely. If you grew up in poverty or during hard times, you may feel compelled to finish everything on your plate, and feel guilty if you don't. But today you don't need to do this any more. For your own wellbeing, it is much better to stop eating once you're full and no longer have the urge to satisfy your hunger or indulge your appetite. 

If you could follow the principle of eating only when you're hungry and stopping when you're full, you could easily lose weight and maintain your new healthy weight, without having to do much else! Your body is a wonderful machine with infinite wisdom. Listen to it. Treat it with reverence and respect, and you will reap the rewards: a slim, healthy body full of energy, while you're young and right into your old age.

With all my love,

Bella


Painting: "Home Grown Tomatoes" by Debra Sisson