How To Fuel-Up Your Body Throughout The Day
Consider first your intension for yourself: May I guide the being that lives inside of my skin with great tenderness and respect. Review the sections: If You Would Grow, and A Daily Reminder, Dieting versus the Non-Dieting Approach.
It is helpful to be aware of the numerous factors that influence our lives and our achieving a healthier weight.
I also make sure that I check in with my "inner self" and see if I really need food, or...something else. Use the Daily Personal 5-Minute Check-In!
Additionally, consider Essential Skill #7, listed here as you tune into your body to find out how much food you really need:
Eating With Awareness and Pleasure:
Learn how to eat less but
enjoy it more as you remember that it's NOT your last meal. You will be able to
eat again! Slow down and savor the flavor of food. Treat every bite as a gourmet
feast. The more time and attention you give to food the more satisfying it is.
- Listen to Your Body. It Will Talk to You: Hunger Scale
- The Grace Of Eating: The Five Contemplations Before Meals
- Eating Awareness Training
- CELEBRATE Healthful Eating! Yum! Make It FUN. Make It Colorful!
Now you're ready to explore some nutritional guidelines:
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Check out: Plan a Better Menu (making small, gradual changes in what you eat), A Foundation Food Plan: Explore Kaiser Permanente's Healthy Weight Management Pyramid, Various Pyramids and Eating Plans. Review the information.
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You could choose an amount of food below that allows you to feel satisfied throughout the day, while allowing gradual reduction of the excess stored energy on your body. It has been found to be healthiest to see very gradual changes in body weight (no more than .5 - 2 pounds per week).
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Follow the recommended number of servings for each group and spread them out throughout the day--while eating every couple of hours--so that you don't get too hungry. Notice HOW your body FEELS as you consume different kinds of foods and a certain number of servings from each group. Perhaps you need more food because you find that you are too hungry. Please refer to the Eating Awareness ideas above.
Example of a Food Plan to Keep You Healthy & Frisky!
Note: Eating some protein (you may want to eat up to 7 - 10 ounces per day of low-fat proteins), healthy fats, and fiber with your meals and snacks will slow down digestion and help you feel fuller longer. It will also help your blood sugars remain more stable.
Using the Eating Awareness Training ideas will allow you to eat less, but enjoy what you eat more!
BREAKFAST:
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1 - 2 ounces protein, 1 - 2 bread & grain group servings, 1 fruit serving, 1/2 milk (?), 1 fat serving, or more
SNACK:
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1 milk serving, 1 fruit, Veggies??!!!
LUNCH:
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2 - 4 ounces of protein, 1-2 bread & grain group servings, 2 vegetable servings (or more!), 1 fat serving, or more
SNACK:
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1 milk serving, 1 fruit serving
DINNER:
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2 - 4 ounces protein, 1 - 2 bread & grain group servings, 2 vegetable servings (or more!), 1 fat serving, or more
SNACK:
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1 fruit (if not eaten at other meals), 1 bread & grain group serving (if not eaten at other meals), 1 sweet serving--or additional fruit serving (if not eaten at other meals)
Your plan may need to change depending whether you are working or have the unstructured time of weekends or days off. This is an exploration. You'll find out what your body needs to feel best as you gradually achieve a healthier weight.
Also, review the information below to see if you might want to make any adjustments for yourself. THIS IS AN EXPERIMENT and will take awhile to figure out what works best for YOU.
Maintaining or losing weight is a balance between energy (calories) taken IN through food and energy USED through physical activity.
Excess energy are stored on the body as fat. One TERRIFIC way to help you become healthier is to become more physically active. Creating a more active life helps our bodies be more vibrant at any weight. Visit The Power of Fun: Celebrate Enjoyable Ways To Be Active! and Enjoy Cultivating an Active Style of Life for You and Your Family for suggestions.
Another benefit of physical movement is that it helps the body burn up energy while exercising and also tunes up our metabolism and improves our health. As you develop more muscle tissue, your metabolism goes up and you burn more calories all of the time. Check out the Essential Skills section, skill #4, for ideas on developing a more active style of life.
Discover how Bob PRACTICES this idea:s