How a 20 Minute Timer Can Save You Countless Calories
Do you eat out of boredom? Or dare I say….habit?
Do you ever find yourself saying “ yeah, I could eat,” but you know that you aren’t really hungry and you probably don’t need to be eating?
The human body has a system of hormones that tell us when we’re hungry and another system that tells us when we’re full.
The problem here is when we ignore these systems and eat anyways.
We throw off the balance and we can become less sensitive to these hormones that tell us we are full.
It’s like walking in a room that has smelly shoes on the floor. In a clean house, the stank from the shoes is noticeable. You are sensitive to the smell.
In a house that already smells like sh*t, it is harder to notice the smell of the shoes. In this example, you are less sensitive to the smell.
The idea is that we want to remain sensitive to the hormonal signals within our bodies!
Here are my tips:
The skill you must develop is listening to, and honoring your natural hunger.
Whenever you get the cue to eat when you aren’t hungry, or even when you get a little bit of hunger (but not for a full meal), set a timer for 20 minutes.
After the 20 mins are up – check in with your hunger again.
It will either be less or more.
Cravings or hunger surges generally last about 20 minutes.
You can do this back to back as many times as you need to feel the real hunger come on. Set a timer for 20 mins and then reset immediately again.
Here you are essentially replacing the habit (eating when not hungry) with something else (setting a timer and taking yourself elsewhere).
This seems basic, and it fundamentally is, but in this world today we are surrounded by food and opportunities to eat ALL OF THE TIME!
The key is to get back to the fundamentals of listening in and allowing natural cues to guide you.
The best part is that by honoring your hunger you are recalibrating your sensitivity to the hormones.
It just takes one time of doing this to get yourself on the right path.
Remember what is at risk if you keep feeding yourself when you are not truly hungry…
- Increased food cravings
- Hunger after meals
- Weight gain (or trouble losing)
- Blood sugar irregularity
- Poor energy levels
- I’m not kidding
If you have been ignoring your hunger (even a little bit) it’s okay.
Nobody teaches us how to do this – but I will.
For more tips on how to heal your relationship with food, read my post about emotional eating.
How will you treat your body?
Thanks for reading,
Krista
PS. Sometimes all you need is a guide. Someone to help you with the specifics and hold you accountable. Book a time on my calendar in three easy steps to see what the power of upgrading your nutrition and habits around food and exercise could do for you!